Letters to the Media

"Within five days of mailing out the letters, I was approached by Disney Radio in New York City and this facilitated a one-hour radio interview regarding common pediatric ear, nose, and throat problems, including tonsillitis, ear infections, and sleep apnea, as well as a variety of other topics."

Gavin Setzen, MD
Albany, NY

Contact your local medical/healthcare reporters to educate your community about the treatment and diagnosis of ear, nose, and throat disorders in children. Building an ongoing relationship with your local reporters is essential. 

Introduce yourself and explain your qualifications as an expert in your field. (Below are several sample letters that you can customize and send to local reporters.)

Reporters often work on deadline; include contact information where you can be reached on short notice.

You may need to educate the reporter about the specialty. Provide our leaflet "What is an otolaryngologist?" Order "What is an otolaryngologist?" leaflets

Don't forget to follow-up at a later date.

Building a relationship with reporters takes time -- do not be discouraged if immediate interest is not received.

This is an example of a letter you could send to a newspaper medical/healthcare reporter. The recipient of this letter, Ms. Szabo, is the actual beat reporter for the Virginian Pilot.

January 2, 2007

Ms. Liz Szabo
Medical/Health Reporter
The Virginian Pilot
150 W. Brambleton Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23510

Dear Ms. Szabo,

I am an otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon (ear, nose, and throat specialist) practicing at the [insert name of your institution or practice]. I am also a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

Our organization is dedicated to ensuring that [insert the name of your local area] residents have access to specialty care for the diagnosis and treatment of the wide range of disorders affecting the ear, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. To that end, our mission includes educating patients about sinusitis, allergies, ear infections, obstructive sleep apnea, hearing loss, and throat disorders. We provide self care tips and advice on when a specialist's care is recommended.

We believe that the media, particularly newspapers, provide an invaluable resource in educating the public about these disorders. That is why I am informing you that for the last five years, the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery has sponsored “Kids E.N.T. Health,” a public education program focusing on the proper care, diagnosis, and treatment of ear, nose, and throat disorders that affect children. More information is available on the Kids E. N. T. Health website: www.entnet.org/KidsENT.

If you plan on writing a news article regarding Kids E. N. T. Health or another ear, nose, or throat disorder, I can assist you by answering questions, arranging interviews with patients, and providing a clinical environment for photographs.

I have enclosed a leaflet, “What is an otolaryngologist?” which explains my specialty. If you would like to discuss how we can cooperate on news coverage of how ear, nose, and throat disorders affect children, please contact me at [insert office number and email].

Sincerely,

John Smith, MD Both radio and television have shows that address a wide range of topics, some with a focus on medical issues. For example, this letter might be written to the show’s producer of an AM radio show broadcast out of Bethlehem, PA.

January 2, 2007

Ms. Francine Tax
Producer
Parenting Matters
528 N New Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018

Dear Ms. Tax,

I am an otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon (ear, nose, and throat specialist) practicing at the [insert name of your institution or practice]. I am also a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

Our organization is dedicated to ensuring that [insert name of your local area] residents have access to specialty care for the diagnosis and treatment of the wide range of disorders affecting the ear, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. To that end, our mission includes educating patients about sinusitis, allergies, ear infections, obstructive sleep apnea, hearing loss, and throat disorders.

I note that your radio talk and call-in show, “Parenting Matters,” [or insert name of your local television or radio talk show] addresses a wide range of issues important to parents including childcare, education, and medicine. I would like to alert you of a public education campaign, “Kids E.N.T. Health,” sponsored for the last five years by the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. This campaign seeks to inform the public that the ear, nose, and throat disorders are among the most common that strike children and can, if untreated, lead to long-term damage to the child. More information is available on the Kids E. N. T. Health website: www.entnet.org/KidsENT.

If you wish to discuss the campaign and the treatment of ear, nose, and throat disorders in children, I can appear on your program to discuss some of the more serious disorders affecting children and the accepted treatments. I would also be willing to take questions from your listening audience.

I believe that a discussion of children’s health in respect to their ear, nose, and throat would be of great interest to the parents who tune into your program. If I can provide you assistance, please contact me at [insert phone number and email].

Sincerely,

John Smith, MD

This is an example of the letter you would send to a medical/healthcare reporter or executive producer. The recipient of this letter, Mr. Quinn, is the actual producer of medical stories for the NBC television affiliate in St. Louis, MO.

January 2, 2007

Mr. Kay Quinn
Medical/Health Executive Producer
KSDK-TV
1000 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63101-2060

Dear Mr. Quinn,

I am an otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon (ear, nose, and throat specialist), practicing at [insert name of institution or practice] in [insert city]. I am also a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

Our organization is dedicated to ensuring that [insert name of your local area] residents have access to specialty care for the diagnosis and treatment of the wide range of disorders affecting the ear, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. To that end, our mission includes educating patients about sinusitis, allergies, ear infections, obstructive sleep apnea, hearing loss, and throat disorders. We provide self care tips and advise on when a physician’s care is recommended.

We believe that the media is an invaluable resource in educating the public about these disorders. That is why I am informing you that the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery is sponsoring “Kids E.N.T. Health,” a public education program focusing on pediatric sinusitis, ear infections, and tonsillitis. I would be more than pleased to assist you in news coverage for this event. 

Should you be interested in producing a news segment about how ear, nose, or throat disorders can affect children, I am prepared to answer questions, appear on camera, arrange interviews with patients, and provide a clinical environment for a backdrop. More information is available on the Kids E. N. T. Health website: www.entnet.org/KidsENT.

I have enclosed a leaflet, “What is an otolaryngologist?” which explains my specialty. If you would like to discuss how we can cooperate on news coverage of ear, nose, and throat disorders, please contact me at [insert phone number and email].

Sincerely,

John Smith, MD

For the most part, all-news radio stations do not have a permanently assigned medical/healthcare reporter. Therefore, contact should be made with the radio news director. The recipient of this letter, Mr. Steve Sullivan, is news director for WLAC-AM, an all news and talk radio station in Nashville, TN.

January 2, 2007

Mr. Steve Sullivan
News Director
WLAC-AM
55 Music Square West
Nashville, TN 37203

Dear Mr. Sullivan,

I am an otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon (ear, nose, and throat specialist) practicing at the [insert name of your institution or practice]. I am also a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

Our organization is dedicated to ensuring that [insert name of local area] residents have access to specialty care for the diagnosis and treatment of the wide range of disorders affecting the ear, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. To that end, our mission includes educating patients about sinusitis, allergies, ear infections, obstructive sleep apnea, hearing loss, and throat disorders.

We believe that the media, particularly radio, provides an invaluable resource in educating the public about these disorders. That is why I am informing you that the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery is sponsoring “Kids E.N.T. Health,” a public education program focusing on pediatric sinusitis, ear infections, and tonsillitis. (More information is available on the Kids E. N. T. Health website: www.entnet.org/KidsENT.) I will be more than pleased to assist you in news coverage for this event.

I have enclosed a leaflet, “What is an otolaryngologist?” which explains my specialty. If you would like to discuss how we can cooperate on news coverage of ear, nose, and throat disorders, please contact me at [insert phone number and email].

Sincerely,

John Smith, MD