Preserving Your Brand - A New Wave of Health Care Reporting

The role of the media in a democratic society is to act as a watchdog, holding corporate America accountable and providing accurate and useful information to the general public. No other sector of the media takes these ideals more seriously than those who monitor and report on issues of health care.

 Because of the recent decline in newspaper journalism and reduction of staff in remaining newsrooms, there are fewer knowledgeable health care reporters and more “aces” who are pressured to generate compelling headlines. The risk of journalistic zealousness putting your brand in jeopardy is at an all-time high.

So, how does your organization preserve its integrity in such a sticky climate?

 As your organization’s communications gatekeeper it is imperative to stay vigilant in both the local and social media arena. A falsity, stretch of the truth or even vague headline can not only sway public opinion but with the onset of social media and blogging, one incorrect detail can be transferred to a plethora of opinion-based forums disseminating brand busting half-truths throughout your consumer base. Keep on top of all discussion pertaining to your hospital or healthcare organization. Utilize your search engine’s alert system. Google Alerts offers a free service to anyone with a Gmail account – promptly sending an email when user-decided key words or phrases are posted anywhere on the web. 

 If you do come across an error, it’s best to rectify it immediately before it morphs into a whole new can of worms by bloggers, social networkers and others who aren’t bound by journalistic standards. It is also important to put together a system of dealing with errors before one comes to light. By thinking ahead and staying organized you may avoid future disasters and time-consuming endeavors.

In past healthcare reporting, seasoned journalists relied on key opinion leaders and experts whom they trusted. According to the Association of Health Care Journalists, writers must “recognize that most stories involve a degree of nuance and complexity that no single source could provide. Journalists have a responsibility to present diverse viewpoints in context. To reflect only one perspective of only one source is not wise. Most one-source stories lack depth and meaning.”

Because you may not have rapport or any prior experience with a particular journalist, providing him or her with non-biased experts that support their views with science-based justification not personal assumptions will boost your credibility and surface facts.

 It is also important to build rapport with the freelance and inexperienced journalists. By building trust, you will in turn become a source when a crisis hits. They will turn to you for accurate and complete information about your organization – giving you the opportunity to supply a positive slant on an ugly situation.

 By encouraging journalists, bloggers and the community to dig up correct information and unbiased or even both of the opposing sources, you will guard your corporate and community image. Help journalists to understand that they have a duty to their readers to quantify their findings – to report on fact and not inflate subject matter.