Oxford Public Health Magazine - Issue 1 by Oxford Public Health

The Magazine of the Oxford Public Health Global Network

The Journalistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Perspective

October 2015

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WELCOME MESSAGE

Passionate about Public Health Welcome to the inaugural issue of the magazine for Oxford Public Health, the new global network dedicated to public health leadership, innovation, practice, research, communication, and training.

In this issue, we highlight the experience and perspectives of several international health correspondents who very kindly took time out of their busy schedules to share their top tips for public health professionals. In addition to print, radio, and television, we also cover the power of film in communicating public health stories. I wish to take this opportunity to thank each of our contributors.

Our mission is to promote careers in public health, increase public health capacity worldwide, and integrate public health perspectives into the wider workforce, including but not limited to journalism, radio, television, film, law, policy, architecture, urban design, engineering, entrepreneurship, healthcare and academia.

We are interested in promoting public health activities in all sectors, such as design, architecture, engineering, business, law, healthcare, and the voluntary sector.

We will soon be launching events, including the Masterclass and the Innovation Mashup series, as well as introducing our public health consulting and career coaching services. To support, contribute to, or be a part of our upcoming events or services, please get in touch: info@oxfordpublichealth.com.

If you wish to see your public health initiatives shared with a global audience in future issues of the Oxford Public Health magazine, please feel free to send your ideas to: info@oxfordpublichealth.com. Thank you for taking the time to read this magazine. I do hope you enjoy our interviews. Please do email your feedback and suggestions.

I am personally excited to focus this first issue of the magazine on one of the voices of public health… The Journalist.

I look forward to meeting each of you soon.

The very first seminar I attended ahead of beginning my public health training at the Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health was by David Ropeik at Journalist’s House in Nicosia, where he described the vital role journalists play in effective public health risk communication.

Dr Behrooz Behbod, MB ChB MSc ScD MFPH Founder & Director, Oxford Public Health Ltd

At the Harvard Center for Health Communication, I spent over two years collating articles for World Health News, witnessing the impact of the media in influencing the public’s knowledge and perception of health. Recently at the Oxford School of Public Health, I was fortunate to develop my media skills with two former BBC journalists, Tim Grout-Smith and Lily Poberezhska.

Interviews Dr. Richard Besser

ABC News

Eleanor Bradford

BBC Scotland

Dr. Seema Yasmin

CNN & The Dallas Morning News

Dr. Ayan Panja

BBC World News

Victoria Macdonald

Channel 4 News

Naomi Marks

Institute of Development Studies

Dr. Uy Hoang

Public Health Film Society

MPI Media Course - the Importance of Speaking in “Fluent Human” A study this summer by the Wellcome Trust found that most people who had heard of antibiotic resistance thought it meant that their bodies were resistant to antibiotics, rather than referring to bacteria. Simply changing “antibiotic resistance” to “drugresistant infections” really helped people to understand, and can be an important contribution to tackling the problem. It’s that sort of plain language that we at Media Players International also seek to encourage in our media training for junior doctors, specialty registrars, and other medical staff. We are ex-BBC journalists who have trained at 34 British universities, three deaneries and a number of Foundation Trusts, Clinical Commissioning Groups and former Primary Care Trusts. Our practical courses have been well-received everywhere, and we prepare individual interview scenarios for each participant (max 15) so that our on-camera exercises are as realistic as possible. And our small partnership keeps overheads low so that our prices are fiercely competitive. Contact us at mediapie@gmail.com and find out how we can help you get your messages out in the clearest, media-friendly way. Excellent mix of theory and practice, tailored to our training needs. Some really useful skills that have applicability beyond our exams and even beyond media interactions. Dr Ian Brown, Specialty Registrar Public Health, East of England Deanery

Really useful. I have done a few media training days and this was by far the best, many thanks. Professor Seif Shaheen, Clinical Professor of Respiratory Epidemiology Queen Mary, University of London Course Instructors, Tim & Lily

Dr. Richard Besser Dr. Richard Besser is ABC News' Chief Health and Medical Editor. A paediatrician and

infectious disease specialist, he walked the Ebola wards in Liberia on two trips in 2014, reporting from the center of the deadly epidemic, and continued to provide extensive coverage for months as cases were seen the United States. In 2011 Dr. Besser led ABC's global health coverage, "Be the Change: Save a Life," reporting on health issues vital to emerging nations from seven different countries. Dr. Besser came to ABC News after a long career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he served as acting director for the CDC from January to June 2009, during which time he led the CDC's response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic.

