Science, Technology and Engineering generate some of the biggest stories in the news and press officers are integral to getting the voices of their institutions and experts heard. Stempra is running a series of events to highlight the ways that different organisations have responded to being in the news and their tactics for working with the media. The informal nature of this event means that we are going to hold it in a pub, the Lamb on Conduit Street, and there will be a pay bar available.

When an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease hit the headlines earlier this year, scientists at the Institute For Animal Health (IAH) at Pirbright were involved in testing samples, and informing politicians, the public and the media about possible outcomes. However, in a dramatic and unexpected twist of events the Institute hit the news as a potential source of the outbreak. As a result the BBSRC, the funding body behind the IAH, found themselves inundated with calls from the world’s media. Matt Goode, Head of Media at the BBSRC, had to deal with these calls and found himself at the centre of such a high profile, negative science story. Matt is going to speak about the way this story played out in the news, what he learnt about crisis management and tips and advice for those who may find themselves in a crisis situation in the future.

Registration required:

Yes

Free:

Yes