This helpful resource provides direction on how to work with the media to deliver your messages.
Do we have to do this on our own?
The provincial communications team always welcomes the opportunity to work with you to support your media relations efforts in a way that works for you. If you so choose, communications can help with any or all of the following:
- Identify whether your story is likely to garner media attention.
- Work with you to pitch your story to the media, including the preparation of news releases, media advisories and media fact sheets.
- Proactively contact reporters with background information, negotiate interview parameters, time and location.
- Help craft your key messages with you for media interviews.
- Provide practice interviews.
- Offer advice when you receive an unexpected call from a journalist.
- Arrange local media training for your spokespeople so you are prepared when you're ready to get your division's stories out through the media.
- Monitor media coverage.
How do we get our Division in the news?
There are two main kinds of media relations:
Proactive - The division approaches the media to pitch a story idea.
- These are usually good news stories.
- You have control over when the idea is pitched, but not whether a story will run or what it will say.
Reactive - Media contact a division for comment on a topic they are writing a story about.
- This may be for an expert viewpoint on a medical-related story or on another more contentious issue.
- The division may not expect the media call and will have less time to prepare messaging than with proactive stories.
- If doing the interview doesn't meet your objectives you do not need to say yes.
Why should we approach the media with our proactive stories?
Benefits of profiling division initiatives in the news:
- Providing the community with information that can benefit patients and their families.
- Positioning the division as the voice of primary care in the community.
- Demonstrating results to stakeholders, including members and prospective members.
What happens after our spokesperson does the interview?
- There is no guarantee a story will run, even if an interview takes place. This is especially true with softer, proactive stories which routinely get bumped for more immediate, hard news.
- A division will also have no ability to vet the story beforehand. The only thing in the division's full control is what the spokesperson says.
- Local coverage can be added to your division's website.
