If you want to issue your own press release, see the page Creating and sending press releases.
- The role of the media is to be independent and critical. Our relations with journalists should be characterised by an open and amiable approach. We welcome all scrutiny and inquiries from the media, as we are a publicly funded authority.
- All employees have a constitutionally protected right to provide views and information to the media. The University does not have the right to investigate who provided the information. In addition, research is by definition free, according to the Higher Education Act. This means, among other things, that researchers are free to publish research results.
- Questions concerning the broader activities of the University, such as the budget, major changes, future plans and misconduct, must be answered by the head (manager) of the relevant office or University Management. You can always email press@umu.se for help.
- Each manager has the right and obligation to speak on matters concerning their own organisation.
- For other matters, the person who has specialised knowledge of the subject will make a statement.
- Researchers are encouraged to participate in the public debate and to have media contacts about their research and speciality.
- Employees who make statements in the media on matters for which they are not responsible or have specialised knowledge do so as private individuals, not as official representatives of the University.
If you are contacted by the media – a brief guide
Contacted by phone
Ask what the matter regards and then ask to call them back – this will give you time to collect yourself and think of a good answer or whether you should refer them to someone else. It also gives you a chance to check that the caller is who they say they are, if necessary.
Contacted by email
Reply as soon as you can that you will get back to them and approximately when you think you have time to respond in more detail. If you are not the right person to answer, always refer them to another person. If you are not sure who, refer them to the press officer. The journalist always deserves a quick and good response.
Physically contacted on site
Let them in and try to find the person who can answer their questions, if you cannot do so yourself. It is a good idea to check their press credentials.
Ask to see your quotes
Check that they are correct, but do not nitpick the details unnecessarily. Quotes should "capture the spirit" of what you said; they do not always have to be exact wording, but you should always feel that you can stand by your own quotes. Otherwise, ask for correction.
Ask to redo your answer
If the interview is being recorded, you can ask to redo your answer if you feel it was not quite right.
Do not speculate
Answer what you know. It is never wrong to say "I don't know". Avoid saying "No comment", as this tends to make the person think that you have something to hide. You can always ask whether you can get back to them with more information if you need to check something.
Ask when publication will take place
It is good to know when the information will be published so you can share the material yourself, where applicable, or be prepared for more questions from other media.
Headlines can be varied and slanted
The headline is not always set by the journalist who conducted the interview. It may also be varied on media agency websites to test which headline works best. If the headline feels wrong, contact the media agency or journalist and explain your case in a friendly tone. No journalist wants to make mistakes.
If you are unsure
Contact your line manager, press officer or faculty communications officers.
Inquiries received via a faculty communications officer or press officer
The press officer and faculty communications officers receive several inquiries from the media on a daily basis. If you are contacted, as quick a response as possible to the inquiry is generally appreciated. You can either refer them to someone else or answer the journalist's questions. You can always ask to be interviewed at a later date, but quick responses make everyone's job easier.
For inquiries, you can call our press phone number at +46 90-786 50 89 or send an email to press@umu.se (always staffed weekdays between 8:00 and 16:30). Outside of these hours, please contact your line manager or press officer Jakob Mjöbring at +46 72-206 89 23.
Who should serve as the contact person for the media?
- The Vice-Chancellor, University Director, Head of the Communications Office or press officer decides on press contacts related to university-wide matters.
- The Dean decides on and is responsible for press contacts related to faculty-wide matters. This should preferably be done in consultation with the Vice-Chancellor, University Director, faculty communications officer, press officer or Head of the Communications Office.
- The Head of Department decides on and is responsible for press contacts related to department-wide matters. This should preferably be done in consultation with the Dean/Head of Faculty Office, faculty communications officer or press officer.
- The Head of Office decides on and is responsible for press contacts related to the activities of that office. This should preferably be done in consultation with a line manager, faculty communications officer or press officer.