Propose a press event to AGU

The AGU Media Relations Office encourages PIOs of scientific societies, universities, agencies and organizations to help us identify and publicize newsworthy findings presented at AGU meetings. We are currently accepting pitches for press conferences and media roundtables for Fall Meeting 2022.

All press events will be streamed live and support remote and on-site participation for both journalists and panelists. To ensure a safe and productive meeting for all attendees, only fully vaccinated people may attend AGU22 in person.

We anticipate holding two press conferences each morning and two media roundtables each afternoon, Monday-Thursday, 12-15 December 2022. We may schedule events on Friday morning if necessary. Press events will be 45 minutes long, including Q&A. We expect to stream press events on Zoom Webinar again (as in 2020 and 2021) to accommodate remote reporters and panelists. Dates and times of press events are subject to change before and during the meeting and will be listed in U.S. Central Time.

If we accept your proposal, you will be responsible for organizing the press conference going forward, which includes coordinating panelists, scheduling and writing a description. You must be available by email or phone to communicate with AGU staff regarding the status of the press conference from the time we accept your proposal until the press event concludes. If you cannot perform these duties, do not submit a proposal.

Press conferences

Press conference proposals should present newsworthy findings that have not been previously publicized or widely covered in the media. This event type is intended for breaking news. It should be a significant finding, extremely timely, or have major implications for people and the planet.

Proposals should outline new, high-impact results from a single study or multiple related studies. Panel briefings may focus on one science topic or research mission. Submissions with panelists from multiple institutions are encouraged.

Media roundtables

Roundtables are a great setting to present ongoing missions or areas of research that are not breaking news, but are of interest to reporters as a backgrounder or for a specific audience. These events are closer to a media availability than a polished presentation. Plan on a short presentation or introduction (5-10 minutes). Experts provide information and answer reporters’ questions about that subject in an informal, conversational setting. On-site presenters should expect to sit at a table with journalists — and we will do our best to replicate this experience for panelists and reporters attending online.

Questions

For detailed information about what we look for in a pitch, watch the recording of our “Pitch a Press Event to AGU” webinar from 2018, view a copy of the webinar slides or consult this infographic. For examples, read descriptions and watch recordings of Fall Meeting 2021 press events.

We strongly encourage PIOs to ask for our feedback on their pitches before submitting a proposal. Send us an email at [email protected] for help determining what science might be newsworthy, recommendations for additional speakers or topics to round out a panel, or just answers to some basic questions.

Press registration

Press officers and institutional communicators are eligible for free registration to support media outreach for research presented at the meeting. Visit the Fall Meeting Press Center and click on the “Register” button within the giant orange “Press Registration” square to start your registration. Press registrants will be prompted to login to their existing AGU account, or create a new AGU account, before registering.

The deadline to propose a press conference or media roundtable is Friday, 4 November, but we accept proposals on a rolling basis before that date. Thank you and we look forward to hearing your proposals!

Press event proposal form