Media Engagement Guidelines
The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry highly values the important role of the news media in disseminating information to the public and makes it a priority to maintain an open relationship with members of the news media. We are committed to providing the media with timely and accurate information on matters related to the School.
Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s Communications & Marketing Department and specifically the Senior Media Relations Officer serve as principal contact points for the all media. They are the source of official information about the School. Matters of University-wide significance will be directed to the Director of Media Relations for Western University.Faculty, staff and students who would like to engage the news media, or who receive news media inquiries, are asked to first coordinate with Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s Senior Media Relations Officer or the Director, Communications & Marketing.
Faculty or students who are working on any media outreach or press releases with partner universities, industry partners or journals are asked to coordinate with Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s Senior Media Relations Officer or the Director, Communications & Marketing.
If a faculty or staff member or student is contacted directly by a member of the news media to speak about their area of expertise, they are encouraged to do so after they have connected with the Senior Media Relations Officer or Director, Communications & Marketing.
If a faculty or staff member or student is engaged by the news media, and prefers to decline to respond, they are free to do so. They are, however, encouraged to reach out to Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s Senior Media Relations Officer or the Director, Communications & Marketing to inform them of the media request in order to offer alternate experts that the media could engage.
Reporters, photographers and videographers are not permitted in School buildings without a communications escort. If a faculty or staff member or student receives a request from a member of the media to come on campus to take photographs or shoot video, they are asked to contact with the Senior Media Relations Officer or Director, Communications & Marketing.
Only spokespeople designated by Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s Communications & Marketing Department or Western University’s Media Relations Department should speak publicly on behalf of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry on matters related to the School’s official position, on issues of school-wide significance, or for situations that may be sensitive.
Any engagement after regular business hours, during weekends or statutory holidays should be directed to the Director, Communications & Marketing.
Note:
According to Western University’s POLICY 1.38 – Rights and Responsibilities of Academic Freedom academic freedom provides faculty members with the protection that must accompany independent research and the publication of its results. Academic freedom ensures that such ideas can be expressed without fear of interference or repression from university administrators, politicians, or others. In their capacity as researchers and scholars, individual researchers do not represent the views of the University.
