Working with Student Media

This message is a reminder for employees working with university student journalists.
Thank you in advance for sharing this information with your staff. If you have any questions,
please contact me at jdediemar@tamusa.edu or 210-784-1122. I am also available to speak with your department regarding media relations as well as working with student journalists. Regards, Jeanette DeDiemar

Dear Managers,

The purpose of this update is to provide guidance for supporting interview requests from A&M-San Antonio’s Jaguar Student Media. We’re proud of our award-winning students and the achievements of our graduates working in journalism. Members of the Jaguar Student Media and students enrolled in communication classes rely on campus support to produce timely, accurate stories and content as well as opportunities to build their portfolio of experiences.

There are a variety of reasons why you might be asked to participate in an interview for one of the Jaguar Student Media (The Mesquite, El Espejo or Enlace). The following provides guidance and a few examples to help you determine how to respond.

Official university statement – this is a request for a quote or official statement from A&M –San Antonio and/or A&M University System such as a position on a policy or a legal matter.

Example: A&M System releases a policy for supporting a new federal requirement for employees.
Response: In your role at the university, if this request is outside the scope of your responsibilities and role – you would 1) forward the request to your supervisor or your Division Vice President, and 2) let the student journalist know that the request was forwarded and someone will contact them.

Area of Expertise – this is a request for information related to your area of responsibility such as a program, project, activity or event. Here are two examples: 1) an event for on campus audiences only and 2) a public event.

Example: You’re the manager for an on campus Heritage month event that is student-focused.
Response: As you are the source expert and manage the event, you are the best contact for providing information to increase awareness and encourage participation for this on campus event.

Example: You’re hosting a Heritage Month event that will be open to the public and is a topic of national interest.
Response: As the event could potentially draw interest from audiences in addition to students we encourage you to contact the Department of Communications, who will also work with you to develop a broader communications plan and additional spokespersons, if needed.

Personal View – these are requests where you are asked to comment from your own perspective and not as an employee of the university.

Example: A state-wide election is coming up and you’re asked to provide your opinion on a particular candidate or what it was like to vote on campus.
Response: You would respond as private citizen and not as a spokesperson representing the university.

We encourage you to continue to participate in learning opportunities for Texas A&M-San Antonio Student Media representatives, which helps to advance their learning within the university’s professional environment. Jaguar Student Media representatives are trained to follow journalistic best practices – and they take great pride in accuracy, timeliness and informative content. Jaguar Student Media relies on sources, expertise and information founded in your professional knowledge and experiences.

As a reminder, if you are being asked by a student media representative to provide an official statement outside the scope of your responsibilities or speak on behalf of the entire university, please 1) check with your manager and/or division vice president before responding. In some cases, you may be asked to forward the request to the Office of Communications for coordination.

Thank you.

Jeanette De Diemar, PhD.
Vice President, University Relations
mailto:jdediemar@tamusa.edu
(210) 784-1122

Jenny Moore
Associate Clinical Professor
Communication Program
Department of Communication, History & Philosophy
jenny.moore@tamusa.edu
(210) 784-1051

Note that for some divisions, your vice president have determined

that all interview requests including Jaguar Student Media will be coordinated

by the Division of University Relations’ Office of Communication. In such cases, your manager will have provided this information at the beginning of each semester.