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GUIDE to ENGAGING the MEDIA in SUICIDE PREVENTION for Reporters (Continued)

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GUIDE to ENGAGING the MEDIA in SUICIDE PREVENTION for Reporters (Continued) SPAN media guide_NEW_hp 10/17/07 10:02 AM Page C1 SPAN media guide_NEW_hp 10/17/07 10:02 AM Page 1 Table of Contents I n t r o d u c t i o n . .2 About this Guide . .4 C reating Suicide Prevention Messages . .5 Catching the Media’s Attention with Your News . .7 How to Work with the Media . .9 Helping the Media Report on Suicide . .1 0 Conducting an Interview: Becoming an Effective Spokesperson . .1 3 “Bridge” to Your Key Messages . .1 5 Using Television to Tell Your Story . .16 Suicide Prevention Using Radio to Tell Your Story . .1 8 Action Network USA ( S PAN USA) Using the Print Media to Tell Your Story . .1 9 1025 Ve rmo nt Avenue, NW Suite 1066 I n f o rming the Media with a Press Release . .2 1 Washington, DC 20005 Advising the Media with a Media Advisory . .2 3 Phone: (202) 449-3600 Fax: (202) 449-3601 Writing an Effective Pitch Letter . .2 5 E-mail: i n f o @ s p a n u s a . o r g C o n t rol ling Your Message with an Op-Ed . .2 8 R e i n f o r cing Your Message with Letters to the Editor . .3 0 Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) Educating the Media with a Press Kit . .3 2 Education Development C e n t e r, Inc. Identifying Appropriate Media Outlets . .3 3 55 Chapel Street Newton, MA 02458-1060 C reating Media Lists . .3 7 P h o n e : 8 7 7 - G E T- S P R C Tracking Results . .3 7 Fax: (617) 969-9186 E-mail: i n f o @ s p r c . o rg Appendices Suggested Resources for Working with the Media . .3 9 G l o s s a ry of Media Te rm s . .4 0 Steps to Developing an Effective Media Outreach Pro g r a m . .4 2 This guide was funded by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, which is supported 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 re c- ommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily re f l e c t the views of the Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health S e rvices Administration. 1 ■ G U I D E T O E N G A G I N G T H E M E D I A I N S U I C I D E P R E V E N T I O N SPAN media guide_NEW_hp 10/17/07 10:02 AM Page 2 I n t r o d u c t i o n he Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPA N and, since the strategy’s release in 2001, has part- USA) in collaboration with the Suicide n e red with SPRC and others to help advance the TP revention Resource Center (SPRC) is goals and objectives of the national strategy. pleased to provide advocates throughout the United States with this Guide to Engaging the Media in This Guide to Engaging the Media in Suicide Suicide Pre v e n t i o n . P re v e n t i o n will play an important role in helping to achieve our nation’s suicide prevention goals by SPRC was created in 2002 and, its mission is to sup- teaching suicide prevention advocates how to serv e p o r t suicide prevention with the best of science, as effective media spokespeople and to generate skills and practice. The Center provides pre v e n t i o n media coverage to create awareness of this impor- s u p p o r t, training, and informational materials to tant issue. s t ren gthen suicide prevention networks and advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP). ■ If suicide prevention advocates help educate the media about suicide prevention, you can raise Funded through a cooperative a w a reness about both the problem and the solu- a g reement between the tions. Speaking out to Substance Abuse and Mental ■ With more people reading and talking publicly the media on Health Services Administration about suicide and mental illness, you can eliminate (SAMHSA) and Education the stigma that keeps so many people from seek- suicide Development Center, Inc. (EDC), ing the treatment they need. prevention is an SPRC works in collaboration ■ In the long term, increased awareness and under- with partner organizations to standing of the value of treatment will build sup- important step implement training and other p o r t for mental health parity. in making the s u p p o r t programs relevant to suicide prevention. During the past three years, SPRC has hosted NSSP’s vision n u m e rous conferences on suicide prevention and a reality. S PAN USA, a national nonpro f i t worked closely with advocates in regions across the o rganization with the larg e s t United States to further the goals of the NSSP. The g r a s s roots advocacy network of value of reaching out beyond the mental health com- suicide survivors in the United States, counts raising munity to educate more people about suicide pre- a w a reness of mental health disorders, eliminating vention is well understood by suicide pre v e n t i o n the stigma attached to them, and advancing public advocates. Speaking out to the media on suicide pre- policies that prevent suicide among its top priorities. vention is an important step in making the NSSP’s S PAN USA played a key role in calling for the devel- vision a re a l i t y. opment of a national strategy for suicide pre v e n t i o n 2 ■ G U I D E T O E N G A G I N G T H E M E D I A I N S U I C I D E P R E V E N T I O N SPAN media guide_NEW_hp 10/17/07 10:02 AM Page 3 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: THE NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION (NSSP)* ■ Promote awareness that suicide is a public health problem that is preventable. ■ Develop broad-based support for suicide prevention. ■ Develop and implement strategies to reduce the stigma associated with being a consumer of mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention services. ■ Develop and implement suicide prevention programs. ■ Promote efforts to reduce access to lethal means and methods of self-harm. ■ Implement training for recognition of at-risk behavior and delivery of effective treatment. ■ Develop and promote effective clinical and professional practices. ■ Improve access to and community linkages with mental health and substance abuse services. ■ Improve reporting and portrayals of suicidal behavior, mental illness, and substance abuse in the entertainment and news media. ■ Promote and support research on suicide and suicide prevention. ■ Improve and expand surveillance systems. * U.S. Public Health Service. National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action. Washington, D.C.: Department of Health and Human Services. 2001 3 ■ G U I D E T O E N G A G I N G T H E M E D I A I N S U I C I D E P R E V E N T I O N SPAN media guide_NEW_hp 10/17/07 10:02 AM Page 4 About this Guide ur goal in delivering this guide is to pro v i d e Media outreach is a critical component of most suicide prevention advocates – both individ- advocacy campaigns. To be effective, media outre a c h Ouals and organizations – with the tools to must complement your advocacy agenda and enable generate media coverage and the skills to act as you to reach individuals, including federal and state e ffective spokespeople. policy-makers, who make or can influence decisions. You all read newspapers, watch the evening news, B e f o re you can develop an effective media outre a c h listen to news on the radio, or receive periodic news p rogram, you must understand the needs of the updates over the Internet. The media informs the media and what the media considers news. public, educates them, and, at times, may even Although it’s not the re p o rt e r ’s job to sell newspa- i n s p i re them to take action or behave in cert a i n pers, he or she must convince the editor that your ways. There is no doubt the media is a powerf u l s t o ry should be printed in their newspaper because it venue. It can propel individuals and org a n i z a t i o n s covers an issue that their readers care deeply about. to new heights; conversely, it can destroy an org a n i- zation or individual’s reputation and image. If suicide prevention advocates are successful in edu- cating their local media, then on a national level, As suicide prevention advocates, you must work they can eliminate the stigma surrounding mental ill- with the media to generate momentum for suicide ness, encourage those in need to seek help, and ulti- p revention policies. This guide will help you under- mately reduce the number of lives lost to suicide. stand the needs of the news media so that you can L e t ’s make it our goal to ensure that Americans develop and implement an effective media outre a c h understand that suicide is a preventable public p rogram.
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