Brussels, 11 July 2005 - The European Public Health Alliance Environment Network (EEN) and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) are releasing today a brand new guide to help non-governmental organisations and other health communicators become more active and effective in their relations with the media. This pocket-sized 98-page guide is aimed at those working in the health and environment sector but it will prove useful in many other sectors.

In the foreword, Génon Jensen, EEN Director, says that the decision to sponsor the guide was based on a widely acknowledged recognition among NGOs of the need for closer ties with journalists and editors. NGOs often feel that working with the media will be too difficult or require resources and skills that are simply not available. This guide is aimed at helping to overcome those challenges. “The guide provides a simple roadmap that outlines the basic tasks that are likely to bring the biggest rewards,” Ms Jensen says.

The inspiration for the guide came from Franklin Apfel, former Director of Communications at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe and now Managing Director of World Health Communication Associates. "Our aim in producing this guide," he says, “is to help health communicators to become more media-wise, to work actively and effectively with the media to advocate for healthier behaviours, choices and policies."

Available in 5 languages (English, French, German, Russian and Spanish), the guide is divided into 12 chapters, the first five of which focus on strategy, policy and skills.
 Chapter 1 provides the questions that need to be resolved when devising a media strategy and policy. It offers an outline of an NGO media strategy and policy.
 Chapter 2 gives an insight into how the media operate.
 Chapter 3-5 describe the practicalities of writing press releases and preparing for press conferences and media interviews.
 Chapter 6-9 deal with the responsibilities associated with providing the public with reliable information on what are important and often sensitive issues via the media.

Chapter 6 addresses ethical issues and provides some guidelines. Chapter 7 defines “media advocacy” and the role of “messages”. Chapter 8 provides hints on how to sensitise the media, e.g., against stereotyping Chapter 9 deals with the difficult issue of raising awareness without causing undue fear.

 The last three chapters deal with campaign planning and evaluation, and social marketing.

Chapter 10 describes how to make a campaign newsworthy. Chapter 11 offers a checklist to evaluate campaign success. Chapter 12 provides an introduction to cause-related commercial marketing, known as “social marketing”.

The final pages of the guide contain a list of useful web links and ready-to-complete “Media contact sheets”, which offer prompts to NGO communicators making their first contact with key media personnel.

“Working with the Media” is a joint publication of World Health Communication Associates, the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), EEN and The Media Wise Trust. It was written by Mike Jempson (MediaWise), edited by Franklin Apfel and Carinne Allinson (World Health Communication Associates) and reviewed by Tamsin Rose (European Public Health Alliance) and Génon K. Jensen (EPHA Environment Network).

Printed copies of the English language version are available free of charge from EEN. If you would like to receive a copy, or copies, please send an email to Monica Guarinoni, Information Officer, European Public Health Alliance Environment Network (EEN), 39-41 rue d’Arlon, 1000 Brussels, Belgium. Tel: +32 2 233 3875. E-mail: info@env-health.org. Website: www.env-health.org.

The other language versions are available only in PDF format, and can be downloaded below.

Although all rights are reserved, up to 10 photocopies of the document may be made for non-commercial, personal use provided that credit is given.

 Publication details: “Working with the Media”, WHCA Action Guide, 2005 Copyright 2005, Mike Jempson, the MediaWise Trust and World Health Communication Associates Ltd. ISBN 0-9547620-2-9

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EPHA Environment Network (EEN) provides non-governmental organisations, professional representative bodies of doctors, nurses and other health professionals, academic institutions and other not-for-profit organisations with a platform from which the links between growing health problems and environmental factors can be brought to the attention of Europe’s policy makers. For more information, please visit www.env-health.org.

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) is the largest network of NGOs and not-for-profit organisations working on health in Europe. It has more than 100 member organisations, including 35 European networks, all of which are committed to improving the health of citizens and increasing their participation in decision-making related to health. For more information, please visit www.epha.org.