What are your top tips for public health professionals when asked to interview with a journalist?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stories resonate better than statisticsâ&#x20AC;?

When a journalist reaches out to you for a comment or an interview, you have an incredible opportunity. The general public will be hearing your message, not in the context of a public service advertising campaign, but as part of a news story. You have their attention in a very different way. To be successful, I've got some tips:

Credit: ABC News

Based on your audience surveys and experience, what does the general public want to read, hear or see in the media in relation to public health?

1. Think about why they want to interview you-- is it because of a health emergency? Is it for a feature? That should influence the tone and content of your response. 2. Remember that journalists are on a deadline. If you call back after they have already filed their story, you may have missed an opportunity to reach millions of people with free health messaging.

It's hard to generalize. Many surveys show the public doesn't really know what the term "public health" means. People are interested in common problems that they or their loved ones face or are likely to face-problems like dementia, diabetes, and cancer. They are also interested in rare problems that seem to strike out of nowhere-- problems like flesh-eating bacteria, parasites that enter through your nose, and Legionnaire's Disease. With a compelling narrative, almost any health problem can be made interesting.

3. Think about your audience. If you are being interviewed for a scientific publication, you can use language that is more technical than if you are being interviewed for a general publication or broadcast. For general media outlets, I recommend that you speak as if you were addressing a smart high school student. Try to think back to what vocabulary you used before you went into public health.

How about any scenarios that could have been handled better?

4. Stories resonate better than statistics. Yes, you want to explain why a problem matters, but using more than one statistic tends to be mind-numbing. Look for stories of people who illustrate the point you want to make.

I cringe whenever I hear a political or public health leader say "there is nothing to worry about," or "there is no need to panic." The last thing someone who is frightened or worried wants to hear is that their feelings are unjustified or irrational. It is not reassuring. Better to say, "I understand that some people are very worried and concerned. I want to let you know what we know and what you can do."

5. Don't be afraid of expressing emotion. If you're being interviewed about a finding from a study you've worked on for 5 years and you are excited about the results, show your excitement. If you are irate that the problem you are working on isn't improving, let the audience know why you're mad.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Too often communication with the media is viewed as an afterthought or an inconvenience. Given the important role the media has in delivering health messages to the public, with doing everything from helping direct behavior change to galvanizing support for an international health response, communication with the media is a critical public health function.â&#x20AC;? Credit: ABC News

What has been your most rewarding experience in communications?

I have the unique opportunity to practice public health in front of a camera. Each week I tell stories and bring health messages to tens of millions of people. As a scientist, I would love to have data to determine whether this approach to public health has any impact. I think it must, but I want to know for sure.

My most rewarding experience communicating as a public health leader was during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. At CDC, we implemented a very aggressive communications plan with a goal of building trust and empowering people to take steps to reduce the chances they would get sick. Polling that was done by Harvard School of Public Health suggests that we were quite successful early in the pandemic. People trusted what we were doing and increasingly knew steps to take to reduce risk flu and what to do if they got sick.

How can public health professionals gain more experience with media? See if your institution offers media training. When I was in academic medicine and when I worked at CDC I sought out those opportunities. Not everyone has a natural comfort with communication but everyone has the ability to get better. Practice really helps. Learn how to craft and deliver a message. Then, after every interview, look at the outcome. What quote did the reporter choose to use? Was it the one you wanted out there the most? If a reporter did a good job on a story, send a quick note of thanks. If you think they missed the boat, in a gentle manner let them know that as well. Sometimes there are follow up stories and you may be able to influence the direction of a future story. If you were misquoted, you can ask for a correction.

My most rewarding experience at ABC News was covering the Ebola epidemic in west Africa and the incredible fear of Ebola in the United States. I felt that my background as a disease detective and experience in risk communication helped me provide factual information to counter a lot of the misinformation that was circulating.

Why did you choose to specialise in health journalism rather than any other field of medicine or public health?

