Communication expert takes messaging into her own hands: A new health magazine accentuates the positive
Aug 15th, 2006 | By Jennifer Thornhill | Category: Health
Daily newspapers and other news media are main sources of health information for the general public. Intended as a forum for opinion and debate, the news media play an important role in determining not only what health issues make it on the public and political agenda, but how the public perceives these issues.
Communications professional Susan Bonnell knows all about health news reporting. As the Director, Corporate Communications, of Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest integrated health network, Eastern Health, Bonnell spends much of her time writing press releases and fielding media inquiries. However, she says the news media often do not pick up her main news messages: “We have looked at some of the newspaper reporting and we’ve seen that our key messages are just not getting out there.”
Eastern Health is a network of more than 80 hospitals, health care centres, long-term care facilities, and community care sites. This network regularly serves the largest portion of the province’s residents—nearly 300,000 people—and provides high-level services to all residents. Bonnell says getting health news to the population the network serves is crucial. In an effort to get positive health messaging to the public, Bonnell spearheaded the launch of Our Health, Eastern Health’s first health and wellness magazine.
“The idea of a magazine for health care organizations is not original,” says Bonnell. In fact, Bonnell pitched the idea for Our Health after attending a healthcare conference in Alberta, where she saw a copy of the Calgary Health Region’s Apple magazine. She says: “I was so impressed by [Apple] magazine. It addressed a variety of issues and it was a positive way of getting the stories out there.”
Eastern Health published its inaugural edition of its quarterly publication this past February. Since then, the health authority has published a second, spring edition and is already working on two more editions for the fall. The magazine is thematic: the first edition focuses on kidney care; the second on personal safety; the third on cancer care; and the fourth and final issue for 2006 on youth health.
In the first issue of Our Health, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Health, George Tilley, introduces the publication’s content: “These are our stories, our neighbours, our communities, and our health care services.”
According to the World Health Organization’s definition of health, health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” With regular features on active living, mental health, nutrition, parenting and spirit, Our Health aims to deliver more than a message.
“It’s more than a [public relations] push,” Bonnell says, “The magazine draws the connection between the organization, the services we offer and the link to other aspects of health. There is a link. We hope the magazine is a tool to help people live healthy lives.”
The terms of reference for the magazine’s editorial board recognize the need for such a health tool: “Each day, people are bombarded by health messages, many of which are not relevant to a rural Newfoundland audience. Our Health will provide practical and useful health information that is relevant locally and that showcases not only the services but the people of the region.”
Without a medium such as Our Health, stories about raising children, being active, and music therapy may not have a permanent presence in the news media. Bonnell says that when Eastern Health launched the magazine, her office made a conscious decision not to make the occasion a press event. “The media won’t pick this up,” she says. “It’s not news. Talking about how you can keyboard comfortably is not going to run in The Telegram [the local daily newspaper].”
At the same time, Bonnell acknowledges the public takes news media messaging seriously. In fact, Bonnell says she felt it was important that her magazine’s contributors extend beyond persons from within Eastern Health to local journalists: “I thought it was important to invite journalists from the community, to invite writers that people are familiar with and have credibility.”
Eastern Health has distributed 50,000 copies of each of Our Health’s first two issues to the public. Distribution takes place mainly through staff, but also through local doctors, pharmacists, and gym owners. The upcoming youth edition of the magazine is also anticipated to be distributed throughout the local school system. Our Health pays for itself through the advertising of local businesses and community sponsors.
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