General Purpose: To report on and to promote to the media student life, student-led activities, and innovations in teaching at the University of Rochester, a leading private research university in upstate New York.
Specific Responsibilities: Working with colleagues in University Communications, and under the supervision of the Associate Vice President, duties encompass most aspects of media and public relations in this area. These include staying abreast of higher education issues, interviewing student leaders and administrators, using news judgment to identify plausible stories, and making use of reporting, writing and promotion skills to persuade reporters to consider writing or producing stories about student life and activities here.
Duties and tasks: Fulfilling the above responsibilities requires energetic use of a broad range of skills found in the fields of reporting, writing and public relations. The work begins with development of a solid understanding of issues in student life and higher education, attained through close reading of higher education trade publications, conversations with students and higher education reporters, and perhaps also through personal experience with college-level student activities. A sound understanding of the particular student activities and teaching developments of the University of Rochester is built on regular engagement with student groups, student leaders, and staff and faculty administrators on campus. Using a journalist’s news judgment, the reporter and publicist/press officer determines which activities are likely to be of news value, and then he or she will develop press releases, letters or telephone pitches to encourage reporters to prepare stories for their publications or stations. He or she will also write about these activities for the University’s own biweekly newspaper, Currents, or other campus publications, and will work with colleagues to plan and run occasional press conferences. May require an occasional business trip.
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