Policy for dealing with the Press

DTU often provides scientific advice in the intersection between research, public administration, political interests, and private sector interests. This advice is often subject to a great deal of media attention.

• DTU acts proactively and in a timely, credible manner in its communication with the press.
• In its scientific advice, DTU focuses on disseminating knowledge and research and contributing actively to an informed debate in areas with particular public relevance.
• To ensure that its advice is transparent and credible, DTU is open about the scientific and contractual basis of its services.
• DTU’s dialogue with the media in areas related to scientific advice reflects the fact that our knowledge is based on the latest research.
• DTU’s communication with the press is based on science, facts, and integrity.
• At the same time, DTU acknowledges that the University’s researchers may have different, conflicting scientifically based views.
• DTU takes media criticism of individual employees seriously and resolves these in an open and objective dialogue with all interested parties.

See also: Scientific advice at DTU - code of conduct and associated guidelines.

Mandate for comments to media

As a DTU employee, you are very welcome to comment publicly on facts within your own field of work. If in doubt, please contact your nearest manager, your department’s communications officer, or DTU’s communications director:tkh@adm.dtu.dk

When you make public statements on topics outside your own field of work or on behalf of an interest group, DTU considers these private statements. When you speak to the press as a private individual, you must explicitly inform the journalists in question that you’re speaking in a private capacity and not as a DTU employee. You must ensure that you are referred to as such, without indication of your workplace and job title.

Conflicting scientific assessments in statements to the press

DTU acknowledges that there may be qualified, conflicting scientific assessments of the same case internally at DTU, which are often rooted in complex academic issues. Where it is relevant to the media story, you should account loyally for any disagreements and refer to other possible sources.

Request for access to documents

When requesting access to documents, the request must be dealt with in accordance with the rules of the Danish Access to Public Administration Files Act or the Danish Public Administration Act. From the time of the request, there is a response period of seven working days, and therefore it is important that you immediately contact your head of department, who will take further action in cooperation with the Office for Research, Advice, and Innovation: aktindsigt-jura@dtu.dk 

Read more about access to documents (in Danish)

Confidentiality rules

As a DTU employee engaged in agreements/projects with an external party, you must familiarize yourself with the agreement/project’s confidentiality rules. These rules must be followed when communicating with the media. In general, you are obliged to treat as confidential any information which—by law or another valid provision—is regarded as secret, or which you are otherwise required to keep confidential so as to safeguard essential public or private interests. As far as possible, if you plan to meet with a journalist about a topic that may be covered by the duty of confidentiality, you should first discuss this with your nearest superior/project manager. 

Critical media coverage

As regards critical media coverage, DTU’s general approach is that DTU employees are responsible and competent employees who are assumed to have followed the guidelines and procedures for media relations.

If you experience criticism in the press, social media, etc. in your capacity as a DTU employee, you should contact your immediate manager, regardless of whether the criticism takes the form of personal attacks or concerns your areas of responsibility.

At the same time, it is part of DTU managers’ responsibility to be aware of any media stories that arise within their areas of responsibility and, if necessary, contact the relevant employees.

Specific procedure for handling media coverage:

Contact your immediate manager, the department’s communications officer and/or DTU’s communications director: tkh@adm.dtu.dk. You should then decide how to handle the matter together.

• Who will respond to the criticism?
• What should the response say and what form should it take?
• Is there any reason to do anything other than just answer the criticism in the press (e.g. contact those involved directly)?
• In case of major stories, it is important that media contact is coordinated by the department’s communications officer and/or the Office for Communications and Media (AKM).

If you engage in a debate that involves criticism, it is important that you always take a factual approach in your contributions. You can get feedback on texts from the department’s communications officer and/or the Office for Communications and Media.

List of experts

The department/centre can draw up a list of experts and the main relevant subject areas, and a contact person for each area.

Media contact for

When you have spoken to the media on behalf of DTU, you must fill out a media contact form. The form indicates the medium, time, and subject of the employee’s conversation with the journalist.

The form is available in Danish and English. You can find the form here.

The purpose of completing the form is:

• to document the nature and extent of DTU’s media relations;
• to stay up to date on areas that the media may take an interest in;
• to be able to inform the relevant authorities in a timely way in case they need to respond to the issue.

Please fill in the form on the same day that you have had contact with the media.

Each department will provide separate guidelines on whom to send the form to in order to keep them informed and ensure systematic documentation.

Some departments use mailing lists that all employees can sign up to, and which provide information on all communication with the press.

Media relations regarding scientific advice

In addition to following the general guidelines and procedures for media relations set out here, departments providing scientific advice should pay particular attention to whether and how agreements on publication of sensitive information affect the department’s media relations.

Departments working with authorities on emergency response tasks must also have media relations plans in case of emergency incidents.

Quick Guide - when the journalist calls

For step-by-step guidance on how to handle enquiries from journalists, please refer to the “Quick Guide - when the journalist calls”.

Articles and contributions to public debates

For some employees, contributing to public debates, e.g. in the form of articles, is a natural part of their job. Often the department name is published in such articles. If this is the case you should inform your nearest manager in advance of the publication.

Press releases

Press releases from DTU are issued via the Department of Communication and Media, except for press releases from DTU Food.

Media monitoring

The Department of Communication and Media monitors most Danish media.

All departments can create an internal RSS feed on DTU Inside to keep employees informed about current coverage of DTU-related topics in the media.

The head of department or centre, and if relevant the local communications office, receive daily emails containing DTU-related coverage, and have access to analyses of DTU coverage in the media.

Read more about DTU’s media monitoring.

Proactive communication with the media

It is up to the individual departments/centres to decide on how to make proactive contact with the media. They can do so via websites/social media or by contacting the press with tips, stories, etc. to raise awareness of DTU’s research within the department’s/centre’s areas of activity.

The Department of Communication and Media is happy to support this work, and can provide additional resources in areas that are strategically important for DTU’s communication.