Direct questions and comments to TCC Communications and Marketing at (850) 201-6049 or communications@tcc.fl.edu.
TCC is a trusted source in the community, so media representatives frequently contact faculty and staff for information. This is a compliment to you and to TCC. Being contacted by the media is an opportunity to share your expertise, information about programs you are promoting and good news about our institution. TCC Communications and Marketing can help you make the most of your media interactions.
Handling Media Inquiries
TCC Communications and Marketing encourages reporters to call upon our office to help them get the information they need and to set up interviews with the best TCC sources for their stories.
- If a member of the media contacts you about a matter within your area of expertise, please notify TCC Communications and Marketing.
- If a member of the media contacts you about a matter that is outside your area of expertise or that relates to the institution as a whole, refer the media member to TCC Communications and Marketing. We will speak to the media member or find an appropriate person to do so.
Reasons to Notify TCC Communications and Marketing before Speaking with the Media
Notify TCC Communications and Marketing before speaking with the media, especially in these cases:
- Scheduling Formal Interviews: When you let us know in advance, we can provide appropriate support if a reporter wants to schedule a formal broadcast interview with you.
- Commenting about Students: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act limits your ability to share personally identifiable information about students. However, if TCC Communications and Marketing has already generated a news release about the student and sent it to the media, the student will have already given permission to do so, and it is probably OK to comment. This may be a good time to check in with the TCC Communications and Marketing about the situation.
- Responding in General: Ask us for assistance if you feel uncomfortable talking to the media.
- Controversial Issues: If you are contacted about an issue that you consider to be controversial or to reflect negatively on TCC, it is very important that you notify TCC Communications and Marketing before speaking with the media.
Tips on Interacting with the Media
- Take Time to Collect Your Thoughts if You Wish: Take time to think about your responses. You may want to ask the media representative if you can call back in a few minutes. This doesn’t mean you should “script” your answers. It’s just a chance to collect your thoughts, consult your data or decide which points you want to cover. However, don’t ask the media representative to wait for days for you to call back. Reporters are almost always on tight deadlines. You may want to ask how long the interview will take. If the reporter is just calling to learn a few details about an upcoming event, that information is probably right at your fingertips. If the reporter is calling for your opinion about a new legislative initiative, you may want time to gather your thoughts and relevant information.
- Call the Communications and Marketing Team: If you wish, you may also use this “time out” to call TCC Communications and Marketing. We will be happy to share any information we may have about any ongoing story related to the topic you have been asked about.
- Notify Our Team: Shortly after your contact with the media, please inform TCC Communications and Marketing, which tracks all TCC’s media contacts in order to gauge how effectively we are getting our message out. Also, you may be one of several people on staff who have been contacted about the same issue. If that is the case, it will be helpful for us to know that a major story may be developing.
- Make It Meaningful: The audience for your words is not the reporter, it is the general public. Make your answers meaningful and understandable. Don’t use technical language except when necessary. Also, the longer the sentences you use, the more likely you are to be misquoted.
- Speak with Care: Speak with care and do not say anything that you would not want to see in print, hear on the radio or find online.
- Give Accurate Info: Before ending the contact, spell your name and give your accurate title. Invite the reporter to call you back with any further questions.