By Sue Masaracchia-Roberts

With more newsrooms using generalists to cover a broad range of topics, Chicago still maintains a core of professionals dedicated to reporting on healthcare. The March meeting of the Publicity Club of Chicago showcased some of these professionals, including Katharin Czink from WGN-TV, Bob Ray from WMAQ-TV, and Kaarin Tisue from the Chicago Tribune.

Allison Scherer, communications director for the American Academy of Dermatology, served as panel moderator, and focused the discussion on the best strategies PR professionals can undertake to generate newsworthy health stories.

Bob Ray, WMAQ-TV Health Unit Producer

For nearly 20 years, Ray has served as health producer at Chicago’s Channel 5. During that time, has worked with a variety of reporters, including Dr. Barry Kaufman, Joan Esposito, Marion Brooks and, most recently, Nesita Kwan.

To be of interest to Ray, stories must contain a “local angle, be timely, convince us they are great ideas, and have an emotional connection. It’s best if you can supply patients who can tell the story, especially if there is a ‘gee whiz’ surprise or shock aspect to ensure people will listen.” He prefers finding out about trends rather than merely traditional medical stories.

Despite the bias toward positive outcomes, not all stories are positive. Ray wants to tell the public about what does not work, as well as what does — like when they reported the FDA warning about ibuprofen, or stories on colonics, “which doctors showed really did nothing beneficial for patients.”

Ray also wants to know what will be a trend. “We do what’s been around a while, with statistics or a new angle attached to it.” He likes to work with someone “who’s delivered the goods in the past. I have no time to socialize — and I have my own circle of friends. I like to work with someone who’s helped us, who’s shown I can trust them,” like most of the PR people in the medical centers in town.

“Know the story, not just the pitch,” he advised. Be prepared to know statistics, “why it is important for us to cover the story.” Supply the expert physicians and patients who can relate the problems. “Make sure you can cross all the Ts and dot all the Is; then I’ll do business with you.”

VNRs are not used at WMAQ, nor are sound bites. They seldom use satellite feeds, as they lack the closeness the station likes to provide. B-roll also is seldom used, due to a perception that the production quality is lacking. Celebrities do not influence the station either.

“We tend to shy away from things that smell of commercialism,” he said. “In fact, sometimes we’ll do a story without using a product name.”

“When we contract with a hospital and/or doctor to do a story, we tell them we want to be the first — to tell the story before the other stations do it,” said Ray. Most of the time, he explained, when something is done in Chicago for the first time, there is a press conference to discuss it.

Regarding surveys and polls, it depends on who is doing it. If it is a trend story, it could be a good leaping off point to become a feature.

Ray is not a fan of e-mail, and prefers to receive ideas via hard copy. “I like some paper to scribble on,” he said. However, he did provide an e-mail address: bob.ray@nbcuni.com.

Katharin Czink, WGN-TV Medical Watch Producer

As producer of WGN-TV’s “Medical Watch” segment for more than five years, Czink has focused on innovative technologies, cutting-edge therapies, the latest surgical procedures and promising medicines. Chicago-area experts, including physicians, scientists and other healthcare professionals and patients, are frequently spotlighted.

A perfect fit for this position, Czink came from the Radiological Society of North America and from serving as a medical writer and editorial team member at the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch.

Like most producers, Czink is overwhelmed by press releases, faxes and pitches. She loves and welcomes human-interest stories with high emotion and a local angle. As an example of a compelling story, she spoke of a double lung transplant, where doctors had to fly to the East Coast to secure new organs during a freak storm and power outage. The patient was running out of time and the lung would only be viable for a certain period of time. After obtaining the lung, they had to fly back to Chicago during a blizzard.

She also likes “good, old-fashioned solid news you can use.” When Cardinal George had bladder cancer, they used that event to explain what bladder cancer means, what the surgery is like and what the after-effects could be.

As she is often working on that night’s show from the moment she arrives at work, she tends to call on people who have come through in the past for resources and information. “If you come through, I’ll call you first time and again. I need you to understand the visuals, along with the experts and patients we need to round out the story. That assistance is invaluable.”

As for exclusives, she said they used to hold a hard line about covering stories first; however, that policy has softened. “We would like to be first, but if by covering a story we are helping more people, we will consider doing it.”

Surveys can provide ideas for stories they may cover later with an appropriate angle. The integrity of the study or survey is dependent on the way the study is built, the number of respondents and the integrity of the study.

WGN-TV prefers to shoot their own footage and use localized stories. “Mayo Clinic or Duke may pick up a great medical story, but we need to find a health professional here to localize it.” WGN does not like to use B-roll or satellite feed.

She prefers to receive something to read prior to getting pitched by phone. E-mail or fax her, providing her with “a heads up so I can prepare and give the idea some thought,” she said. She can be reached at kczink@tribune.com.

Kaarin Tisue, Chicago Tribune Associate Editor for Metropolitan News

Having joined the Chicago Tribune as an associate editor for Tempo, Tisue served as a science editor for seven years before assuming the responsibility of managing the seven science reporters on staff two years ago. Among the areas these reporters cover are healthcare, medical research, the environment, astronomy, physics, religion, and the city’s science museums and zoos. The stories appear on newspaper front pages, as well as in local sections, in addition to in sections like Business, Features, Tempo and Q. As a result, she prefers having a balance in the stories she runs.

“There is a lot of noise out there,” said Tisue. She likes to work with people who “can pick out the trends to bring a story to the front page rather than whiplash readers around. I want stories with staying power that affect people’s lives.”

She is even interested in stories that affect even a few people, especially those that are compelling; those that show people making changes in their lives.

“I rely on the expertise of reporters,” said Tisue, advising PR professionals to “make relationships with them, not me. They are the experts on the subjects we cover. Each has specialties and are more sympathetic,” like Judy Perez, who deals with cancer, and Jeremy Manier who covers HIV.

“Weigh in on SARS, the bird flu, etc., to help us tell you what you need to know. We have a responsibility to do that,” she added, “to report on the big news and trends.”

As far as exclusives, she explained that when studies come out locally, they may accept an exclusive depending on the merit of the story. If the story is a good one, “We are glad to have the story period. However, we don’t like it when others get exclusives.”

Many reporters may develop close press relationships. Tisue advises PR professionals to “show a general understanding of and fit into what we do. Than you can become friends with reporters. Understand the Tribune and have something that fits, then I’ll work with you.”

As for surveys, they can act as tip sheets but normally are not stories by themselves. However, given a complete package, she is more likely to jump on a story.

“Newspapers are in the hardest situation due to the time frames when stories are embargoed. We want to be the first on feature stories or we’ll seem stale.”

Since Tisue saves e-mails to read when she has the time that is the best way to reach her. If she likes a story pitch, she “may shovel it directly to a reporter if I like the story.” Contact her at ktisue@tribune.com.

Post to: del.icio.us | | Posted by Maria Perez on Tuesday, March 27th, 2007 at 2:08 pm.