UCLA Strategic Communications’ Wildfire & Climate Weekly newsletter has won the top prize in the overall “best media relations” category at the Public Relations Society of America–Los Angeles’ 59th PRism Awards. UCLA shared the honor with Keck Medicine of USC.

UCLA’s newsletter also placed first in the not-for-profit media relations category. The awards were announced Oct. 26. 

In an era of misinformation around climate science, the newsletter is a new approach to media relations that has increased national coverage of the university’s environmental experts and research — and made trustworthy climate change information publicly accessible.

Each edition, envisioned and compiled by UCLA senior media relations officer Alison Hewitt, provides timely perspectives and new angles on current climate stories, primarily via ready-to-print quotes and commentary from UCLA experts. Editions are published weekly during fire season (June–October) and monthly the rest of the year to maintain regular contact.

The newsletter has doubled coverage of UCLA experts in major national outlets and strengthened relationships with reporters since launching in 2021. By proactively sharing ideas and quotes regularly rather than exclusively pitching stories, the newsletter keeps UCLA on reporters’ radars and is a trusted, go-to resource.

Climate reporters interested in receiving the newsletter may sign up by contacting Alison Hewitt at ahewitt@stratcomm.ucla.edu.