What Is Media Relations and What Does a Media Relations Team Do?

Media relations is the function that manages how an organization communicates with journalists and news outlets. A media relations team handles press inquiries, writes and distributes news releases, arranges interviews with spokespeople, and maintains a public-facing newsroom. It differs from public relations and marketing in one key way: its primary audience is the press, not customers or the general public. You interact with a media relations office when you are a journalist seeking comment, a member of the public looking for official information, or an organization trying to get accurate coverage of its work. A university media relations page, such as Illinois State University's Media Relations and Strategic Communications site, shows these functions in practice through its news, contacts, FOIA requests, and University Report sections.

How Media Relations Differs From PR and Marketing

The three functions overlap but serve different audiences and goals.

Media relations sits inside the broader public relations discipline. Its defining constraint is that it works through third parties — reporters decide what gets published, so the team's job is to make accurate information easy for them to find and use.

Core Responsibilities of a Media Relations Team

Most media relations offices, whether at a university, company, or government agency, cover the same basic tasks:

• Writing and distributing news. Press releases, media advisories, and story pitches that announce research findings, events, hires, or milestones.
• Handling media inquiries. Serving as the first point of contact when a journalist calls or emails for comment, data, or an interview.
• Coordinating spokespeople. Identifying the right expert or executive, preparing them, and scheduling interviews.
• Monitoring coverage. Tracking what gets published and correcting errors when they appear.
• Maintaining a newsroom. Keeping a public page of news, contacts, and resources so journalists and the public can self-serve.
• Managing public records requests. Routing FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) or equivalent requests to the right office and meeting legal deadlines.

How Different People Contact a Media Relations Office

The path depends on who you are and what you need.

If you are a journalist:

1. Go to the organization's media relations or newsroom page.
2. Find the listed media contact — often a director or communications specialist with a direct phone and email.
3. State your outlet, deadline, and the specific information or interview you need.
4. Expect a response that either provides the material, arranges a spokesperson, or explains why the request cannot be met.

If you are a member of the public:

• Use the same contacts for questions about official news or public statements.
• For records — documents, emails, data — look for a FOIA or public records section rather than the general media contact. These requests usually follow a formal process with defined response times.

If you are inside the organization:

• Route anything that could become public — a controversy, a major announcement, a reporter's call — through the media relations team before responding directly.

What a Media Relations Page Typically Contains

Using Illinois State University's Media Relations and Strategic Communications site as a concrete example, a functioning media relations presence usually includes:

• Latest news — recent releases and announcements.
• Contacts — named staff with contact details for media inquiries.
• FOIA requests — instructions and a route for filing public records requests.
• University Report — a recurring publication or summary of institutional news.

These four elements map directly onto the core responsibilities above: news output, inquiry handling, records compliance, and ongoing communication.

Common Points of Confusion

• "Media relations" is not the same as "public relations." PR is the umbrella; media relations is the press-facing part of it.
• A media contact is not a general customer service line. Journalists get priority because their deadlines and public reach drive the function.
• FOIA requests are not the same as media inquiries. A FOIA request is a legal demand for records; a media inquiry is a request for comment or information. They often go to different people.
• Not every request gets a yes. Organizations can decline interviews, withhold exempt records, or respond with a written statement instead. Knowing the process helps you plan around it.

How to Decide Your Next Step

• You need a comment or interview for a story: find the media contact and reach out with a clear deadline.
• You need documents or data: file a FOIA or public records request through the designated channel.
• You want to follow an organization's official news: bookmark its newsroom or media relations page.
• You work inside the organization and a reporter has called: forward it to media relations before responding.