Fifteen minutes of fame
Publicity is a two-edged sword in any case, but I believe this is particularly true in higher ed. On the up side, media interest can help get the word out, increase possibilities for funding and continued work, and create new opportunities. On the down side, publicity can be inaccurate or downright misleading, failures which can result in professional discredits or even damage to your cause. Even accurate reporting can create professional jealousy. Remember that reporters have a job to do: to sell papers and keep you tuned in. The principled reporters I've met did their jobs with good deal of effort. Some have taken short cuts.
My first experience with the press came when I was 17. Of thirty students to meet Vice President Hubert Humphrey that day, the reporters singled me out for the photo-op. I suspect that had something to do with my radical attire, and of course the reporters' interest in selling papers.
