Child Clinicians & the Media

How to work effectively with journalists:

As a clinician, should you talk with the media? Some clinicians are more comfortable than others talking with journalists. Some may have had negative experiences in the past that make them wary of the media. Others speak with the media routinely as a strategy to raise public awareness and impact policy decisions.

It is important to know your comfort level and limitations. Not everyone is cut out to talk with the media.

If you do decide to talk with the media, it is best to approach it as a collaborative rather than adversarial effort (even if you harbor private mistrust). Journalists have a job to do, and although their interests may overlap with yours, they do not necessarily share the same agenda or objectives.

Some tips for collaborating effectively with the media:

• Remember that you are at all times bound by your profession’s ethical standards. You must protect your clients’ confidentiality, and do no harm. You can discuss identifying information or specifics of cases that you are privy to only with your client’s explicit consent.
• When talking with the media, first establish some basic ground rules and be prepared to set limits on what you will and will not talk about.
• When talking with journalists, don’t forget the basics:
  • Who is calling and whom do they represent?
  • What is the point or “angle” of the story?
  • Why is the reporter interested in talking with you?
  • Are the reporter’s questions within your zone of professional expertise?
  • What is the deadline for getting information to the reporter?
  • When will the story run or be published?
  • What is the probable length of the story, and where will it be published or distributed?
  • What is the contact information for possible follow-up with the reporter (including e-mail address)?
• Create a formal or informal database of journalists you speak with, including their interest areas and contact information. Send these journalists links to information, publications or recently published academic articles that are relevant to their area of interest.
   
• Identify journalists whom you are comfortable working with, and develop long-term relationships with them.
   
• Be available. Have someone in your organization available both on- and off-hours.

It is important to respond to journalists’ inquiries in a timely manner. Deadlines are real, and a failure to respond may lead to media coverage that misses crucial information and perspective only you can provide.

Develop an internal or individualized media plan that includes:

• How to respond reactively to events in the media.
   
• How to proactively reach out to the media when you have a story to tell.
   
• Your organization’s policies and procedures for talking with the media. For example: Do statements or media contacts need to be cleared through a Public Relations office?
   
• Designated people in your organization who have content expertise in certain areas. Be sure these individuals receive some basic training in how to talk to the media.
   
• Some basic talking points and core messages (about child trauma) for yourself and your organization. These can be included whenever you have contact with a journalist.