Archaeologists from the University of Leicester have quite literally worked their fingers to the bones to solve the 500-year-old mystery surrounding the final resting place of Richard III. In this case, the media – and social media – has run amok, converting one extraordinary dead king into a lively PR campaign that will no doubt attract research grants, development funding and potential students to the university.

With millions spent each day on research, you can bet your gold sovereigns that every university has an unsung story to tell that could add news value and kudos to its brand. And make no bones about it, there’s a whole generation of new academics willing to engage with the media – they just need to learn how.