How to Use the Media To Your Advantage: Practical Tips for Family Physicians

April 27, 2007

National STFM, Chicago

Lee Radosh, MD, FAAFP

Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency

Reading Hospital and Medical Center, Reading, PA

radoshl@readinghospital.org

Jodi Radosh, PhD

Associate Professor of Communications

Alvernia College, Reading, PA

Jodi.radosh@alvernia.edu

How many saw this last winter?

Yet, how many read this?

Who We AreLee Radosh, MD Associate Director, Family

Medicine Residency, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center

Host/Producer, “Medicine in the News”, BCTV (Reading)

Former Health Reporter, Channel 5 Berks County News (Reading)

Jodi Radosh, PhD Associate Professor of

Communications, Alvernia College Healthcare MBA Program/PA

Medical Society Former Weekend Reporter,

WGAL-TV (Lancaster) Former

Anchor/Reporter/Producer/ Founder, CNN Headline News Local Edition – Blue Ridge Cable (Lititz), Greater Media Cable (Philadelphia)

Experience with PR, newspaper reporting, etc.

Why Are You Here?

Hot TopicIncrease business Improve revenue

Improved Public Relations Show your importance in a competitive market Impress your hospital/administration

Do the right thing Educate the public “Get in the game”!

Have fun! Shine; be a ham

Objectives

By the end of this seminar, you should be able to:List methods of getting the “message” to

the mediaDefine a news/press releaseRecognize organizational or personal

endeavors worthy of “the press”Convey your message in an interview

Examples: What To PromoteNew staff/physician Acupuncture, etc.

New facility/equipment/procedures Unique, new to the area, etc.

Volunteer event Charity/fundraising Health screening fair

Event/educationAccomplishments (individuals, programs)Comment on something already “out there”You! Be available to be an expert

Ways To Promote

Traditional advertising (paid) TV & radio commercials Newspaper ads

Public relations (free promotion) Make your “product” a news story Credibility

Cable TV & radio shows

Pitching The Story

Story angles

Localize a bigger story

Know your mediumTV: visuals!Newspaper: quotesRadio: soundbites

How To Convey The Message

Wait for “them” to call youGet on list of potential interviewees

Hospital PR departmentLocal papers, TV/radio stations

You call themPress releaseMedical/health reporter/editor

Whom To Contact?When?

TV: assignment desk

Radio: show producers

Newspaper: beat editor/writer/ assignment desk

Doing a TV Interview

TV Reporter Schedules

Hectic (like yours)

DeadlinesCourtesy: respond promptly to requests

Your story may/may not airHow are decisions made?

Before The Interview - Logistics

Where?Hopefully, at your officeClean your desk!

When?Hopefully, at your convenienceBut:

Be flexibleBe punctual

Before The Interview – Background Info

ContentWhat’s the story about?Why are YOU being interviewed

AudienceWhere/when will this air/be printed?For adults? Kids? Etc.

It’s YOUR Interview

Insure the right messageAsk the reporter: “What’s your understanding of what I

said?” (or) “What do you plan to print/use?”

Clarify/correctEspecially important if videographer – not the reporter – is thereCall the reporter!

Interviews: Think First

Speak secondCollect your thoughtsWhat are the main points?Would you feel bad if something was not

conveyed?Convey it!

Is the reporter’s agenda different than yours?

How To TalkThink soundbites Long diatribes - not included in newscasts

Full answers Avoid simple, one word answers

They do not make good soundbites Not “Yes”, but:

“Yes – everyone should be offered colon cancer screening at age 50”

EnunciateConversational, normal voiceWatch sarcasm: it may not transfer well!

Think Audience

Lay language “Heart Attack”, not “Myocardial Infarction” “Commonly used cholesterol medicine”, not Statin

8th grade level

Statistics – they help 1 in 3, not 33% Round: “About half”, not 49% Not too many numbers

How To Look

Professional Consider white coat

Colors Solids (grays,

browns, blues) Avoid:

Prints, patterns Herringbone White shirts Plaid

Well-groomed Represent yourself

well Fix your hair Get the broccoli out

of the teeth Straighten the tie Etc.

Avoid swivel chairs

Where To Look

Look at the reporterLook into the camera? May portray

dominance

News/Press Releases: How You Can Notify The Media

MEDIA ADVISORY For Immediate Use October 27, 2005

For more information contact: Jodi Radosh, PhD (610) 796-8419 VOICE (610) 796-8216 FAX jodi.radosh@alvernia.edu

Always have a good headline

(READING, PA) – Alvernia faculty and students go to the courts next Wednesday to raise money for ALS,

also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Students from Alvernia’s College Success Skills classes face Alvernia faculty in a charity

basketball challenge Wednesday evening. The games begin at 6:30p.m. in the College’s Physical

Education Center. A $1 admission fee and proceeds from refreshment sales will support the ALS

Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter.

The students were moved to issue the challenge after reading Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with

Morrie as part of their curriculum. Inspired by the story of life lessons taught through the struggles of a

former college professor living with ALS, the students were determined to make an impact towards finding

a cure.

Five student teams will compete for the task of facing a faculty team. While there is no trophy for

the winner, their will certainly be some bragging on campus on Thursday.

ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, gets it's nickname, "Lou Gehrig's Disease," from the

former New York Yankee, whose career was cut short from ALS. The disease attacks the body’s nervous

system, leading to muscle weakness and deterioration. Eventually, all muscle control is lost. According to

the ALS Foundation, half of all ALS patients die within two to five years of diagnosis.

News/Press Release - Overview

What is a press release?Why? Win-win

You tell the story you want to tell The media get a story without much work

How sent Fax Email Mail When? 3-4 days ahead (if not breaking news)

How To Write a Press Release - 1

Get help Hospital PR department

Identify most important thing about the story

Lead Use the most interesting angle in the first sentence

Different leads for different media

Timing - important for the various media

How To Write a Press Release - 2

Quotations Use direct quotes from employees, patients, residents,

etc.

Length – one page Keep it brief

Form and Style Write clearly Write like a journalist AP Stylebook Correct spelling and grammar

Ask: WHO CARES?

Press Release - Pointers

Common rejection reasons: Not newsworthy Poor writing Not complete Inaccurate Poor timing

Common news values: Conflict Consequence Progress and disaster Prominence Timeliness Novelty Human interest Sex Miscellaneous

Ex: animals, babies

Contact: Michelle Canfield FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 570-621-4206

GOOD SAMARITAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER TO OFFER OPEN MRI POTTSVILLE (November 1)—Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center patients now have a

choice of High Definition MRI or Open MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) for their imaging needs.

Through a partnership with the owners of Pottsville Open MRI, Good Samaritan has assumed operation of

the site, renaming it Good Samaritan Open MRI. The site, which is accredited by the American College

of Radiologists, is located on Route 61 South, Pottsville, in Rockwood Center.

“We are pleased to form this partnership that will allow Good Samaritan to offer Open MRI to our

patients,” said Bernard G. Koval, President/CEO of Good Samaritan. “Patients who may feel

claustrophobic or who are larger than average will find Open MRI a good alternative to traditional MRI.”

Good Samaritan Open MRI compliments the hospital’s existing radiology services including

High-Definition MRI, Computerized Tomography (CT Scan), Position Emission Tomography (PET

Scan), interventional radiology, nuclear medicine, mammography, ultrasound, and x-ray.

“Good Samaritan Open MRI will be linked to the main hospital through our digital Picture

Archiving and Communication System (PACS),” said Stephen Whitmoyer, MD, medical director of Good

Samaritan’s Radiology Department. “This means that physicians will be able to view Open MRI images

on computers in their offices or in the hospital thanks to the internet. Patients can expect the same high

quality service and turn-around they currently receive from the Medical Center.”

Patients wishing to make an appointment at Good Samaritan Open MRI, should call 570-385-

5119. Appointment, offered Monday through Friday, can usually be made for the same day or the

following day.

MRI uses computers and magnetic fields, rather than X-rays, to capture images of the human body.

It is superior for showing soft-tissues like organs, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage in addition to

bone.

Crisis Management

What would you do: Massive infection

outbreak in your office?

Bad employee? Etc.

Have a plan!

Let’s Review . . .

General Tips

Journalists are not trained in statistics or medicine!Take charge of the interview Guide the interviewer

Responses “short and sweet” – think soundbites (20-40 seconds)

Don’t guess

Nothing is off the record

Prepare, if possible

Plain English

Choose the Angle

You’re called by the reporter

HPV Vaccine (Gardasil)

Comments

Choose the Angle: Where is the Story Heading?

Efficacy?

Safety?

Controversy?

Reimbursement, costs?

Too many vaccines lately (Zoster, Rota)?

Cautions

“Off the record”? Anything can (and will) be used (against you)

Patient confidentiality No:

“I’m caring for a 27 year old with HIV; I always tell her the importance of paps . . “

Yes: “Routine pap smears are critical for patients with

HIV”Do not lie/assume/invent ideas Ok to say “I don’t know”

Caution - 2

Controversial story? Family planning Politics Healthcare distribution, new technologies Etc.

Notify those who need to know! Department chairs Partners

Clarify your role Private physician vs. representative

Homework

1. List three things about you and/or your program/practice you would like others (administration, the public) to know

2. List two upcoming events/office changes (equipment/personnel) you would like others to know

3. List two contacts you will make (ex: health reporter of local paper, PR at your hospital, etc.)

Practice

Pairs

One is reporter, one doctor

Reporter asks:

“A famous actor was just diagnosed with a polyp during a “routine” colonoscopy. Can you explain/comment on this?”

Reporter: be sure to critique the answers!

Same idea

Reporter asks:

“Doctor – Medicare said they plan to cut E&M code reimbursement by 50%, but raise the reimbursement of certain inpatient CPT codes by 70%. How will this impact patients?”

Practice 2

References“The Two Minute Media Trainer”, PAFP, 6/93“Helping Journalists Get It Right”, JGIM 2003;18:138-145“Preparing Physicians for Media Interviews Helps Them Communicate More Comfortably and Effectively”, Jim Gersbach, Kaiser Permanente (on-line)Fenton communications“Media Interview Tips” Wanda Filer, MD William Rudolph

THANK YOU!

The Media with their press passes . . .