• The media - newspapers, magazines, radio and television news - gives you an opportunity to spread your message widely to the community.
• Good news stories are great for ISLHD's reputation

Local journalists are aware of the process to approach the ISLHD Media and Communications Unit with their enquiries.

• The Unit will assess how to respond to the enquiry
• Where a bad news story cannot be averted, the Unit ensures the journalist is issued with the correct information
• Where there is a public health or good news story, the Unit ensures that information supplied to the journalist maximises the opportunities for a positive and effective story, which enhances the reputation of the District.
• Sometimes they will approach the appropriate subject-matter-experts for the answers to the enquiries, and your assistance is appreciated
• The responses are passed through appropriate ISLHD management, the Ministry and the appropriate Minister's office
• Once approved, they are sent to the journalist.

If you receive a call directly from a journalist

DO NOT:

• Do not answer their questions
  There is no such thing as a "friendly chat" or an "off-the-record" interview. Your answers could be used in a media article and distributed to thousands of people, and this could breach NSW Health and NSW Government policies.
• Do not say "No comment"
  You could be quoted as a spokesperson for the District that "refused to comment"

DO:

• Say "Let me put you in contact with someone who can help you with that."
• Transfer the call through to the reception of the facility you are working in and say "This is a media call for the Media Team"
  The call will be transferred to the 24/7 media on-call number. This is manned by a member of the Media & Communications Unit, who will assist the journalist.
• If you can, please assist the member of the Media & Communications Unit if they contact you for information about the journalist's enquiry
  The team are not clinical subject-matter-experts, as you are. They are mandated to respond to all journalist's enquiries, so your assistance is valuable and appreciated.

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