Work with the media will be one of the most important steps you take in educating consumers about the importance and value of secure electronic health information exchange.  Your relationship with the media should consist of more than churning out standardized press releases or announcements.  In order to be effective, you must develop relationships with members of the media and position yourself and your organization as ‘The Source’ for information about health information exchange, use of electronic medical records and/or the intersection of healthcare quality and health information technology. 

By working with the media effectively, you will bring attention to the InformationSTAT campaign and the important work being done locally and nationally surrounding the development and deployment of vital health information to the point of care. 

The InformationSTAT campaign includes materials that will assist you in your work with the media but the tools that have been developed by no means are intended to take the place of the development of a personal, ongoing relationship with your local press.  So use the tools but also pick up the phone early-on and develop relationships with community journalists and assignment editors. 

When reaching out to the media you should always:

► Be honest

► Honor the writer or producers deadline

► Be a useful source (even if it is not the topic you want to discuss)

► Use the podium you have been given responsibly and judiciously and as a means to educate reporters

► Understand both sides of the issue

This section is divided into the following:   Guide to Working with the Press   This guide is designed to offer you useful tips as you begin your media outreach at the community level. To jumpstart your media relations efforts read the  Ten Things to Consider Before You Get Started With the Media   Tools for Press Outreach   This contains useful press release templates, fact sheets, and a research source list of peer-reviewed literature in support of secure electronic health information exchange.   Case Example Template   While the InformationSTAT campaign contains five real-life case examples that can be used as part of your background information for the press, nothing speaks louder than your very own local examples.    With that in mind, we have developed a template that you can use to create your own community case example.