Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community Working with journalists.

Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

Working with journalists

Working with journalistsPromoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

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Session objectives Understand the role journalists can play Discuss differences (cultural/language) Use some key principles to make

cooperation and partnership with journalists more effective, including– how to represent a topic convincingly

– awareness of attitudes which can make journalists defensive

– your rights when giving information

Organise press release/conference Practise skills


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What can journalists do? Journalists can:

– be important and informed advocates on health issues

– help you to get information across effectively

– Simplify complex issues and relate them to people’s lives

– but can also undermine or misinterpret your message


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Variety of strategies

Different media different target groups different motives for working with the

media– informing the public– changing attitudes– agenda setting


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How to make effective use of the media

Understand the context and

audience (Rural? Urban? What is

the culture?)

Purpose? Know what you want to

get across

How to get it across


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Know what you want to get across

A story on problems observed in field

Results from operational research

pressure on a company to change its

pricing policy

A simple warning of potential hazards

or providing information

lobby for policy change


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How to get it across

interesting topic

accuracy and clarity

accessibility and interest

simplify the work of the journalist

cultivate personal contacts


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Varying access to mass media - TV In Latin America and the Caribbean

on average about 25% of people watch television regularly

In sub-Saharan Africa only 5% of people watch television

An average American watches so much television that he or she will see 150,000 advertisements in his or her lifetime


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Making personal contacts

Study the media to identify journmalists: Who writes about health? Who appears to be interested in your topics?

Build up relationship and trust carefully

You and the journalist have the same goal: Informing the public about public health


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Your rights

to know what questions will be asked

to check and correct

not to be misquoted or misrepresented

to be off the record if this has been agreed– compare country experiences

– are there national codes?


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Ethical issues

Journalist responsibilities:– accuracy of information

– respecting reasonable privacy

– protecting their sources

Consumer and community advocates– providing accurate information– acting in the interest of group they

represent– respecting the privacy of individuals


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Press release

The five Ws:

What is happening?

Who is doing it?

Where and how is it happening?

When is it happening?

Why is it happening?– Discuss differences language/culture


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Press release continued

The style of your press release:– Use active verbs rather than passive– Use short sentences– Use quotations– Be positive rather than negative if

you have a choice– Avoid abbreviations and jargon– Be clear, brief and to the point

•cultural differences


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Exercise 1: Develop a press release In pairs, write a press release for a

daily newspaper about this course (20m.)

Swap your press release with the pair next to you. Compare, and give each other feedback – agree what you would ”steal” from each other to make a good product (10 min)


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Exercise 2: Presenting your story to a local journalist

Choose a topic from your field work, building on what you did on Monday

Your task is to meet the journalist and make him/her interested in writing a story about your topic

Decide: How to get the journalist ”hooked” What information to present What strategy to use to deal with the j. What additional sources of info

needed?


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Press release continued

Don’t forget: Embargo if appropriate

Number your pages

Wide margins and spacing

Details of the contact person


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Organising a press conference

Choose a convenient time and location– you may have to take account of deadlines– you should choose a place which can be found

easily

Get your invitations to people on time Be properly prepared Choose your speakers carefully Speak briefly - leave lots of time for

questions


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Make the most of the press conference

Get names/addresses of those

attending

Try to talk to some of them

individually

This will help you to develop your

press list and personal contacts


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What about a “bad press”Possible reasons: You identified the wrong journalist You offended the journalist You made a poor impression and did

not get your case across Powerful interests are against you

– Discuss other reasons– What can you do about it?


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Legal issues - you can be vulnerable

Don’t break the law Watch out for slander and libel Only use good data Avoid quoting people without

permission If you are quoting from a source

make it clear


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Critical journalists develop strategies to deal with drug promotion “news”Drug specific strategies include:

– being sceptical of claims in company press releases

– checking information with doctors, patient or disease groups or other sources

– consulting rival drug companies– consulting medical reference books– checking to see if a drug was included in a

national or provincial formulary (example from Canada)


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Summary Form partnerships with key

journalists Organise your information, be clear

and accurate Remember: What? Who? Where?

When? Why? How? What will interest your target group?

don’t bore them! Find a journalist to help plan media

strategy


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Activity 1

Press release scoring sheet(1-10, 10 being the highest)

Clarity Brevity Interest StructureKeycomponents

Press release 1

Press release 2

Press release 3

Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community Working with journalists.

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