Research Communications & Media Strategy

Making brilliant research impossible to ignore

Thirteen years turning complex academic and policy work into stories that land in the Guardian, the FT, the BBC — and shape the conversations that matter.

What I Do Start a Conversation
13+Years in research comms
100+Pieces per campaign
22%Coverage uplift delivered
Tom Walters
13+ years in
the game

About Tom

The person behind the story

I've spent thirteen years doing one thing really well: taking research that deserves a bigger audience and getting it one. Whether it's a cancer immunotherapy breakthrough, a study on the world's polluter elite, or a landmark report on the statistics that underpin AI — I find the story inside the science and make sure it lands.

"The best bit of my job? Getting deep into genuinely amazing research and the brilliant people behind it — then helping the world sit up and take notice."

Most recently Senior Communications Manager at the Royal Statistical Society, securing coverage in the FT and The Economist and convening policy roundtables with MPs and senior government figures. Before that, a decade at the University of Sussex leading media relations across science, social policy, climate and global affairs.

I'm creative, I build real relationships, and I work with the kind of pace and judgement that only comes from having done this for a long time. I also think life's too short to take things too seriously — which means working with me doesn't have to feel like hard work.

Universities Research Centres Think Tanks Charities Policy Organisations Movements
Let's talk
Tom at University of Sussex
Tom with espresso in Italy
Tom with family at Bamburgh Castle
Tom with a Guinness
Tom at football

What People Say

Trusted by the people behind the research

From academics navigating their first national interview to institutional leaders managing a reputational moment — here's what it's like to work together.

"
Tom has a rare ability to understand research at a deep level and then translate it into a story that journalists actually want to tell. He secured coverage we never thought possible and handled the whole process with complete professionalism.
Prof. [Name], [University] Professor of [Subject] ⟳ Replace with a real quote
"
Working with Tom on our research launch was one of the best experiences I've had with a comms professional. He was calm, strategic, and got us into publications we'd only dreamed about. He's the real deal.
[Name], [Organisation] Head of [Department] ⟳ Replace with a real quote
"
I've worked with a lot of comms people over the years. Tom stands out because he genuinely cares about the work — he doesn't just pitch press releases, he understands why research matters and makes that case compellingly to the world.
[Name], [Organisation] Director of Communications ⟳ Replace with a real quote

Services

What I can do for you

Flexible support — whether you need a strategic partner, a safe pair of hands for a big launch, or someone to embed with your team for a while.

01

Media Strategy & Campaign Planning

From the first spark of a research finding to full national coverage. I develop targeted strategies that place your work in front of the right journalists, at the right moment, with the right message.

Proactive & reactive
02

Press Releases, Op-eds & Briefings

Clear, authoritative writing that translates complex evidence into content journalists actually want to use — and that policymakers actually read.

Written communications
03

Research Launch Campaigns

Full-service launch support: embargo management, journalist relationships, digital amplification and stakeholder engagement — so your publication lands with maximum impact.

End-to-end delivery
04

Expert Positioning & Media Training

Getting brilliant academics comfortable and confident in front of journalists and cameras. I build long-term relationships between experts and media contacts that keep paying dividends.

Profile building
05

Reactive Media & Crisis Comms

When the news moves fast, you need someone who moves faster. I provide calm, strategic counsel during sensitive moments — and the contacts to make your response count.

High-stakes support
06

Strategic Advisory

Senior-level counsel for communications leads, institutional leaders and academics. Whether you're navigating a reputational moment or planning a year's media activity, I can help.

Consultancy

Selected Work

Research that made the news

A small selection of campaigns I've led — chosen because they show what's possible when strategy, relationships and good writing come together.

Climate & Inequality

The Polluter Elite

Led the campaign for groundbreaking research showing the world's richest 5% are responsible for 95% of carbon emissions — a finding that demanded national and global attention.

Guardian exclusive and opinion piece
100+ pieces of international coverage
Broadcast interviews coordinated
Shaped fossil fuel policy debate
Cancer Research

An 'Off Switch' for Cancer

Spent time in the lab to truly understand research on blocking the LMTK3 protein — then built a campaign around a narrative that mass audiences could grasp and care about.

Daily Mail front-page science coverage
High-reach national audience
Policy stakeholder dissemination
Institutional health research profile raised
Corruption & Policy

Global Dirty Money

Communicated research identifying global hotspots for illicit financial flows — managing the sensitivity of the subject matter while placing it firmly within live policy debate.

Financial Times coverage secured
Sensitive subject matter navigated
Expert positioned in policy debate
International media pickup

How I Work

Insight to impact

Every campaign follows the same four-stage logic — whether it's a single press release or a six-month programme.

01

Insight

I get deep into your research — reading papers, talking to the people behind them, understanding what's genuinely new and why it matters beyond the lab or lecture theatre.

→
02

Narrative

From the evidence, I find the story: the angle that makes a journalist pick up the phone, the frame that makes a policymaker read on, the language that makes a public audience care.

→
03

Media

I use a well-maintained network of national journalists and broadcasters, built over a decade of doing right by them. The right story, to the right contacts, at the right time.

→
04

Impact

Coverage that reaches the audiences you need — public, policy, specialist. With a clear record of what landed, where, and what it means for your organisation's profile.

Get in Touch

Got research that deserves attention?

Whether you've got a campaign in mind, a launch coming up, or you're just wondering whether your work is media-ready — I'm always happy to have an initial conversation. No obligation, no jargon.

✉
tom.walters10@outlook.com
✆
07437 016 195
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