ORIENTATION | Fellowship in Law, Human Rights and Patient Care

MARY JOYCE | for the Open Society Institute’s Health Media Initiative | October 9, 2009 | Tblisi

Challenge of human rights stories:

•Not traditional “news”•Don’t change day-to-day•Difficult to get media coverage

“Hooking” a human rights story to the news cycle helps it get media

coverage.

“Hook a story to the news cycle”

What does that mean?

News CycleThe time it takes for a media outlet to cover a

news story

1) Story first

reported

2) Updates

3) Commentary On story

(“talking heads”)

4) Reflection on Impact

News Image: Gawker.com

News CycleThe time it takes for a media outlet to cover a

news story

1) Story first

reported

2) Updates

3) Commentary On story

4) Reflection on Impact

News CycleThe time it takes for a media outlet to cover a

news story

1) Story first

reported

2) Updates

3) Commentary On story

4) Reflection on Impact

News CycleTo “hook” means to present your health rights

story as connected to a story that is already in the news cycle.

Your press release

Write press releases in advance about

your most important health rights

advocacy issues.

News CycleHow to hook a human rights story to the news

cycle:

Watch the news cycle for stories

you can hook onto.

If a story connected to health rights is in

the news cycle, change the

introduction to the appropriate press

release and send it to reporters.

1 write 2 watch 3 edit & send

News CycleOf course, not every news cycle lends itself to a

health rights story.

But where does my health rights

story fit?Coldest w

inter

on record!

Madonna’s

new album!

Iran launches nuclear test.

News CycleWhich news cycles lend themselves to

stories about health rights?

1.The first day of the Parliamentary session.2.Scandal at a local hospital.3.Member of ethnic minority falsely accused.4.Medical breakthrough announced.

News CycleWhich news cycles lend themselves to

stories about health rights?

1.The first day of the Parliamentary session.2.Scandal at a local hospital.3.Member of ethnic minority falsely accused.4.Medical breakthrough announced.

News CycleWhat health rights issue could you hook to each

story?

1.The first day of the Parliamentary session.2.Scandal at a local hospital.3.Member of ethnic minority falsely accused.4.Medical breakthrough announced.

Write press releases in advance about

your most important health rights

advocacy issues.

News CycleHow to hook a human rights story to the news

cycle:

Watch the news cycle for stories

you can hook onto.

If a story connected to health rights is in

the news cycle, change the

introduction to the appropriate press

release and send it to reporters.

1 write 2 watch 3 edit & send

News CycleYou need to send you press release at the right

time.raising interest

peakinterest

coolinginterest

no interest

cnew story

News CycleYou need to send you press release at the right

time.raising interest

peakinterest

coolinginterest

no interest

cnew story

News CycleYou need to send you press release at the right

time.raising interest

peakinterest

coolinginterest

no interest

new story

2) Updates

no interest

peakinterest

raising interest

News CycleYou need to hook your story into a period of peak interest by connecting it to the prominent story

that news cycle.

coolinginterest

News CycleThe news cycles is fast, so you need to have some

stories already written and ready to go.

It spins

fast!

News CycleThat’s why it’s so important to write your press

releases in advance. They need to be ready when a good news cycle hits.

RomaHealth Rights

Legal Refor

m

Access to

Medicine

Educating

Lawyers

Write press releases in advance about

your most important health rights

advocacy issues.

Watch the news cycle for stories

you can hook onto.

If a story connected to health rights is in

the news cycle, change the

introduction to the appropriate press

release and send it to reporters.

1 write 2 watch 3 edit & send

Thank

you!