It is a good idea to develop relationships with journalists who you feel do a good job covering public health. There are some terrific science and health writers out there. Your time is well-spent getting to know them. They are the ones who understand that not every issue has two equally valid perspectives.

I practice pediatrics one half day each week and I still view myself as a public health practitioner.

Have you ever thought about sharing your knowledge and skills in Public Health with professional colleagues in low- and middleincome countries, and supporting them in their work? You can do this without leaving your home! And you would be surprised at how much you can learn by teaching others less well-off and it can be enjoyable.

The People’s Open Access Education Initiative (Peoples-uni) was established in 2007 as a UK-registered charity to help build Public Health capacity in low- and middle-income countries. We have an international faculty of volunteer Public Health academics and practitioners who teach some 17 modules – entirely online - every semester, covering both the foundations of Public Health and a number of Public Health problems facing populations in developing countries. We use high quality open access materials for our courses and deliver these via the Moodle platform. This approach allows modules to be developed and delivered at a very low cost. We offer awards up to a Masters in Public Health, which so far has been accredited by Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), and we are currently negotiating new methods for accreditation. So far over 90 students have graduated with an MPH, mostly from MMU, and some 1400 students have been on our courses overall, and student and External Examiner feedback is universally positive. Peoples-uni is the Public Health capacity building partner for the Health Education England’s Global Health Exchange (GHE), and is developing systems and processes that will support public health capacity building in both, low and middle income countries and the health and social care sector in England. Its aspirations are to:

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Embed public health in mainstream clinical practice - it is everybody’s business,

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Blur distinctions between overseas and local work - we are interconnected and have as much to give as to learn,

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Develop ‘new’ educational offers and providers who are more responsive, agile and affordable.

GHE and Peoples-uni have held discussions with the UK Faculty of Public Health and other relevant stakeholders working to promote global health and there is interest in collaboration. Courses for the GHE are hosted on the Peoples-uni Open Online Courses site. You can support their efforts in many ways and specifically by becoming a tutor for Peoples-uni; this will allow you to give back to the global community, apply your knowledge to problems elsewhere, support professionals in low- and middleincome countries to make a difference locally, and develop your own knowledge and awareness of global health issues. If you are interested in volunteering as a tutor (or dissertation supervisor) you can contact Judith Strobl (jstrobl@peoples-uni.org), or register your interest here http://courses.peoples-uni.org/course/tutor_registration.php. 7

The Global Health Network aims to accelerate and streamline research. It is an innovative digital platform facilitating collaboration and resource sharing in global health. The Global Health Network has a steering committee comprised of:  Trudie Lang (University of Oxford)  Kevin Marsh (KEMRI-Wellcome Programme, Kenya)  Rosanna Peeling (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)  David Lalloo (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine)  Tumani Corrah (MRC The Gambia)  Patricia J Garcia (Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia Peru)  Arthur Thomas (Oxford Internet Institute) Research Tools  Free, certified eLearning course  International regulatory information database  Site-Finder, a collaboration-finding tool for linking research sites and studies seeking sites  Professional Membership Scheme for tracking continued professional development  Process map to guide the set up of research studies Member areas Over 20 open-access, interlinked communities of practice containing:  Discussion groups and blogs  Up-to-date global health research news, events, and conference information  Grants and funding information from major global funders  ‘Ask an Expert’ and ‘Ask the Author’ panels  Information about scholarships and competitions from many sources  Guidance articles  Downloadable tools and resources Topics  Disease specific information portals, covering topics such as malaria, HIV and Influenza.

www.TheGlobalHealthNetwork.org 10

Eleanor Bradford

Award-winning journalist Eleanor Bradford has been BBC Scotland’s health correspondent since 2001. She regularly broadcasts on Scottish BBC television and radio programmes, and also reports on Scottish health issues for BBC Breakfast News, BBC radio, the News Channel, BBC Online and other BBC news programmes. She has been voted ‘Regional Medical Journalist of the Year’ twice by the Medical Journalists Association. When time allows, she speaks to medical professionals and scientists about the importance of engaging with the media. She was born in England, trained as a journalist in Wales and worked for the BBC in Devon and Cornwall before moving to Scotland in 1998.

