PR For Academics

The old mantra of ‘publish or perish’ is fast being replaced by ‘be visible or vanish.’ Establishing a profile is now essential for researchers – whether they see their future within academia or outside. Or both. PR for Academics is a workshop series designed to help you become a better communicator, to develop and maintain a visible presence and to share your research with the world. Unpack the mysteries of podcasting, make documentaries, put on an exhibition, make a TikTok video and learn to write and talk about your research in engaging and winning ways with our resident communications expert, Simon Clews. If you have any questions about the PR for Academics series, please contact Researcher Development: researcherdevelopment@anu.edu.au.

 Workshops

More Information About This Program

Writing for Audiences Outside the Academy: Opinion Pieces and The Conversation

Tuesday, March 14 at 2pm

We really are living in the world of ‘be visible or vanish’ these days with public awareness of your research essential, and knowing how to achieve this a vital part of any academic’s toolkit. One of the most successful ways to generate awareness for your research is to establish a presence in newspapers, magazines and crossover publications like The Conversation. This session will look at these media outlets and explore how best to write for them, and how to pitch a winning story to them.

Talking About Your Research With the Media: Giving Effective Print and Electronic Interviews

Tuesday, March 28 at 2pm

A good interview, whether live-to-air for radio or television, recorded for a podcast, or just a chat with a print journalist, is a fine art. Getting your message across within the often quite rigid time constraints and in a very different environment to academia can be challenging, but it is also a highly effective way of making large audiences aware of your work. This session will look at how to look and sound good - in print, on air and on camera.

Talking on Your Feet: Making Impressive Oral Presentations About Your Research

Tuesday, May 16 at 2pm

Like it or not, we now live in a world where we need to be able to talk about who we are and what we do at the drop of a hat. We need to be able to ‘talk the talk.’ From the impromptu elevator pitch to a full-blown public oration, this session will show how to impress any audience using only your finely honed oral communication skills and just a touch of theatricality.

Influencer 101: the Fine Art of Personal Branding for Researchers

Tuesday, May 30 at 2pm

Academia is no different to the rest of the world – competition, sometimes quite cutthroat competition – abounds. But having a distinctive brand will put you a head of the pack and high up in the stakes for that next big grant, that dream job you’ve been chasing, or any other golden opportunity. This session will look at ways of creating, developing, and maintaining your personal ‘brand.’

On the Screen and in Museums and Galleries: Showcasing Your Research in Documentaries and Exhibitions

Tuesday, June 13 at 2pm

Exhibitions and documentaries have the potential to reach incredibly large audiences; being part of a team that has more in common with a feature film crew than a research group can be very exciting, but also very different to the world you currently operate in. This session will look at the skills necessary to get the most out of the worlds of documentaries and exhibitions.

From YouTube to TikTok: Making Short, Sharp and Effective Visual Presentations 

Tuesday, June 27 at 2pm

If you want to capture the attention of an audience, striking visuals are the way to go. And, if you really want to lodge your story deep in their memory, video is the way to do it. A look at the ‘movie magic’ of YouTube, Vimeo and TikTok and how you can use them to spread the word about your work. 

Workshop Leader: Simon Clews

Simon Clews works with writers and academics around the world to help them improve their written and oral communication He is currently a Learning Advisor with The Australian National University and prior to that was the Director of the Melbourne Engagement Lab at Melbourne University. Before joining academia he worked for many years in writing, publishing and literary events. He is the author of The New Academic (NewSouth Publishing and SourceBooks) and Your Time Starts Now! (Thesis Whisperer Books), with Be Visible Or Vanish: Engage, Influence, and Ensure Your Research Has Impact, co-written with Thesis Whisperer, Inger Mewburn, coming out in May. And towards the end of the year he will return to his theatrical roots with a one-person show called First Edition about “the quaint, improbable and sometimes ridiculous story of how books are made, sold and read.” For more information visit www.simonclews.com.