I agree with Terry's suggestions. We shared our results about three years
ago at a public board meeting, when I was innocent and naive about the
media. (and some board members).
*Make sure you highlight the positives. Try to keep it fairly simple. Too
much info gives everyone too much room for
misunderstanding/misinterpretation.
*Have your less desirable statistics compared to national, as well as local
high schools to show trends in students' use. (i.e. we have been
"inheriting" abuse patterns that started before college.) You provide the
comparisons...don't rely on the media folks to use anything relative or
comparable to your population. And be careful about how you present numbers
and %. For instance, we stated that 39% had tried marijuana in the last
year, which includes even one time. The newspaper's headline said "39% of
students smoke marijuana." This was a real distortion of who had tried it
compared to those who used more often.
* Be able to account in some way for how/where your programming is
effective. This is very important if you are confronted with something
like I was: "So if the numbers aren't going down, why do we even have this
program?" (bottom line money issue.) Know your strengths!!
*Try to avoid drawing conclusions about numbers based on your own
speculations. We know a lot about our students and why we "think" they are
using various substances, but this is not measured in the survey and could
make it sound like you are making excuses. Show the reliable data and
correlations with other schools and surveys.
* Conclude your results with your plans/goals/initiatives for the future
and how you will evaluate the effectiveness, other than with the Core.
Best of luck Rebecca! You're preparing yourself well by getting others'
input on this potentially "slippery slope"!
Sam
At 09:42 AM 1/27/00 -0600, you wrote:
>Hi Rebecca,
>
>Since the death of our students here at the University of Central
Arkansas, the
>newspapers were very interested in our CORE data.
>
>My advice:
>
>1. Anytime a reporter or lawyer calls you and asks if they can "ask you a
few
>questions" get a name and number and ask if you can call them back. This
will
>give you time to talk with your supervisor, get your head together, and be
in a
>better position to give thoughtful answers.
>
>2. When discussing CORE data, request that the reporter state the use levels
>in context with national data. Specifically request that they do not
>sensationalize one small aspect of the data. A letter stating this would be
>better.
>
>3. Buy ad space and present the data exactly how you wish it to appear.
Don't
>rely on reporters (especially student reporters) to translate your data in a
>positive light.
>
>4. Hold your breath and hope that the reporter's "brain filter" doesn't
>destroy all of your hard work. Case in point...I spent about $500 producing
>table tents, posters, flyers, ect. with a MOST DON'T binge drink message.
When
>the reporter wrote the front page article, he left out the word DON'T.
After a
>long "AAAARRRRRGGGHH", I asked for a retraction....it appeared on the back
>page.
>
>Good Luck
>
>Terry
>
>PS. Thing are getting back to normal around here. We have formed a Greek
Task
>Force to address risk management issues. I have also applied for a $40,000
>grant to form a campus/community task force; develop a risk management report
>card system; conduct a social marketing campaign; and a curriculum infusion
>project. Wish us luck!
>
>
>Rebecca wrote:
>
>> Hello all!
>>
>> Has anyone prepared a press release or spoken with their local newspapers
>> regarding the results of a Core Survey conducted on their campus? Last
>> semester we conducted the Core Survey and the plan now is to release the
>> results to the local community. This is to be one of the first steps in
>> our efforts to conduct a social marketing campaign. I am looking for words
>> of wisdom (warning?) or advice from anyone who has been down this road
>> before. Thanks for your help!
>>
>> Rebecca Kuhn
>> Rebecca M. Kuhn, M.S., N.C.C.
>> Penn State University
>> Hazleton Campus
>> Counselor, Health and Counseling Services
>> Hazleton Pa. 18201
>>
>> PH 570-450-3027
>> FAX 570-450-3030
>
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
(Suzanne) Sam Shover, M.S.,CRC-MAC
CROSSROADS Coordinator ~~~^~ ~~^~~~^~^~~~^~~
Substance Abuse Prevention and Education Programs
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Wilmington,NC 28403-3297 ~~~^~^~^~~^~~
(910)962-4136 FAX: (910)962-7374
e-mail: shovers@uncwil.edu ~^~~~^~~~~~^^~~~~^~~~
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
~~~The cure for anything is salt water....sweat, tears, or the sea.~~~
~^~^~ ~~~^^~^~^~~~ Isac Dineson
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jan 27 2000 - 13:09:44 EST