PIO Operations & Media Relations
Role: PIO Continuity & Frontline Media Backup | Institutional Marketing & Communications
Institutional Context: Maintained media relations operations and institutional responsiveness during a critical Public Information Officer vacancy, continuing as a designated frontline backup for media relations, broadcast campaigns, and campus events.
Strategic Overview
When Salt Lake Community College faced the sudden loss of its full-time Public Information Officer, I was tapped, along with another colleague, to step into the breach in frontline media relations to maintain institutional continuity. Working alongside external agency partners, I managed incoming press inquiries, served as the designated on-call contact for after-hours and weekend media triage, coordinated broadcast talent, and drafted press releases for campus milestones.
Following the onboarding of a new PIO, I continued in an operational backup capacity—representing the college at media events, producing press releases and media advisories, scripting radio and TV spots, and preparing institutional leaders (including the President) for broadcast interviews. Concurrently, I directed monthly media intelligence reporting and integrated crisis management standards into institutional response protocols.
Core Contributions & Operational Deliverables
- Media Relations Operational Continuity:
- Assumed emergency media liaison responsibilities during an unexpected institutional PIO vacancy, maintaining uninterrupted communication with local and regional press.
- Served as the designated off-hours and weekend media contact during executive travel and administrative absences.
- Partnered with external media relations firms to maintain scheduled campaign momentum and coordinate broadcast opportunities.
- Spokesperson Preparation & Executive Media Briefings:
- Authored strategic talking points for the President of the College and other thought leaders ahead of press appearances.
- Coached faculty and staff experts ahead of live and taped television interviews, aligning commentary with college priorities while ensuring media readiness.
- Represented the college on the ground at campus events when the primary PIO was off-site.
- Earned Media & Broadcast Production:
- Drafted and distributed news releases and media alerts covering programs, events, and student achievements.
- Coordinated casting and talent selection across academic divisions for regional earned and paid radio and television spots
- Crisis Readiness & Emergency Deployment:
- Completed the State of Utah Risk Management Crisis Communications Workshop, aligning institutional protocols with state emergency management standards.
- Deployed on the ground during an active campus incident to assist with information gathering, perimeter media management, and rapid-response messaging.
- Developed standardized holding statements and message-adaptation frameworks to support rapid executive communication during high-visibility campus emergencies.
- Executive Media Intelligence & Analytics:
- Designed and produced the monthly executive media intelligence report delivered to senior leadership, synthesizing broadcast clips, print mentions, Meltwater sentiment analytics, and social media engagement trends.
- Leveraged media monitoring data to identify emerging news trends and proactive pitching opportunities for faculty experts.