What are your top tips for public health professionals when asked to interview with a journalist? I have to be careful here because I’m not allowed to offer media training. However people who speak honestly and just be themselves during an interview usually come across better in the media.

“It’s a dialogue, not a lecture” Do you have any examples of exceptional communication of public health messages?

Based on your audience surveys and experience, what does the general public want to read, hear or see in the media in relation to public health?

Nicola Sturgeon’s handling of the swine flu outbreak when she was Scotland’s health minister was an example of very effective communication. She held daily briefings alongside Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer (a man who had never been keen on speaking to the media but who nevertheless bit the bullet and was very good at it - providing sensible, measured information). When the situation was unclear, they said so. When there was medical jargon, they took time to explain it. When events changed, we were immediately told (even being called back into the media room a few minutes after a press conference had ended). We were getting so much good information, I was often ringing my colleagues in England and telling them what the situation was there before they had been updated by the English health authorities.

I think the profession doesn’t always appreciate just how fast they need to react when there’s an incident. People expect information instantly, and rolling news channels will demand it. Everyone wants to know what has happened, where, and what are the risks to them? It’s no good going off and having a conference with colleagues, then coming back hours (if not days) later with information which has been approved for release. There has already been a black hole on the airwaves, which will have been filled with rumour and speculation. Better to go on-air and say that you are still gathering information and the picture is unclear, than not to go on-air at all. Then come back as soon as you have information, and keep coming back with updates. It’s a dialogue, not a lecture.

Afterwards several organisations commented on how responsible the Scottish press had been in reporting the situation. Actually, a good media strategy had enabled us to be responsible. The facts were interesting and dramatic enough, and since we were being given plenty of them from official sources, we didn’t need to go to elsewhere.

Similarly, what don’t they want to see? Carefully prepared media statements hours or days after an event has occurred. I can’t tell you how many organisations send me a media statement at the end of the day, after we’ve been reporting an incident for hours. Presumably their PR expert had to speak to the public health expert who had to get the chief executive and the chairperson to approve it. They may as well not have bothered. It goes straight in the bin. We’ve moved on to other news. 11

“Help the media do their job, or they’ll question the job you’re doing.”

How about any scenarios that could have been handled better?

I learned several valuable lessons. Don’t jump to conclusions. Don’t report anything until you’ve established the facts yourself. And as a journalist you may be heading towards a situation most sensible people would avoid.

During the Commonwealth Games there was an outbreak of norovirus. The organisers of the games gave the press little or no information and – having spoken to some of the teams – it was clear some of the athletes didn’t know how to protect themselves either. The press was full of rumour and speculation – had this athlete or that athlete got it? Were the Games going to be cancelled? Local public health officials stepped into the breach with some information, but if games organisers had turned the media frenzy to their advantage, we could have got crucial hygiene messages out for them. Eventually Alex Salmond revealed that the norovirus originated from a ‘temporary facility’ in a security area. It was obvious he meant a portable toilet. That’s another pet hate - always call a spade a spade.

Why did you choose to specialise in health rather than any other field of journalism? Pot luck. I was a general journalist looking for a promotion. The health brief came up. Now I love it.

How can public health professionals gain more experience with media? Everyone should have at least one journalist they trust in their contacts book. There are hundreds of journalists out there, and just like any field, some are better than others. Some are nincompoops. Find a journalist you like and drop them a line.

As BBC health correspondent for the past 14 years, what has been your most valuable experience?

I heard a scientist give some good advice once. He said, “Journalists are perfectly nice people, but they’re not your friend.” Remember this is a business relationship. It can be (and often is) mutually beneficial, but must always be professional. We can help you get information out, but we are also there to scrutinise you.

Sometimes it’s the events which don’t get on air which are important. I walked into the newsroom one day (during the time when we were on alert for bird flu) and my Editor said, “How do you fancy a trip to Dundee?” Bird flu had been identified in a patient there. I set off immediately for Ninewells Hospital, where the patient was in isolation. A doctor met me at the front door and took me into the hospital. I was surprised I was getting such access. He took me to the isolation room. “Is this safe?” I asked him. “Safe?” he said. “The guy’s not got bird flu. He’s sitting up in bed drinking a Lemsip.”

What would be your advice to journalists covering health topics? Never stop learning…especially from mistakes.

