Media and Communications

Staff update

For department contact details, please see the Advancement Media and Communications staff information website.

Monash Magazine

The timing of Monash Magazine has been pushed back by about a month. It will be printed in late September and distributed in Early October. The media team has met with or briefed via email faculty marketing managers with a run down of story ideas. The cover image will aim to focus on innovative teaching practice to emphasise upcoming Educate 08 events. We are now going through the writing and pre-production process.

SMS alerts

The web and media teams have been working with campus security and the office of VP(A) to help implement internal and external communication around the introduction of an SMS alert system for staff and students at Monash. The first test took place this month. M and C will be responsible for generation and distribution of messages, much as we are for Global emails.  

Research Month activities

Media alerts have been distributed to all Melbourne media encouraging interest in upcoming guest speakers as part of Research Month. We have been working with the office of DVC (R) to promote a visit by Dr Cary Fowler and a speech by Sir Rod Eddington.

Media training

We have now completed media training sessions for the Medical Faculty. Sessions were held at Clayton, Monash Medical Centre, The Alfred, Peninsula campus and the Gippsland. There was good interest at most sessions.

Media activity

The Bejing Games has taken a lot of media attention, but we have had reasonable success with some stories. Activity listed below.

Goretex fuel cell

Press release issued nationally and internationally. Generated strong interest (including Channel 7 news) with hits still coming in about a week later. The publicity meant researchers were approached by companies looking to commercialise the research.

Media experts around Bejing Games.

We rounded up and distributed a list of Monash experts in all things Chinese, culture, politics, pollution and sent to media.

Study abroad promotion

The Sydney Morning Herald picked up our story on the generous study abroad offer.

Comfort women notification

We alerted media to a conference about so called ‘comfort women’ during the second world war that featured Monash experts.

Cadel Evans Channel 7 story

A story promoting Cadel Evan’s use of the Monash wind tunnel in the lead up to the Olympics road race (he came sixth) ran on Channel 7 Saturday 3 August. We also negotiated with the Herald Sun to run a similar photo of women cyclist Katie Mactier using the tunnel.

Cancer mutation discovery

We worked with a scientist in medicine in the lead up to the publication of his paper in an internationally recognised publication to develop a press release into understanding how benign tumors mutate and become malignant. Good coverage in Age, Herald Sun and AAP.

Photosysthesis discovery

Media release issued on green chemistry linked discovery, using the idea of photosynthesis in plants to work out a way to create Hydrogen, ideal for use in the next generation of hybrid cars. Generated strong interest in web and overseas media.

Concrete truck drivers

Tim Mitchell is working with several external organisations to try and get a story on Channel 9 about Monash’s involvement in a training program encouraging concrete drivers to change driving habits and save fuel. Lesson learnt could be applied to all drivers on our roads.