The GUMC Office of Communications serves as the central point of contact for members of the media interested in GUMC's work, and for faculty interested in promoting their research or expertise.  It is our responsibility to assess news opportunities and story ideas, develop news releases and other distribution methods, and to serve as a bridge between faculty and members of the press. 

We are often asked how we determine what's "newsworthy enough" for a news release. 

Our first gauge is to remember the audience: news releases are for the news media.  We develop press releases that have the best chance of attracting positive media coverage of GUMC (or in case of an event, one that will draw members of the press to campus).  

In general, we look for story ideas to fit into one of the categories listed below as we consider what should be a news release.  It is important to note that there will always be exceptions; however these guidelines should offer a clearer sense of how we evaluate stories for news release development. 

Here are the criteria we look for when developing official GUMC news releases:

1. High impact research appearing in a peer-reviewed journal (particularly research with obvious clinical implications) 
2. Significant grant awards or gifts (generally speaking, more than $1 million)
3. Faculty or staff member receiving a national award or professional distinction
4. Opening of a new clinical trial that requires human participants
5. Appointments of new chairs or medical center administration
6. Joint GUMC-GUH initiatives or educational opportunities for the general public
7. On-campus event open to members of the media

In addition to distributing news releases, we also have other venues for communicating news internally and to donors - such as the GUMC Update, the Blue & Gray, and several magazines aimed at GUMC alumni and donors. We work closely with the editors of these publications to ensure that we find a place for all of GUMC's good news.  Lastly, it is important to remember that media coverage comes from personal conversations with reporters, as well as the distribution of news releases. So, if you have an idea of a great story that does not fit the above criteria, please contact the Office of Communications so we can talk about your story idea.

For more information or questions, please contact: 
Laura Cavender
Director of Communications
Georgetown University Medical Center
(202) 687-5100
lsc6@georgetown.edu

View current news releases