Dr. Seema Yasmin

Dr. Seema Yasmin is a public health doctor, professor and journalist. She is a staff writer at The Dallas Morning News, a professor of public health at The University of Texas at Dallas and a Medical Analyst for CNN. Dr. Yasmin trained in medicine at the University of Cambridge in England and in journalism at the University of Toronto. She served as an officer in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where she investigated epidemics in maximum-security prisons, American Indian reservations and healthcare facilities. Her research interests focus on disparities in health and epidemic preparedness and response. Dr. Yasmin's work has appeared in peer-reviewed medical journals as well as the popular press including the Huffington Post and Scientific American.

“Ask the journalist questions!” What are your top tips for public health professionals when asked to interview with a journalist?

Do you have examples of exceptional communication of public health messages?

Ask the journalist questions! Don’t feel like you have to give an interview immediately. Instead, ask why they’re covering the topic and what they hope to learn from you and feel free to ask them their questions ahead of time. But do keep in mind they might be on a tight deadline! Once you have an idea of what the story is about, distill your message into a few key points. That’s especially important for TV interviews where you might have to tackle a complicated topic but may only have two minutes to get your point across.

During the Ebola situation in Dallas where the first ever imported case of Ebola was diagnosed here and spread to two nurses, the Dallas Morning News did a fantastic job of being on top of breaking news while adding depth to the coverage. The entire newsroom swung into action so that our political reporters were covering how officials were handling the situation and our investigative team was looking into whether the hospital was handling the situation appropriately. Our readers were informed from every angle. We even held a public meeting with local mayors, the county judge and the head of the local school district so that the public could hold accountable those in power.

Based on your audience surveys and experience, what does the general public want to read, hear or see in the media in relation to public health?

How about any scenarios that could have been handled better? There was fear-mongering aplenty and some outlets had a skewed focus on Dallas as opposed to balanced coverage that included the real crisis unfolding in West Africa.

People are interested in health and they are aware that there are threats to our public health such as antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic diseases and climate change. They want to be better informed about these topics by reliable, engaging sources who are not fear-mongering.

As a CNN and Dallas Morning News health correspondent, what has been your most valuable experience?

Similarly, what don’t they want to see?

The same way you learn a lot when you work a really busy shift in A&E and have to clerk a lot of patients, I learned a lot during the Ebola situation because it was intense and challenging. It was all hands on deck and I loved working with reporters from across the newsroom.

Probably not a story with a grabby headline that is about a study that included 11 participants and where the p value was 0.1 but sounds really important

Another valuable experience more recently was when I reported a story on illegal buttocks injections that are resulting in the deaths of women in the U.S. The crime reporter and I had to make a 12 hour road trip to Missouri and Illinois to spend the night in a strip club to interview the friends of a woman who had died from the injections. That was an interesting experience where we also had to file front-page stories every day while travelling and staying up all night.

There were so many experiences like that where I felt I could achieve more and help more by telling people’s stories. That’s why I went to journalism school to learn how to do just that. There’s immense power in storytelling and journalism. In fact one of the common themes in my public health classes at the University of Texas is how journalism has shed light on public health scandals and even stopped unethical studies such as the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male. That study went on for 40 years and a whistleblower went ignored by government officials twice - until they spoke to the press.

Why did you choose to specialise in health journalism rather than any other field of medicine or public health?

How can public health professionals gain more experience with media?

I love being a public health doctor and my time in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was all that I imagined it to be. But it opened me to experiences, places and people that I needed to share with the world. For example, I investigated an outbreak of flesh-eating bacteria on the Navajo Nation and on the first day realized that many people there lived without access to water. I worked on an outbreak of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in an area where there was abject poverty and kids roaming the street early in the morning. This was in the U.S!

Whichever agency you work for, whether it’s a hospital or a public health department, you have a public information officer. Get to know that person and ask them for advice. You want to be proactive about getting your stories out there and not just responding to press requests.

