Show and tell: Writing a source’s guide for engaging with the press
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Who I am: Richard Tofel, Instructor, Harvard Chan School of Public Health. Harvard AB, JD, MPP.
What I created: I wrote a booklet, published by the Center for Health Communication, entitled “Engaging with the Press: A Guide for Perplexed Readers and Sources.”
Why it matters: In teaching a Harvard Chan course by the same title the past two years, and preparing to do so again this fall, I realized that there are many books which describe the relationships between reporters and sources from the reporter’s perspective, but almost none from the source’s. To fill that gap, this new booklet aims to practically inform people whose jobs involve interactions with the press, and educational programs who want to impart a more sophisticated appreciation of what it means to work with the press.
What I learned: In writing the booklet, I was struck by the importance of several developments in recent decades, especially the consequences of the pressure on reporters to generate stories quickly and efficiently, as well as the significant growth in the number of people tasked with dealing with the press, even as the number of reporters continues to decline. And if there is one overarching lesson I seek to impart in this booklet, it’s how critical it is to understand the motivations of the different professional groups (reporters, editors, publishers, etc.) you might encounter while working with the press.
