Building Credibility

In the big, fast-moving world of health care communications, there’s such a flood of news and information that it can seem almost impossible to make your client’s voice stand out above the noise of the crowd. But it’s more important than ever to try to find ways for their voice to be heard, which is […]

One of the worst sins when I was in journalism school was to write a “wooden lead.” The grizzled—or should I say seasoned—editors who taught newswriting and editing at the University of Oklahoma would scowl at empty words at the top of a news story, crossing out one, two or even three dull opening paragraphs, […]

You are reading through your morning news when a story piques your interest about how to tell whether respiratory symptoms signal COVID-19 or the flu or RSV. You begin to read the article in more detail and notice that a physician from another health system is quoted as the main expert in the article. You […]

This article also appeared in Bulldog Reporter. Everyone needs an editor. In our world of public relations, everyone is a writer and an editor at some point. Here are some tips for being a better editor, whether you are reviewing the work of a colleague or giving your own first draft one last look: Read […]

This article previously appeared in Bulldog Reporter. Promoting the thought-leadership profile of our clients is a hallmark capability of The Reis Group and something that we do for our health care clients regularly. As the pandemic continues to threaten the health and economy of our nation, and social injustice issues still occupy center stage, it’s […]

A popular theory of evolution serves as a good analogy for approaches to media pitching, whether we are promoting scientific research or increasing awareness of a health issue. In biology, organisms are classified according to the evolutionary “strategies” they use for reproduction and long-term survival of the species. Humans and elephants are known as “K-selected” […]

Our high-speed, media-saturated digital world sometimes feels like a dense, dark jungle with huge shadowy trees and thick tangled vines that block out most of the sunlight and leave us in darkness. Our job in health care public relations is to shine a light to cut through this darkness on behalf of our clients and […]

The primary goal in much of our work is to get our clients’ stories out there to the general public in a way that explains and promotes their best efforts. I worked in the media for 40 years, including 33 years at The Washington Post, and over the course of my reporting and editing career […]

It’s easy to see why some communications professionals dread the task of pitching ideas to the media. Reporters can be brusk and impatient and often ignore emails, especially when they’re caught on deadline or being pressed to cover a story that’s clearly not in their wheelhouse. The PR pros who love pitching have a secret: […]

The best campaigns achieve the farthest reach and highest impact, but only if strategic communication professionals have a solid understanding of social media, and also know how to best employ it. As communicators and storytellers, we’ve learned how to do this pretty well and have gathered some key tips to increase awareness or position your […]