Dr. Ayan Panja

Dr. Ayan Panja followed his family tradition of becoming a doctor and is a GP partner in a NHS practice in St Albans. He began health broadcasting in 2006 when he was the expert presenter on BBC 1’s Street Doctors. More recently, Ayan has featured as a medical expert in Celebrity Quitters (FIVE), Squeamish (Discovery) and Bang Goes the Theory (BBC1). He also appeared as a GP panellist on Channel 4’s Health Freaks, where traditional home remedies were scientifically analysed by the doctors. He is currently the resident doctor on Health Check on BBC World News, presenting a monthly overview of global health stories. In 2005, Ayan’s first book was published, An Essential Medical Miscellany which is a collection of amusing medical titbits. Ayan has written features for various publications including The Guardian, The Huffington Post and Men’s Health.

“A good clinician needs to be able to communicate effectively … working in media is doing the same but to a bigger audience”

Why did you choose to specialise in health journalism rather than any other field of medicine or public health?

What are your top tips for public health professionals when asked to interview with a journalist?

A good clinician needs to be able to communicate effectively - whether it's using your house's heating system (pump, boiler and pipes) as an analogy for high blood pressure or discussing the risk of breast cancer on HRT, and working in media is doing the same but to a bigger audience.

Be honest, give a broad overview and avoid jargon.

Based on your audience surveys and experience, what does the general public want to read, hear or see in the media in relation to public health?

How can public health professionals gain more experience with media? Put yourself out there for comment on expert websites.

The public like clear messages as opposed to being bamboozled with lots of numbers, which can be difficult to deliver in our world of evidence based medicine. The public want the inside track wherever possible, to maintain and improve their health.

What would be your advice to journalists covering health topics? See my first answer!

Do you have examples of exceptional communication of public health messages? The Danish 6-a-day message for fruit and veg may seem inappropriate but compared the UK's five a day it's quite brilliant (see image to the right). Other successes would include Henry Cooper's flu jab campaign, Vinny Jones doing CPR for Heart UK. All of these revolve around a celebrity or humour. The public isn't being 'told' to do something, rather being softly encouraged or being given a demo.

How about any scenarios that could have been handled better? Edwina Currie and the salmonella / eggs affair. Eggs are still feared for this reason despite being vaccinated in the UK.

What has been your most valuable experience? Working on live TV almost every week for BBC World News discussing various topics which require a balance of information and reasonable discussion. The viewer often wants to know what I would do myself as a doctor in a given situation (e.g., stop using screens before bed time, wear an N98 mask if I lived in China during an avian flu outbreak etc...).

Made by Digital artist: Niklas Blangsted - www.creamwork.dk Client: Danish Agriculture & Food Council - www.agricultureandfood.dk

Victoria Macdonald

Victoria Macdonald is an award-winning journalist, who has been covering health and social care issues for Channel 4 News since 1999. She closely follows the changes and developments in the NHS and the care system from the scandal at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust to the wholesale reforms of the health service. Victoria also reports on medical developments, mental health issues as well as covering stories on how welfare reforms are affecting those with physical disabilities. And she closely watches developments in HIV/Aids and TB. Victoria is originally from New Zealand and worked for the Sunday Telegraph before joining Channel 4 News.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If a journalist asks for an interview, say yes. This is your opportunity to put public health into the public domainâ&#x20AC;?

Similarly, what don't they want to see?

What are your top tips for public health professionals when asked to interview with a journalist?

The stories that do not always get reported or, at least do not get the attention they deserve, are issues like housing, the role of local authorities in public health, the impact of poverty.

First and foremost, if a journalist asks for an interview, say yes. I would say that, of course. But this is your opportunity to put public health into the public domain. It is a subject that does not always get as much attention as it should but it needs public health professionals to speak out and speak up.

Do you have examples of exceptional communication of public health messages?

Keep the message relatively simple. Be clear in your mind what it is you want to say and do not be afraid to correct any misconceptions the journalist may have. Although we sometimes like to think we know everything, we don't always.

Smoking - the ban on smoking in public and the discussion around it. Already its impact has been felt on heart disease rates and there has been a fall in the number of people smoking. It was far more successful than just telling people not to smoke.

Based on your audience surveys and experience, what does the general public want to read, hear or see in the media in relation to public health?

How about any scenarios that could have been handled better? Vaccinations has been a tricky one, specifically MMR. The media was blamed for reporting that MMR caused autism but the Government at the time was, I believe, too bullish in its response and it meant that some parents believed they had something to hide. Sadly, the impact of that is still being felt now.

