Public Relations Guidelines
Media support for faculty and staff
OCM works to share Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s most compelling news, stories, expertise, and institutional priorities with media and public audiences. We partner with faculty, staff, and campus units to identify opportunities that advance Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s mission, strengthen the College’s reputation, and elevate work with strong public interest or strategic value.
Members of the media: Please review our media relations information.
When to contact OCM
Contact OCM if you are interested in media support for a story, program, event, research project, expert perspective, institutional announcement, or public-facing initiative.
OCM is responsible for developing and distributing official College press releases and media advisories unless a special arrangement has been made in advance.
Media support may include press releases, media advisories, story pitching, expert positioning, op-ed guidance, media strategy, or coordination with reporters and outlets.
To request media support, contact Sara Miga, senior director of news and external relations, smiga@skidmore.edu.
For athletics support, contact Kyle Lancto, associate director of athletic communications, klancto@skidmore.edu, and review .
How OCM evaluates requests
OCM reviews media requests based on:
- alignment with institutional priorities
- newsworthiness and potential media interest
- relevance to external audiences
- timing and media lead time
- available capacity
- connection to broader communications, marketing, or reputation goals
Not every announcement, event, or achievement is a fit for media outreach. When a request is not appropriate for a press release, advisory, or pitch, OCM may recommend another communications channel, such as Â鶹Æƽâ°æ News, the Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Weekly Bulletin, social media, a departmental channel, or a local event calendar.
Timing
To help OCM plan, write, review, and distribute communications effectively, please submit requests with the following lead times:
- Event-related press releases or advisories: at least three weeks before the event
- All other media requests: at least two weeks before the desired release date
It may not be possible to accommodate requests submitted outside these windows.
What to include in your request
Please provide as much relevant information as possible, including:
- a brief description of the news, event, research, program, or initiative
- date, time, and location, if applicable
- sponsoring department, program, or office
- key people involved
- why the story matters now
- intended or ideal audience
- relevant links or background information
- photos, image credits, or multimedia assets, if available
- deadline or desired timing
- contact information for follow-up questions
If OCM is able to support the request, we will follow up for additional information and work with you to determine the best approach.
What OCM prioritizes
OCM focuses on stories, announcements, and opportunities with strong potential to elevate Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s visibility and reputation. Examples include:
- major institutional announcements
- significant research, scholarship, or creative achievements
- large grants, philanthropic gifts, or externally funded initiatives
- high-profile events with broad public interest
- strategic programs or initiatives that advance the College’s mission
- faculty or staff expertise connected to timely public conversations
- stories with strong regional, national, or higher education media potential
Not a fit for media coverage? Not a problem! Your news or idea may be better suited for one of our other content channels or mediums.
Lectures and events
OCM does not generally promote routine departmental or divisional lectures to the public through press releases or media advisories.
Exceptions may be made for named lectures, signature events, high-profile speakers, major public programs, or events that meet the criteria above.
Departments hosting public lectures or events that are not suited for OCM media distribution may submit directly to local or regional event listings.
- Albany Business Review: ; cbooth@bizjournals.com
- Daily Gazette: ; aburkhard@dailygazette.net
- Discover Saratoga: ; info@discoversaratoga.org
- News10 ABC:
- Saratoga Today:
- Spectrum News 1:
- The Post-Star:
- The Saratogian: calendar@saratogian.com
- The Troy Record: ; calendar@troyrecord.com
- Times Union:
- WNYT-NewsChannel 13:
Editorial discretion
OCM determines whether a story is suitable for media outreach, whether a request aligns with institutional priorities, when a press release or advisory will be issued, and which outlets will receive a release, advisory, or pitch.
OCM may edit content for accuracy, clarity, style, tone, length, institutional messaging, and audience fit.
These decisions help ensure consistent messaging, effective media strategy, and responsible use of College communications resources.
Faculty experts and story ideas
OCM welcomes conversations with faculty and staff interested in:
- pitching story, news, or research ideas
- writing and submitting op-eds
- serving as media experts
- increasing visibility for their scholarship, creative work, professional expertise, or programs
OCM can provide guidance on framing stories for media interest, identifying appropriate outlets, preparing for interviews, and connecting expertise to timely public conversations.
Questions
If you have questions about media outreach, public relations strategy, story ideas, op-eds, or faculty expert opportunities, contact OCM.