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| Lisa Arledge Powell |
In a year like 2024, both sides of the business—public relations and journalism—are facing heightened challenges. A divisive presidential election, ever-evolving and disruptive AI technology and ongoing economic uncertainty, just to name a few. Within a span of nine days over the summer, there was an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden decided not to seek re-election and the world experienced one of the largest cyber outages in history. The constant coverage of these and other important stories is making it increasingly challenging for public relations professionals to capture the attention of journalists.
It’s not surprising that 42 percent of healthcare communicators cite breaking through the busy media landscape as the primary day-to-day challenge this year.
It may seem obvious that an election stands in the way of news coverage for your healthcare brand. But it’s not the only barrier and this nonstop news cycle won’t slow down after the election. The 2024 Healthcare Journalist & Communicator Survey, conducted by my team at the healthcare public relations firm MediaSource, highlights a divide between what journalists want and what healthcare communicators are providing.
Journalists are requiring timely and insightful sources to inform their reporting and global events are at the top of the coverage list—even for healthcare journalists. 65 percent of healthcare journalists consider it important that their stories tie into global events like elections, war, national disasters and the economy.
Rising economic issues have created the most noticeable story topic gap between journalists and communicators. 52 percent of journalists said the recession/economy is the most important political topic, while 31 percent of healthcare communicators said their organization plans to avoid discussing it. Communicators who can provide economy-related story topics and/or experts have a better chance of inserting their brand into the conversation during this busy news cycle.
| This article is featured in O'Dwyer's Oct. Healthcare & Medical PR Magazine |
The issues that journalists need to report on aren’t always the easiest for healthcare brands to talk about. Other highly requested topics from newsrooms this year include the cost of healthcare (67 percent), gun control and/or mass casualty incidents (51 percent) and reproductive health/abortion (49 percent). In contrast, healthcare communicators rank feel-good stories as their top priority to get into the news (73 percent). This divide in story priority continues to be a pain point for healthcare communicators. It’s important that we look within our organizations with a renewed perspective to find ways to tell these stories.
Here’s the good news. When it comes to other healthcare stories, there are two topics that both communicators and journalists share a mutual interest in. The first is mental health—a topic that both parties cite as an important health topic this year. Journalists even rank it as the most important in health (70 percent). Both sides of the business also rank access to care as a top-five story topic in 2024. Communicators who pitch these topics will have a higher likelihood of securing coverage while also achieving brand storytelling goals.
Whether you’re looking to tie into a political topic or pitch a feel-good service line story, there are some best practices to increase your chances of coverage right now.
Getting your story in the news during an election year
Be an ally to journalists: A PR principle that’s especially valuable right now. Become a source of stability by providing credible stories and high-quality multimedia content. Include timely, insightful sources for their reporting.
Watch for breaking news: Now, more than ever, it’s vital to tie your thought leaders to the news cycle. When breaking news happens, pitch immediately to secure opportunities. If you have an important story that’s not related to breaking news, don’t be afraid to re-pitch when the timing is better for more likely coverage.
Monitor political events: Be predictive about the news cycle and have your experts ready in advance of scheduled political rallies and announcements. Some upcoming key political events include:
October 1: The CBS Vice Presidential debate.
October 8: The four-week countdown until Election Day.
November 5: Election Day.
Be ready to newsjack and/or avoid feature releases around these dates.
Think like a journalist: Replace health industry buzzwords with language that a journalist could use in their own story. Write short pitches with clear subject lines and relevant details. Share compelling stories featuring real people, not just experts.
We’ve covered story topics and tips on navigating the news during an election. But what about tactics that make any pitch more appealing to journalists?
We’ve commissioned this survey for four years in a row and every year journalists continue to be open to more content from outside sources. In 2024, 35 percent of journalists said they’re open to accepting multimedia from outside sources when their media outlet doesn’t have enough staff/budget to send a crew. But, remember that credibility is a must. 68 percent of journalists said they’re most likely to accept multimedia that’s not produced by their news team when the content is from a reputable source. This is where being an ally to journalists really makes an impact.
Data usage can also increase your story’s credibility. 44 percent of journalists said that stories backed by research or data are the most important criteria when choosing to cover a story. Make it a priority to understand how including data or research will benefit your story and create a data plan from there.
What we can take away from the 2024 Healthcare Journalist & Communicator Survey is that journalists are not working on the same forward-looking timelines as before. It’s a rapid-fire nonstop news cycle. As we navigate these complexities, it’s crucial for public relations professionals to anticipate and strategically address hurdles. As we move into 2025, healthcare communicators who stay ahead of industry changes and journalist needs will come out on top.
If you’re interested in reading more findings from the survey, including social media use in the newsroom, the state of working in healthcare communications, AI in our industry and more, you can download the full report here.
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Lisa Arledge Powell is the Founder and CEO of MediaSource, an award-winning communications agency that specializes in helping healthcare brands reach their business goals through strategic communications.
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