Every publication has a group of people in the editorial department who set the opinion of the paper. At ethnic media outlets, which tend to have smaller editorial departments, you may meet with a publisher or editor who is responsible for setting the tone of the publication. In addition, there are reporters and editors who are thought leaders at their papers and on the issue they cover.
Meeting with the editorial boards of daily and community newspapers, or reporters covering child and maternal health in your area, provides a chance to inform them of the impact SUID has on your community, especially among ethnically diverse families; common misperceptions related to safe infant sleep; programs that are contributing to safe sleep promotion in your community; and what is needed to ensure safe infant sleep.
In addition, introducing yourself to these media thought leaders reinforces your role as a resource on child and maternal health, and increases the likelihood that reporters from these publications will call on your expertise for future stories.
Go to the meeting equipped with compelling data about the prevalence of SUID among the population that the outlet serves; for example, the disparity between rates of SUID among communities of color and white families and the root causes for those disparities.
Ideally, bring someone who represents the audience of the media outlet with you to the meeting. For example, if you are going to an editorial board meeting of a Spanish-language weekly newspaper with a largely Hispanic/Latino readership, invite a Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latino family who is willing to talk about the impact of SUID or a Hispanic/Latino health practitioner to join you at the meeting.
