Students often receive inquiries from the media in person or via email about their activities or about events on campus.
While students are free to grant any interview request or make any comment, they are also under no obligation to speak with media or provide information.
Students may refer any media who contact them to the Office of Public Affairs and Communications (OPAC), or they may choose to consult with OPAC concerning a media request they have received. OPAC may help facilitate any interview a student may wish to grant.
OPAC policy requires media members to request permission to visit campus. Students approached by media members on campus should not assume, however, that OPAC has permitted their visit or approved their activity. Students should expect that any comment they make to a media member, or that is heard by a media member, whether it is recorded or not, will be reported. Once a comment or recording is published, given the nature of social media, it may be difficult to remove.
Before considering whether to grant an interview to a media member, students are advised to ask the person for their name and the name of their media outlet, the nature of the story the interview is for, and when and where the news account will be published. That information can help with a student’s decision about whether to engage with the media member.
Students should be aware that no OPAC policy applies to media who are off campus. Students, however, may follow the same steps when approached by a media member off campus about Yale matters, including a referral of the media to OPAC.
Students and student groups may be interested in seeking media attention for their Yale academic and extracurricular activities. OPAC and the communications staff of students’ schools may be able to offer assistance and advice on media outreach efforts.