WORKING WITH THE MEDIA

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1 WORKING WITH THE MEDIA One of the best ways to promote the PA profession to a broad audience is through the news media. Reporters are continually looking for timely story ideas, so here are some strategies and key message ideas to help you make contact with the right members of the media and potentially have them cover your event or story idea. Learn the Media Landscape Learn about the main sources of news and information in your community and the people who report the news. What is the major newspaper in the area? Are there community or ethnic publications? Are there local television news stations? Which radio stations feature interviews with local personalities? Get to Know Their Style and Format It is important to identify reporters, TV news anchors or radio hosts who specialize in stories about patient health and healthcare delivery. Before reaching out, take note of how they cover these issues by reading their last five stories to better understand their approach. When researching their work, look for specific elements of the healthcare system such as health insurance, science and research or patient care. Is their coverage of healthcare providers and the healthcare industry positive, negative or neutral? Build Relationships with the Media Your outreach efforts will be most effective if you develop a relationship with reporters and keep their needs in mind. Before you contact a reporter with a request, introduce yourself and your PA association as a local resource on issues related to health and healthcare delivery. Sometimes, the best way to establish a relationship is by helping reporters get their jobs done without asking for anything in return. Ask about your contact s preferred manner of communication (phone call or ) as well. When they express interest in your story idea, ask them about specific deadlines and requirements for their story. The focus of a TV story is typically visual so providing footage or creating opportunities for the station to film PAs at work is important. Time Your Call Strategically Keep in mind that most reporters are constantly bombarded with story ideas and have tight deadlines. If a reporter is on deadline, ask when will be a better time to talk. If you are reaching out to daily news reporters, the best time to contact them is during the first half of the day. In the late afternoon most reporters are racing to meet their deadlines for the next day s paper Mill Road, Suite 1300, Alexandria, VA P F aapa@aapa.org

2 If you contact a morning radio talk show, call the host or the producer after the show has aired but before they leave for the day, which usually means between mid-morning and early afternoon. What to Expect When You Call Newsrooms are extremely fast-paced. You may have to try numerous times to reach a reporter or producer. You might also get someone on the phone that seems rushed and might be short with you. Don t be afraid to be persistent until you get through to someone, but always make sure that you re calling with something newsworthy and of interest to their audience. It s acceptable to reach out to several reporters at an outlet, but only if you ve tried multiple times to contact the first reporter or that reporter declined the opportunity. Contacting several reporters at the same outlet with the same story is frowned upon. Pitch the Media Effectively: Be brief Narrow your message to a sentence or two. Tell reporters who you are, where you are calling from, and that you are calling with an idea for a healthcare story. Be creative Consider the various perspectives and elements of healthcare delivery that a reporter could use to cover the story. Be persistent If one reporter cannot cover your story, another reporter may. Be real Stories of real PAs helping real people in your community are powerful. They illustrate the critical role of PAs and provide the human interest angle that reporters love. Be prepared Expect that a reporter will want to speak with a local PA who exemplifies the notion that PAs are a part of the solution to the healthcare crisis, who complements the work of physicians and who illustrates the need to remove barriers preventing PAs from caring for even more patients. Be convincing Use compelling data about PAs and the profession in your media materials and when speaking to reporters. Be quotable Reporters are always in search of quotable individuals to bring their stories to life. Be appreciative Write a note or make a quick phone call to pass along your appreciation for covering the healthcare providers of America. Be patient If your pitch is declined, thank the reporter for taking your call and be sure to follow up with future story ideas. And don t forget to ask the reporter if someone else at the organization may be interested in your story and get their information. Persistence pays when it comes to media outreach. American Academy of PAs 2

3 Tips and strategies when being interviewed There is no such thing as off the record Never say anything to a reporter you don t want to see in print. Create key messages Write down one to three key messages you want to get across in the interview. These are just a few words and are the core concepts you want the reporter to understand. Think about justifications for your key messages Write down two to four reasons each of your key points is true. These can be statistics supporting your point or examples from your life. Shorter is better Speak in headlines and have a few well phrased one sentence sound bites ready for each key message. If the question requires a yes or no answer, start by saying either yes or no, and then explain your reasoning. Don t let false facts or figures stand If the reporter says something you know to be untrue, politely stop them and offer a correction before moving forward. Avoid professional jargon Remember, your speaking to the reporters audience through the reporter. Even if the reporter has some medical knowledge, his audience may not, so explain things in the simplest way possible. Don t know the answer to a question Don t fake it. It s ok to say I don t know that answer off-hand, but I can get back to you with it, and never lie to a reporter. American Academy of PAs 3

4 Talking points to emphasize during media interviews National PA Week is held every year from Oct to raise awareness and celebrate the PA profession PA Week celebrates how PAs practice medicine, serving as critical members of the healthcare team in high demand, providing valuable care to patients and their families, expanding and providing critical access to healthcare providers to better meet patient needs in a changing healthcare system There are unprecedented levels of demand for PAs upon graduation, with 78 percent of recent graduates receiving multiple job offers and 52 percent entertaining three or more (NCCPA 2013 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants). o Not only that, but Forbes reported that PAs were #1 most promising job of 2015 o USA Today touted the PA profession as one of the hottest jobs of 2014 o U.S. News & World Report ranked the PA profession as one of the top 10 best jobs of There are approximately 104,000 certified PAs today practicing medicine in every media and surgical specialty from neurosurgery to oncology to primary care and the profession grew 36.4% between 2009 and PAs are licensed medical providers who conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, perform medical procedures like joint injections, counsel patients on preventive healthcare, assist in surgery, write prescriptions and make rounds in nursing homes and hospitals. PAs are educated through intense graduate-level programs averaging 27 months and require the same prerequisite courses as medical schools. As part of their education, PAs complete at least 2,000 hours of clinical rotations. Today, there are 190 accredited PA programs and admission to them is extremely competitive. As a proof point to the profession s growth, there were only 54 programs in Studies identify a higher-quality of patient care with physician-pa teams. The quality of care provided by PAs is comparable to that of physicians. PAs enhance care coordination and that practices and institutions relying on PAs are more cost effective than those without PAs. The PA profession grew 36.4% between 2009 and 2014 (NCCPA 2014 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants) American Academy of PAs 4

5 Demand for PAs has increased more than 300 percent in the last three years, according to the national healthcare search firm Merritt Hawkins State laws do not require that a physician is constantly on site while a PA is seeing patients. Most state laws expressly assert that the specific practice design can be determined by the PAs and physicians working together, and that while PAs and physicians need the ability to communicate via telecommunication, the doctor s constant on-site presence is not required In practice, a PA s scope grows over time with clinical experience. It s extremely common for a PA to see patients without a physician present. In fact, you re right, in many rural and underserved areas, a PA is the only primary care provider for miles. There are unprecedented levels of demand for PAs upon graduation, with 78 percent of recent graduates receiving multiple job offers and 52 percent entertaining three or more (NCCPA 2013 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants). Forbes reported that PAs were #1 most promising job of USA Today touted the PA profession as one of the hottest jobs of last year. U.S. News & World Report ranked the PA profession as number 13 on its Top 100 Jobs list as well as one of the Best Healthcare Jobs of American Academy of PAs 5

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