Making Today ’s Media Environment Work for the Professions—and You

Most ASHA members would like to see communication sciences and disorders (CSD) professions featured in the news. Some have taken this desire a step further and have reached out to the media (print or on-air) in their communities to discuss topics they care deeply about. Others want to do so, but don’t know where to start or what resonates with reporters. So what are reporters interested in hearing about? “Old school” still works: government statistics on communication disorders, new research findings, an awareness month or week—to name a few examples. In past columns, I provided advice on how to take these popular national news hooks and adapt them to local communities. But as news is increasingly delivered online—and reporters seek to have their stories shared more broadly in this way—there are also new opportunities outside of the traditional mold, often via a human-interest route. Here are CSD-related stories creating buzz in today’s media environment: Viral phenomenon. How something “goes viral” is anybody’s guess. Many online debates garnering the most reaction launched with the most ordinary of origins. File “The Dress” debate of 2015 in that category, which began as a disagreement between mother and daughter over the color of wedding attire. More recently, and directly relevant to the professions, was The Dress 2.0: “Yanny vs. Laurel,” which originated from an audio clip posted online by a high school student in Georgia. Leader Live provided...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Advocacy Audiology Private Practice Slider Speech-Language Pathology Professional Development Source Type: blogs