The following article was supported by funding from the Don Low Communications Fellowship, Public Health Ontario.
“When you get a call from the media treat it as an emergency. Your window will be brief—if you delay it will be gone.”
And when responding to reporters, he urges physicians to deconstruct their training. Epidemiology conditions us to go from the individual to the population and think in terms of group risk. Media needs us to tell stories—stories about people.
Besser underlines the importance of being ready with your message. When Barbara Walters gets Chicken Pox, for example, you better be ready to talk about the vaccine. Worried that you are not an expert? Don’t be. The message rings loudest when it is simple and delivered in an empathic way.
Dan Childs, Managing Editor of the ABC News Medical Unit, explains that news stories are composed of multiple elements. When a journalist asks a public health official or scientific expert to be in a story they are looking for the human element. They are not looking for information. They usually already have all the information they need from a press release or abstract. They need you to have emotion, to be passionate, to care. If you don’t seem to care, why should anyone else?
If there is a media topic you would like to read about or if you have a question you would like answered, respond to this blog or write to me at kdooling@hotmail.com
 |
| I'm official! |
 |
| Dr. Kathleen Dooling with Dr. Rich Besser on the set of Good Morning America. A perfect example of an opportunity to get the message out to complete TB meds-- otherwise XDR TB can result! |
 |
| On set with Dr. Besser at WABC- the local affiliate. That's right, even Dr. Besser does "local" TV. |
