Public Education Handbook
Practical Advice on Working with the Media
The College press office receives a huge number of enquiries
from the media every week. These can range from a women’s magazine
wanting to speak to ‘an expert’ about postnatal depression, to a
radio station looking for an immediate response to a new study or
report.
To help us respond to these queries, we have built up a
database of over 100 psychiatrists who are willing to speak to the
press. But we are always looking for more.
Being a good media psychiatrist isn’t
something you’re born with – anyone can do it if they learn the
right skills. Speaking to journalists can seem daunting, but there
are many techniques you can use to try to ensure the interview goes
the way you want it to. The Public Education Handbook
provides lots of useful advice, but there really is no
substitute for practice. The more interviews you do, the more
confident you will become.
People wanting to practice their interview
skills in a non-threatening environment can take advantage of the
free media training sessions which run each year during the RCPsych
International Congress. Here, you will have the opportunity to be
interviewed by real journalists, or psychiatrists with years of
experience of working with the media, and and perfect the art of
defusing the killer question.
For more information about media training, or
for general advice on handling the media, don’t hesitate to contact
the Communications Department:
Liz Leicester, Media &
Communications Manager - 020 7235 2351 ext.6298 or
eleicester@rcpsych.ac.uk
Deborah Hart, Director of Communciations & Policy
- 020 7235 2351 ext.6127 or dhart@rcpsych.ac.uk