August 14, 2008

Question Of The Month: Getting Ideas for Media Work

Media Question #2:

If you do media work such as write a column, article, blog, do TV or radio show, where to you get your headlines or ideas?
A: Headlines: national or local
B: current AAP journal articles and themes
C: the producers or editors give them to me
D: what I see in my practice
E: other – please specify
Here are this month's responses:

"Most of my topics for articles either come from the AAP / journal searches that I find interesting or from the reporters themselves. While I find the stories that I do from the articles I find to be more interesting and satisfying, I don't have a lot of time to pitch story ideas. Thus, I also respond to reporter's ideas more often than I would like."

"A and D: I get my headlines from the NY Times or Chicago Tribune. Patients are the best source of questions and usually answers. It adds the personal touch to the discussion."
"As my blog is for Residents and our local EMS providers, I tend to stick with topics related to what we are seeing in the ED. The saying about things "happening in 3's" is very true where I work! I often incorporate hot topics or seasonal items into the discussion."
"I do a local cable TV interview show called "School Health news' I get my ideas from my knowledge of school Health' and Current AAP Policies."

"All of the above. I read other blogs, columns; listen to talk radio. Then I research and write my editorials or columns. My essays are from my practice."

If you'd like to contribute your answer to this question, email me!! gsokeeffe@aap.net or cocmeditor@pediatricsnow.com