Media Resources for Faculty

UCSF Public Affairs leads media relations for the University, including UCSF Health. Each member of our team of public information professionals covers multiple areas of patient care, discovery and education, proactively sharing news of discovery and innovation with reporters, and connecting our experts with reporters for comment on stories. 

The team’s mission is to identify stories that showcase UCSF’s excellence and will be of interest to the general public. This goal requires that the team make strategic decisions on which stories will be of greatest interest to media (as a way of reaching the public) and our key audiences. 

We communicate via numerous formats, including news releases, pitches, graphics, video, opinion pieces, press briefings and responses to media queries for expert comment. We also work closely with other communicators on campus to share news via other forums. In addition, all of our news releases, as well as graphics and videos, are published on UCSF.edu and amplified via social media platforms. 

Please see guidelines for working with our team, below.

Contacting UCSF Public Affairs

Working with Public Affairs

We’re interested in hearing about newsworthy developments in your work, including upcoming publications, trends in discoveries and examples of innovative patient care. Please contact the appropriate public information representative as early as possible to advise us of potential stories; this would include alerting us as soon as a paper has been accepted by a journal, as we are always working to cover numerous papers at one time. With rare exceptions, news releases will only be pursued if they can be researched, drafted, reviewed, and issued under embargo at least three days in advance of publication. This allows media time to conduct interviews and write their stories, thus encouraging coverage of your news. As your public relations partners, we provide counsel on communications strategy to determine the most effective approaches to media, including which stories are most likely to attract media attention, how best to communicate your news, and how to prepare for interviews.

Responding to Media Calls

UCSF Public Affairs is responsible for coordinating all media calls related to the university, including UCSF Health. We also are available to help you prepare for an interview. Please reach out to us if you are contacted directly by a reporter at (415) 502-NEWS or [email protected].

Working with Photographers/Videographers

Photo and video shoots at UCSF sites must be coordinated through UCSF Public Affairs, which handles the consent forms required under patient privacy laws and other restrictions, as well as staffs the shoots. This process can be time consuming, so please contact the Public Affairs team member who covers your area as soon as discussions begin.

Documentary Films

UCSF Public Affairs’ highest priority for external communications is via the news media. Documentary filming, which is time- and resource-intensive, is generally not supported by the University.

Media Guidelines Regarding Industry Partners

All UCSF contracts with outside affiliates include a section on how and when industry partners and external affiliates may refer to UCSF in external marketing or media outreach. These are spelled out in UCSF Industry Media Guidelines. Any announcements also must comply with guidelines for the Use of the University of California Name set forward by the UC Office of the President and UC Board of Regents.

Managing Sensitive Issues

In addition to communicating UCSF innovation to the media and broader public, UCSF Public Affairs manages crisis communications. If you are concerned about an issue, please contact the member of our team who covers your area for initial discussion, or contact us at (415) 502-NEWS or [email protected].