The H1N1 Recap: How to Leverage Media Effectively For Media Control

H1N1 infection control and effective media leveraging

How to leverage media effectively for infection control presents a challenge to any freelance writer, particularly in the light of the current H1N1 pandemic.

Why is that?

Any freelancer can manipulate the media in one direction or another, but to take the topic of infection control in a positive and constructive direction all of the time, may not necessarily be that easy.

The media can interpret any infection control information in a positive or negative light. What is stated may actually be correct, interpreted as correct even when it is not or be interpreted as incorrect.

Understanding that reality, allows one to see the importance of accurate information with regard to the data documented and taught regarding infection control measures.

Here are a couple of tips for freelance, medical writers:

Using correct, well-documented medical information is vital with regard to media hype. Using public medical knowledge is important, so that people can verify what is stated. Using primary sources of medical information, rather than secondary sources, ensures accuracy of information. Recaps of verifiable medical data will help the media, as well as potential readers, to stay current with regard to what is happening, globally.

Ideally, the media should not, but may thrive on sensationalism, which can quickly turn into mass fear and panic, around the globe. Medically oriented freelancers should not add fuel to that fire.

Infection control is rooted in basic, scientific principles. People can sense when something broadcast by the media, is not correct. On the other hand, truth speaks loud and clear.

The entire globe represents a potential audience, in terms of the media, who can be swayed one direction or another, depending upon the source of their information. In turn, they can sway their captive audience.

Infection control on a global level, is a serious problem that concerns everyone, but at the same time, not everyone is an academic able to comprehend the basic principles of infection control. Speaking or addressing an audience on a level that they can comprehend is important. Writing or speaking above or beyond the masses, may lead to confusion. It may also cause them to seek future information from sources that they comprehend and trust.

Audiences or readerships sense betrayal, when and if it happens. They may begin to regard a particular source of information, as not being trustworthy. People become skeptical with regard to unreliable sources. Truth, honesty and integrity are always important.

Think about this for a moment. If you tried to make a culture by using a contaminated media, your culture would not be one that has integrity. So being careful with regard to the media used to communicate infection control is important also.

Leveraging media effectively for infection control entails getting the word out to the public, but in such way that they understand what is stated and thereby act on it.

Freelancers write; the media locks into what they write. Thus, building a good, reliable relationship with the media is also important.

Health care professionals everywhere have credibility and thus, as freelancers, they do have some degree of authority, with regard to the media. As long as their credibility remains credible, what they teach the media regarding infection control should prove to be effective teaching for them to pass on. The information transmitted to them, must come in such a way that they can relate to it, too.

Putting a freelancer or the media under scrutiny, makes them accountable to the public. Medical professionals are accountable to others; this includes patients. In a pandemic, the world population constitutes both the individual, as well as the collective patient, to whom medical professionals have to render accountability.

Media hype should never be encouraged; if anything, it should be discouraged.

Positive and constructive medical and health care education by professional educators, will bring about infection control globally, but it is always, only and ever accomplished one small step at a time. Effective media leveraging can help.