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Feb. 11, 2004 PCC Monthly Luncheon)

Sallie Gaines, senior vice president of media relations from Hill & Knowlton served as moderator. Gaines had been a newspaper reporter and editor before joining Hill & Knowlton, where she does media training as well as help clients identify media needs and opportunities, manage crisis communications and create communications plans.

She began her emcee duties by reminding the audience of some statistics. We often hear the joking phrase, "diseases of the rich." In fact, internal medicine residencies are down 40 percent while medical specialties like dermatology are up 40 percent. At the same time, in areas like rural Illinois, some counties have no medical care available, happen to live in the wrong place or have no health insurance.

Gaines explained that people are afraid of running out of money in retirement largely due to health care costs. However, she added, that more people also are taking control over their own health – including exploring alternative medicine, nutritional supplements and the like. The media has become the number one source of information. The rate of breakthroughs weekly is staggering. However, while the media is also inundated with information, it is also limited by time.

With that introduction, Gaines turned to panelists Deidra White, news planning manager from CBS/WBBM-TV, Channel 2 – who stood in for Marda LeBeau; Bob Ray, health/science producer for NBC/WMAQ-TV, Channel 5; and Katherin Czink, medical producer, WGN-TV, Channel 9. 

All concurred that news reporters are always looking for good consumer stories, especially those relating to new medical treatments and research. Healthcare public policy issues are usually relegated to traditional news reporters. Despite what they may say about press kits being inconsequential, producers like White, admitted that she normally starts with the most unusual, largest package if she does open the mail. As usual, most producers prefer short, pithy pitches. 

A 25-year veteran news reporter, White had been a news director in Detroit before coming to Chicago. With reporter Mary Ann Childers, White’s station covers a lot of stories involving health trends and diet.

"Good stories are about events and people, but it is people who make the story," White said, advising the audience to think about what they would like to see on television. Also, she urges that experts be included whenever possible. She said they are always looking for the next new thing. Health issues are a regular focus of every newscast.

White urged PR practitioners to consider the news of the day when they are pitching stories. "Don’t call to pitch a story at a time when a plane is crashing into a building! Don’t call on a busy news day." Preferring e-mail, she rarely answers her phone. "Send me the details rather than telling me ‘I have a great story . . .’ I want ideas and stories, however timing has a lot to do with what I accept." She does not use video news releases, but insists pictures that tell the story are imperative. Mornings are best to reach her. She will forward stories she seems appropriate to other departments, however she said it does not hurt to pitch both the planning department and the news and/or health editor.

She mentioned that February is heart month and CBS is doing stories on heart disease in conjunction with the American Heart Association, focusing on heart disease and women.  

To contact White, e-mail her at drwhite@cbs.com, call her at 312-988-1668, or write her at CBS 2 News, 630 N. McClurg Court, Chicago 60611-4495.

Before assuming his current role at WMAQ-TV in 1986, he was a newscast producer and assignment editor. Before that this multiple Emmy winner was a reporter, producer and news director in Oklahoma and as a news anchor for Armed Forces Radio.

One thing Ray’s station does not do is the "disease of the week." Nor does he cover research or concepts that have not already panned out. Although their advertising demographics are those 18 to 49, their planning focus is on geriatrics/stories on aging, anti-aging, plastic surgery and quality of life issues.

As economic issues intensify, especially if there is another recession, Ray said the coverage of healthcare stories, especially preventive medicine, will likely increase. Stories like genetic research are less likely to be covered as results are not available and, visually, they are not easy to cover. He avoids research stories in general.

Ray does not usually return phone calls, however if a PR person prefers pitching by phone, the PR professional needs to get his message across in 30 seconds or less. "Voice mail is a wonderful thing. There is no good time to call. If I don’t call you back, we are not going to do your story; don’t call back," he said. He also explained that he expects some exclusivity – at least the first right of refusal, explaining that, as a PR person, you might explain, "If you decide not to cover this, please let me know. If I don’t hear from you within 48 hours, we will pitch it to someone else."

He also urges that anyone pitching stories be prepared before they call. Before a crew ever arrives, consider where they can shoot, including locale. Think visually and have available anatomical models, x-rays and/or tapes of the procedures you are talking about. Know your story, have a patient ready and have access to a physician or nurse available to speak before calling. Set up the story!

WMAQ will use video news releases and tapes if there is something newsworthy on them, but will not use them for clips. He has a Rolodex with physicians listed by specialty and will call PR people he knows for resources when he needs them.

For NBC, their syndication company is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, but is aware of stories being produced throughout the country. As a result, stories produced elsewhere are often broadcast in Chicago.

To contact Ray, reach him by e-mail at bobray@nbc.com. By phone, his number is 312-836-5764 and by snail mail, his address is 454 N. Columbus Drive, Chicago 60611-5555.

Before joining WGN two years ago, Czink was the assistant director of research/development at the Radiological Society of North America, where she served as liaison between radiology researchers and the National Institutes of Health and as a medical writer. At WGN, she has produced a wide variety of special projects and won an Emmy in 2003 for a story about organ donation.

Czink stressed that the station’s focus is "news we can use." WGN’s demographic is the older generation, however they are interested on the latest and greatest stories with a local angle. This includes cutting-edge procedures for cancer, diabetes and heart disease as well as new drugs and treatment modalities.

She agreed that research is difficult to cover, mainly because they don’t want to bring false hope to people based on what is still being explored in a lab. Instead, they prefer human interest stories, showing people receiving promising results.

Czink prefers a good, concise phone pitch at 773-883-3166. She tries to answer the phone as much as she can; mornings are the best time to reach her. However, do not send pitches by fax, since the fax is mainly for the news department, so she rarely receives them. Make sure the story has patients who are willing to appear on camera and are willing to talk. WGN has a rigid shooting schedule, with crews only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Therefore, she urged the audience to consider the station’s schedule before pitching a story to make sure they coincided with what was being pitched. She explained that it may seem that the "little guys" in healthcare may seem to be overlooked, since the major medical centers have the funding and staff to speak to breaking research, however, "if it is a good story, we’ll cover it," she said. She loves graphics but rarely uses video news releases.

She normally goes to local physicians and medical centers with whom she has a relationship for resources for stories she is covering. She also avoids stories revolving around awareness months unless something is truly novel or new.

To contact Czink by e-mail, her address is kczink@tribune.com and her "snail mail" address is 2501 W. Bradley Place, Chicago 60618.

They all stressed that pitches must be newsworthy and it is best if they have a new twist.

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