The Guardian
Overview - The Guardian is a national, award-winning daily newspaper with a circulation of over 350,000. It also has an award-winning website that has received considerable praise for its innovation and cutting-edge approach to new technology.
Brief - In July 2007 I was asked to give an interview to the Guardian about my time at Leeds Met as a BA (Hons) Public Relations student and resident at Kirkstall Brewery Halls of Residence. At the time I was employed by Leeds Met and this interview gave me the opportunity to be an ambassador for the university.
Objective – To portray Leeds Met and Kirkstall Brewery in a positive light.
Task - To coincide with the Guardian's coverage of A-level results and ‘Clearing’ I was interviewed over the telephone by Alice Wignall for the Education Guardian supplement. After consultation with the Leeds Met Communications team I prepared for the interview by making notes of experiences during my time at university and thought about possible questions that I could be asked. This enabled me to have semi-prepared answers and get across the key messages about the benefits of choosing to study at Leeds Met.
The interview itself lasted for about ten minutes and the journalist asked a variety of open-ended questions ranging from the standard of accommodation to helpfulness of tutors. I answered the questions honestly and truthfully and found it an enjoyable experience. However, due to my employment with Leeds Met at the time I was conscious of projecting a positive image and made sure to avoid being too critical.
Publication – The Guardian online and print coverage.
Results – From a personal perspective I was pleased to see that my interview was published and appeared online. However, I feel that what was printed did not accurately reflect what I said during the interview or the order in which it was said. In addition, the vast majority of what I said including the key messages was not published. The journalist printed responses that were not semi-prepared.
Coverage