I have no audience surveys to draw on but it is clear that the public is interested in health stories overall and increasingly in some public health stories specifically. Obesity and smoking are two public health stories that have started to resonate and there seems to be an appetite (no pun intended) for these issues to be reported.

What has been your most valuable experience? My most valuable experience was watching the beginning of HIV and looking at the amazing response in countries like Australia and here. Enlightened politicians and fantastic campaigners meant that the message got out to the public and to at risk groups remarkable fast. Of course, there were still far too many deaths (still are) but given the scale of what was happening, those involved in the early campaigns are rightly proud. On the other side, of course, is the failure of some governments to deal with HIV. South Africa, for instance, did not act soon enough because its President and health minister believed the HIV does not cause AIDS brigade for too long. Russia is failing now to act on injecting drug users which is seeing the spread of HIV.

Why did you choose to specialise in health rather than any other field of journalism? I did not specifically choose to specialise in health but I was always interested in it and then I was offered the job as health correspondent at the Sunday Telegraph and it took off from there. Now, I would not want to do anything else. It is endlessly fascinating.

How can public health professionals gain more experience with media? The only way for public health professionals to gain more media experience is to offer themselves up as experts or spokespeople or to make contact with journalists and let them know what their areas of interest are. We all have lists of contacts who we call on when we need voices on certain stories.

What would be your advice to journalists covering health topics? Journalists covering health have a responsibility to get it right. Health affects all of us and our families and friends and it is too easy to terrify people with misinformation. HIV doesn't cause AIDS or MMR causes autism are too such examples. Do not be afraid to ring an expert and ask for help if you do not understand. Always query facts and figures. Just because they come from an official source does not necessarily mean they are right. Ask yourself, does this story matter? What will its impact be? Will it unnecessarily frighten your readers or viewers?

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We are inviting anyone with an interest or expertise in environmental public health tracking (EPHT) activities worldwide to join and contribute to INPHET’s global membership and to be included in our register of experts.

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If you wish to be included, please complete the online form available at the link below. It won’t take more than 5 21 minutes. https://surveys.phe.org.uk/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=8l0H9p41

Naomi Marks

After studying politics followed by journalism, Naomi was a journalist for more than 20 years, working for national newspapers, magazines and online outlets. She now works part-time at the Institute of Development Studies, UK, where she manages the communications for two international development research programmes about zoonoses (infections that can be transmitted between animals and humans), and works freelance as a journalist and communications consultant the remainder of her time.

TOP TIPS from the Communications Consultant 

Think through why the journalist wants to talk to you: Who is the journalist addressing and how is what you have to say is of interest or important or relevant to this audience/readership.

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Why is the journalist interviewing you now? Is there a particular news hook? – make sure you can address it, if so. Make sure you have any facts and figures to hand – and any claims you want to make you can back up. Take a prompt sheet if necessary..

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Think carefully through the main point/s you wish to make. Write it/them (no more than three, I’d suggest) down and hone them so they are one sentence long, clearly expressed and in plain, non-specialist language. If it’s a broadcasting interview practise these sentences.

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Leave out abstract concepts and instead put them into terms people can understand – i.e., in terms of what it means to people.

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If you don’t know the answer to a question say so!

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Offer the journalist your contact details and let them know it’s not a problem if they want to clarify anything with you or ask a supplementary after the interview.

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Don’t ask to see the piece pre-publishing/broadcast. The journalist will most likely say no and you risk souring the relationship. (Do offer them the above though.)

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Don’t go off the record. It means different things to different people and unless you know what/who you’re dealing with it’s best just to steer clear of it altogether.

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Relax. Journalists don’t (usually!) bite. They just want a story and, if you’ve thought it through properly beforehand, you have it for them (i.e., prepare prepare prepare).

Remember: no jargon at any point! (test your terms with a non-specialist friend beforehand to see if they understand what you’re talking about).

