Northeast CAPT Broadcasts Media Strategies to Record Number over Satellite

Thousands of substance abuse prevention practitioners tuned in via satellite last month for a broadcast organized by HHD’s Northeast Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT) on communicating prevention through the media.

"So many prevention programs have had bad media experiences or haven't been able to use the media as a vehicle -- they realize that this is a do-or-die issue," said Deborah McLean Leow, associate director of the Northeast CAPT. “Media is so important because it’s a primary mechanism to get prevention messages out to key audiences – including parents,” she said.

The media tends to cover only the negative messages surrounding substance abuse, McLean Leow said. “We have to make sure as a community that the positive messages get out and get covered.”

Viewers of the satellite broadcast had the opportunity to download handouts from the Northeast CAPT web site related to the hour-long production and were able to call in, fax or email questions for the panelists to answer on air.

The interactive event, entitled "Getting Media Attention for Prevention Efforts," was produced as part of Northeast CAPT's Virtual Learning Series. It attracted the Center's largest audience yet -- more than 4,400 live viewers tuned into the satellite broadcast, and an additional 13,500 viewers watched the videotape delay.

McLean Leow said some of the sites that registered to watch the broadcast included the Vancouver Police Department, the Wyoming Department of Health, the City of Tulsa Fire Department, and Texas A&M University. There were 588 primary satellite sites across all 50 states, one site in Puerto Rico, and two in the Virgin Islands. Twenty Cable Access stations also registered to carry this program one or more times to 1.8 million households.

The Virtual Learning Series is supported through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. There is no charge for participation, but pre-registration is required.

The broadcast, which featured three experts in the areas of communication, substance abuse, and the media, provided strategies for publicizing and disseminating information about prevention efforts in various formats. The panel included HHD Communications Director Diane Barry, who spoke about the need for coalitions and prevention agencies to develop a simple communications strategy to clarify their communication goals and guide their efforts. Other panelists included journalist Tiffani Sherman and Nora Drexler, President and CEO of Coalition Pathways, Inc.

In addition, viewers learned:

• How to select appropriate uses of different media
• Ways to reach a target audience through use of media
• Tips for constructing publishable stories
• How to build relationships with media representatives

"This idea emerged in response to a needs assessment that the Northeast CAPT conducted with state and local substance abuse leaders," said McLean Leow. “It was no surprise at all that this was such an important issue,” she said.

Northeast CAPT has invested significant resources over the past several years to develop its capacity to disseminate important prevention information using different technologies. Its Virtual Learning Series uses audio and video conferences to link various audiences throughout its region so they can discuss key issues, assess state and local needs, and better link to the region’s prevention professionals. The Center also uses satellite broadcast technology to pull together interactive programs that provide participants with technical assistance on cutting-edge issues from national experts and researchers. These experts discuss topics of interest in a talk-show style format.

Previous topics have included a February audio conferences on “Campus and Communities Working Together: Developing Effective Prevention Programs for 18- to 25-year-old population” and a March audio conference on “Engaging Youth in Substance Abuse Prevention.” An audio conference on “Working with the Media” preceded the satellite broadcast in May.

The next Virtual Series event is an audio conference entitled "Cultural and Ethnic Adaptations to Model Programs" and slated for September. A satellite broadcast on the same topic is scheduled for October. Prevention professionals can learn more about this topic and register at http://www.northeastcapt.org/services/technology/
virtual_learning/virtual_learning_services.html.

July 2004