During news events big and small, journalists often reach out directly to staff with interview requests. Here’s a quick refresher on what to do if you are contacted by a reporter or if you wish to proactively reach out to a media organization.

I have something I want to tell the media. What should I do?

If you have a unique patient story, an innovative new procedure or a research breakthrough, the Media Relations team is available to assist in ensuring that your message is shared as widely as possible. Before reaching out to a member of the media, contact the Media Relations team. With an extensive list of local, national and international media contacts, the team will prepare a plan for sharing your news with media outlets that will most effectively communicate your message to the right audience.

What if a member of the media reaches out to me directly?

If a reporter reaches out to you directly, ask them to be in touch with the Communication & Public Affairs Office. A member of the Media Relations team will follow up with the reporter to learn more about his or her story, deadline and the angle of the story. The team will also create a list of questions you may be asked, help you prepare key messages and research the reporter and outlet to ensure that you understand the audience that the outlet targets and that the interview is worth participating in.

A member of the Media Relations team can be reached 24/7. Call 617-525-6370 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. After hours, on weekends and holidays, call 617-732-6660 and ask to page the Public Affairs person on call at Pager #13160.

In what other ways can the Media Relations team help?

The team is responsible for protecting patient privacy whenever a member of the media interacts with a patient. The team ensures patients are approached with media opportunities in a thoughtful way and obtains proper patient consent. Additionally, any member of the media that is visiting campus is escorted by a member of the Media Relations team.

When multiple members of the hospital community are interacting with the media, the team ensures coordination to avoid confusion when there are dissenting opinions, and it provides up-to-date institutional messages.

While the goal of the Media Relations team is to share positive media coverage of BWH, it also has extensive experience managing crisis communication.