Dr. Uy Hoang

Uy is a post-doctoral researcher in public health at King's College London. He is the co-founder and current president of the Public Health Film Society (PHFS), a charity registered in the UK. He believes that films have the power to change people’s lives, and wants to see this power used to radically change the way people view their own health, the health of their society, and how the health of the world affects us all. The PHFS works to bring together people from many different backgrounds, to encourage them to share their knowledge, skills, and experience, and be inspired through the medium of film to understand public health, and work towards overcoming the public health challenges we all face. Uy began his public health career in the UK and subsequently studied in the US where he became interested in the use of film in public health. He attended the film festival organised by the American Public Health Association and was inspired by the integration of film into public health teaching and practice. Following his return to the UK, he set up the Oxford Public Health Film Club together with other public health students and trainees in Oxford to show films and promote local debate about public health issues.

www.publichealthfilms.org

The Public Health Film Society was subsequently established to further these aims at a national level and run the first ever UK nationwide public health film festival. Uy is also the chair of the Faculty of Public Health's Film Specialist Interest Group (SIG) and a public health advisor on number of films.

“Story-telling is an important skill that is often overlooked in public health. Trainees and students should always think about how they can put their message across as an interesting or intriguing story that will capture the hearts of their audience. This is key to any good film. ”

What does public health have to do with the film industry?

More recently mainstream films have covered public health topics very well, such as the two recent Oscar winners – Dallas Buyers Club and Still Alice. There have been some interest short public health films, but we are still yet to see how public health messages can be adapted to the very short film formats such as vine.

Film industry – is about entertaining and making money using film (i.e., its part of the entertainment industry). Film – and the moving image is a tool that could be used for a number of purposes, especially communication.

Have there been any unwanted consequences or bad examples of film getting the message wrong?

Public health – “the science and art of promoting and protecting health and well-being, preventing ill-health and prolonging life through the organised efforts of society”. An important task within public health is communication.

There are many examples of poorly made as well made films with public health messages. However there are many films that show examples of risky behaviours such as smoking, excess alcohol use and violence, although the evidence that these have negative health consequences is still debated.

The business of public health may have some overlaps with the aims of the film industry, these links are yet to be fully explored, but some interesting collaborations/ partnerships have arisen lately which make me think that there are genuine areas where public health and the film industry have common interests.

What is the film industry's general perspective of public health?

How can public health messages be communicated through film?

The film industry is always looking for new and interesting storylines, I don’t think that people working within the film and entertainment industries have a particular view on those working in public health. However it is the onus of public health practitioners to make a pitch for their stories. This comes back to the skill of story-telling which is something that is not seen as a core skill for practitioners.

Film and the moving image have been used to communicate public health messages in many ways, for example in the early days of film, local councils communicated public health messages through mobile cinema vans which together with the medical officers for health, brought public health messages into the local communities.

So what is the Public Health Film Society and what's its history?

The real game changer is the advancement of technology. Easier ways to make and distribute film means that it is easier than ever to use film to share and communicate with others. Film and the moving image could be a more powerful tool than ever to promote and protect health and well-being.

The PHFS was formed when members of the Oxford Public Health Film Club wanted to share their interests with a larger audience and wanted to establish a vehicle to host the first UK national public health film festival. The PHFS works to bring together people from many different backgrounds, to encourage them to share their knowledge, skills, and experience, and be inspired through the medium of film to understand public health, and work towards overcoming the public health challenges we all face. The PHFS has been officially registered as a charity in the UK for the past year.

Ethical issues around using film to promote public health are still being explored. A more systematic and comprehensive evaluation of the ethical issues is still yet to be undertaken. Oxford is in a unique position to undertake such work with a concentration of medical ethicists and developing interest in public health films.

Who can join your society?

Can you please give a few examples of great ways in which film was used as a medium to convey public health stories and messages?

PHFS is open to anyone and it is free to join.

How can they benefit from being a member? What types of events and activities do you offer?

There are some great examples of public health films from the 80s AIDS epidemic which really had an impact on raising public awareness/ consciousness of the threat of HIV/AIDS. Also at the same time there were some excellent news footage was shot of the protests for access to HIV/ AIDS medications, a lot of this footage have subsequently been woven into feature films such as How to Survive a Plague.

Benefits of being a member are that you get access to a free newsletter and a network of local branches and chance to get involved in film projects and meet people working within the film industry. We are looking into creating a film archive and artistic residency which will be open to members.

How can public health students, trainees and professionals get involved in film? Join the PHFS, find out about short courses of film making which could be a way into the film industry.

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