We’ve got a pretty unique Public Relations department at PlattForm. Not only do we handle PR efforts for career schools and four-year institutions, we also serve as journalists for two publications produced by PlattForm. Juggling the responsibilities of a journalist and a PR professional gives us some interesting insight about how colleges deal with the media.

I was recently writing an article for our magazine, Career College Central, and called several schools to request interviews. Many of the phone operators I talked to weren’t sure where to direct my call. After being bounced back and forth between receptionists, I usually got the voicemail of a school official. None of the messages I left were returned.

As a public relations practitioner, I have to admit I was surprised. A magazine was calling, giving these schools an opportunity for free publicity and they were missing out. In rare instances like this, when the media gives your organization an opportunity to raise awareness of your college, you should jump on it.

Here are a few tips that will help your school be ready when the media presents you with the opportunity for some free publicity.

• Make sure everyone who answers phones knows where to direct media inquiries. It’s also a good idea to tell your other professional staff, like admissions representatives and financial aid officers, who the appropriate contacts are in the event they are approached by the media.
• Promptly return a reporter’s message, even if you have to leave them a voicemail. Reporters will appreciate this and remember that your organization is easy to get in contact with the next time they’re working on a story about education.
• Listen to the reporter’s story idea before refusing to speak. If you feel the story would place your college in an inappropriate light or that you simply don’t have the information the reporter is seeking, politely decline. Tell the reporter you don’t think your college is a good fit for their story or that you’re not really qualified to speak on that topic, but hope you can help them in the future with other stories they write.

Following these few simple guidelines will show the media you’re serious about fielding their inquiries and building a solid relationship with reporters. They might even garner you some free publicity.