Get Media Savvy
Today’s Dietitian
By Dawn Jackson, RD, LD
Vol. 6 No. 3 p. 18

The public is hungry for food and nutrition information. People get most of their health information from media sources such as television (72%), magazines (58%), newspapers (33%), radio (18%), and the Internet (13%).1 The high demand for nutrition information in the media creates an opportunity for misinformation, faddism, health fraud, and quackery to flourish. Dietetics professionals have a responsibility to clarify and demystify consumer-targeted messages, help interpret emerging research for the media and consumers, and encourage consumers to seek out information from registered dietitians.2

Collaboration between registered dietitians and the media is key to the public receiving sound science-based information on food and nutrition. Dietitians have skills to take science-based information and translate it into public-friendly messages. The media is the vehicle to get these messages to the public. The actual impact of nutrition messages on promoting healthful lifestyles and influencing public behavior depends on how effectively the message is communicated to the media.

There are four key steps to working effectively with the media to get your message out: prepare the pitch, contact the media, prepare for the interview, and use interview techniques.3

Prepare the Pitch
Before contacting the media, you must have a newsworthy story to tell them. Preparing the pitch, or interesting story angle that will catch the media’s attention, takes careful monitoring of the media and attention to professional publications.

Watch television, peruse popular consumer magazines, read the newspaper, listen to the radio, surf the Internet, and browse local bookstores to keep your finger on the pulse of what topics the media are covering. Read nutrition-related journals and newsletters and attend continuing education meetings and conferences on a regular basis to stay current on emerging research you may be able to spin into a story idea.

People usually want to hear stories about people like themselves, their families, or their neighbors. Try to give your stories the “human element.” Remember that you need to spark the interest of your entire target audience, not just a small segment of it.

Three-quarters of the word “news” is “new.” Your story ideas should aim to tell viewers, readers, and listeners something they do not already know or put a new twist on a familiar topic. Think beyond just the health and cooking segments and food page; pitch stories to travel, sports, business, or other news segments and sections.

Contact the Media
After monitoring the media, you will be able to identify which television segments, magazines, newspaper sections, and radio programs seem likely to use your food- and nutrition-related story ideas. Start making a list of reporters, editors, producers, and hosts to whom you would like to pitch stories. Make a list of journalists’ names and contact information (phone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses) found printed in newspapers, magazines, the phone book, or online. Continuously read publications and watch and listen to programs to help you stay up-to-date with personnel and format changes.

When approaching the media, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) public relations (PR) department offers this advice: “Write something brief and send it to the journalist in simple and clear language via e-mail or fax with your contact information. Wait a few days before you call to follow up on your idea because the media are bombarded with story ideas.” Each journalist will have a preferred way to receive story ideas. Some prefer letters via e-mail or fax while others prefer a phone call or message. Ask journalists which mode of communication fits their needs.

Whether you are e-mailing, faxing, or calling a journalist about your story idea, the following are some pitch guidelines:
• The pitch letter or call should be no more than 250 to 300 words.
• Get right to the point, identify that you are writing or calling in a story idea, and immediately explain why the audience would be interested in the story.
• Provide colorful details, vivid language, and examples to help develop the story.
• Include your name, credentials, and contact information. You can also include a list of potential props if appropriate to better illustrate your idea.
• Timing is everything. When possible, try to tie in your pitch to current events, new trends, seasons, or holidays. Pitch your ideas in a well-timed manner, which means you will have to plan ahead. Contact the media approximately two to three weeks in advance of when you think you would want the story to run. Contact monthly magazines approximately three to four months in advance.
• Do not take rejection personally or let it prevent you from pitching to the same journalist for a future story. You can also try to pitch the rejected story to another media outlet.

Prepare for the Interview
Once you have successfully elicited media interest in your story idea, they will most likely interview you at your office, on the phone, in their studio, or at a location associated with the specific story. Thorough preparation will get your message out to influence public behavior and promote healthy lifestyles. The ADA PR department suggests to “think about an interview as a business deal, plain and simple. In other words, both parties need to accomplish something. You need to get your message across in consumer-friendly language, and the interviewer needs to get his or her questions answered about a particular topic.”

Anticipate all questions on the subject and come up with clear, concise answers. The questions asked will usually address the standard subjects: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? Who cares? Visualize one person (real or imaginary) whom you most want to understand your message and “speak” to that person. By visualizing this person, you can make the information you talk about relevant and personal.

Most importantly, know your message. Develop two or three key messages about the subject you want to weave throughout the entire interview. These messages will be the take-home points for the audience. There are many ways to make your messages public-friendly (See sidebar).

Use Interview Techniques
Preparation before the interview will help get your message fine-tuned and public-friendly, but it is also important to use techniques during the actual interview to get your message out. There are two techniques that can help deliver your message clearly during any interview: bridging and flagging.

Bridging is a technique that helps you transition smoothly from the interviewers’ questions to your message. First, you answer their question briefly and completely, then convey your message. For example, say a reporter asks, “Isn’t fruit too high in carbohydrates and sugar to be part of a healthy diet?” You can bridge by answering, “Fruit is a carbohydrate and contains natural sugar, but it is important that we eat at least two servings of fruit per day to stay healthy and keep us feeling full.”

Flagging is a way to call attention to your key messages, helping the audience take home what you want them to remember from the interview. For example, “The most important thing to remember is…” or “The most helpful tip I can tell you is...” Just to be safe, assume that anything you say will be used in the story. Any conversation, even outside of the interview, could be quoted; nothing is “off the record.”

The ADA PR team offers this final valuable piece of advice when working with the media: “Be confident. Remember: You are the food and nutrition expert.”

— Dawn Jackson, RD, LD, is a national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and a practicing dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute in Chicago.

References
1. Nutrition and You: Trends 2002 Final Report. American Dietetic Association; October 2002.
2. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Food and nutrition misinformation. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002;102(2): 260-266.
3. Working with the Media: A Handbook for Members of the American Dietetic Association. ADA Public Relations Team; 2003.
Media Resources on the American Dietetic Association Web Site (www.eatright.org)
• Journal of the American Dietetic Association
• Position papers
• Nutrition fact sheets
• Tip of the day
• Creativity calendar (under “Media” tab)
• Press releases
• Consumer publications (eg, The American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, Dieting for Dummies)

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