Making Headlines Guide to Engaging the Media in Suicide Prevention in California
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Pain Isn’t Always Obvious Suicide Is Preventable MAKING HEADLINES GUIDE TO ENGAGING THE MEDIA IN SUICIDE PREVENTION IN CALIFORNIA suicide is preventable.org This guide is based on Guide to Engaging the Media in Suicide Prevention (copyright © 2006 by Education Development Center, Inc.) which was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Grant No. 1 U79 SM55029-01). Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Use of all original material is by permission. Issued 2012 – This guide is available for download in the Resource Center of www.YourVoiceCounts.org. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . 4 The Purpose of this Guide . 6 Creating Suicide Prevention Messages . 7 Tips for Developing Effective Messages . 9 Catching the Media’s Attention with Your News . 12 How to Work with the Media . 15 Helping the Media Report on Suicide . 17 Conducting an Interview: Becoming an Effective Spokesperson . 20 Using Television to Tell Your Story . 23 Using Radio to Tell Your Story . 25 Using Print Media to Tell Your Story . 26 Informing the Media with a Press Release . 29 Creating a Media Advisory . 32 Pitching Your Story . 34 Controlling Your Message with an Op-Ed . 36 Reinforcing Your Message with Letters to the Editor . 38 Educating the Media with a Press Kit . 40 Identifying Appropriate Media Outlets . 41 Planning and Holding a Press Conference . 42 Other Useful Tools and Strategies . 44 Media Outreach in Rural Areas . 45 APPENDICES Suggested Resources for Working with the Media . 46 Steps to Developing an Effective Media Outreach Program . 47 Glossary of Media Terms . 48 3 INTRODUCTION The California Mental Health Services Authority Suicide Prevention: Every Californian is Part of the (CalMHSA), an organization of county governments Solution (available for download from www.dmh. working to improve mental health outcomes for ca.gov/prop_63/MHSA/Prevention_and_Early_ individuals, families and communities, in partnership Intervention/docs/SuicidePreventionCommittee/ with AdEase and the Education Development Center, FINAL_CalSPSP_V9.pdf). The California Strategic Inc. is pleased to provide individuals and organizations Plan is evidence-based and built on recommendations engaged in suicide prevention throughout California of the Suicide Prevention Plan Advisory Committee. It is with this Guide to Engaging the Media in Suicide intended to guide the work of policy makers, program Prevention. managers, providers, funders, and others in bringing systems together to better coordinate their efforts, Funded by counties through the voter approved Mental and to enhance needed prevention and intervention Health Services Act (MHSA) (Prop. 63), this guide is services. This California Strategic Plan established based on a document that was created through a a blueprint for change on the state and local levels. cooperative agreement between the Substance Abuse An important strategic direction in the plan included and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), recommendations for “engaging and educating the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), and Suicide news media” to improve awareness and understanding Prevention Action Network (SPAN USA). CalMHSA of the problem of suicide as well as resources that are provided funding to AdEase which subcontracted available to help. to EDC to revise and update the national document to be relevant and specific to California. The revised The value of reaching out beyond the mental health Guide will play an important role in helping to achieve community to educate more people about suicide California’s suicide prevention goals by providing prevention is well understood by people in the field people engaged in suicide prevention with the tools and many of those personally impacted by suicide. necessary to serve as effective media spokespeople Speaking out to the media on suicide prevention is an and to generate media coverage in order to create important step in making the California Strategic Plan’s awareness of this important issue. vision a reality. • Helping to educate the media about suicide As you move ahead with your local media efforts, be prevention can raise awareness about both the aware that similar efforts are taking place throughout problem and the solutions. the state and the nation. The National Action Alliance • Generating coverage means more people reading for Suicide Prevention is a public–private partnership and talking publicly about suicide and mental devoted to advancing the National Strategy for illness, helping to eliminate the stigma that keeps Suicide Prevention. The Alliance has formed a task so many people from seeking the treatment they force on public awareness and education. The need. task force seeks to engage both the entertainment • In the long term, increased awareness and industry and news media to help generate accurate, understanding of the value of treatment will build compelling stories and depictions that reinforce support for ensuring that sources of funding are suicide prevention programs. Learn more about available even in times of economic trouble. the National Alliance for Suicide Prevention and the public awareness and education task force at: In 2008 the California Department of Mental http://actionallianceforsuicideprevention.org/. Health published the California Strategic Plan on 4 Part 3: Strategic Directions and CALIFORNIA STRATEGIRecommCe PLANnded ON Ac SUItioCnIDEs PREVENTION: Every Californian is Part of the Solution* Strategic Direction 3:STRATEGI EducaCte D IRECoCmTIONmu 3:n ities to Take Action EDUCATE COMMUNITIEto PSr TOev TeAKEnt SAcuTIONicid eTO PREVENT SUICIDE Raise awareness that suicide is preventable and create an environment that supports suicide prevention and help- seeking behaviors. RECOMMENDEDRecommended A ACTIONSctions at AthTe THE 3.5• DEngageissem inandate educate and pro themo tnewse mo mediadels and STATE LEVEL entertainment industry. 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