How to Hype Health Risks

Health risks come in many forms. From environmental issues such as exhaust and paint to ingredients in commonly sold foods to the side effects and risks associated with medications -- it's not hard for a concerned citizen to find an important issue. Because there are so many issues, however -- and many voices discussing them -- it can be challenging to get the word out and have people take notice. That's why if you're set on making a difference, you have a lot of communicating to do.

Instructions

• 1

  Find credible clinical research to back your beliefs and assertions. When you get attention for your issue, you'll want it to be correct and defensible. Scientific studies from academic institutions are usually considered more credible than research conducted by companies and nonprofit organizations with social and political agendas.

• 2

  Secure at least one spokesperson. Someone with scientific or clinical credentials who understands the health issue you're promoting can be very useful to lend credibility to your work. At the same time, a celebrity or someone with a high public profile such as a politician or community leader may be better capable of getting media attention. Many organizations get both kinds of spokespeople to cover their bases.

• 3

  Create a website for your cause. Use it to lay out all the issues surrounding the health risk you're addressing. While you'll want to feature a page that discusses the causes and dangers, also offer a page on the facts and research to validate your claims. Include a call to action. Let people know what to do to safeguard themselves against danger as well as how they can get involved in making a difference. Include contact information so they can reach you, and inform them about how they can contribute to the cause, if you're looking for financial support.

• 4

  Establish information pages on popular social media sites. Today, people have new ways to reach large numbers of people quickly online and through their mobile phones and PDAs. Take advantage of the exposure. Outline the health risk involved, explain it in language anyone can understand and illustrate how it affects people.

• 5

  Send press releases to newspapers, radio stations, television stations, television networks and magazines. If they are well-written and informative, a reporter or newsroom assistant make take notice. Target people who cover science and medical news. Of course, media outlets are flooded with press releases every day. Get the most important information you want to convey up to the top of the page and make it highly visible and easy to read so that it catches attention at a glance. For best results, try multiple methods of sending your press releases: email, mail and fax. If you take the time to look up reporter and editors' names and email addresses, you have a better chance of getting your press release to your desired recipients.

• 6

  Organize community outreach events to help spread awareness. You can do this in the form of fund-raisers or simply to get the word out to the community. Picnics, celebrity autograph signings, free lectures, concerts and safety demonstrations are just a few of the many ways organizations spread information and get public involvement. There are no bounds to the options. Collect names and contact information from the people who attend your events so that you can build a mailing, email and call list of concerned citizens and activists interested in your cause. Whatever you choose, use press releases, social media, advertisements, signs and fliers to advertise your event.

• 7

  Contact nonprofit and community organizations whose interests align with your concern to form partnerships. For example, if you are concerned about the dangerous side effects of a heart medication, you might reach out to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the American Heart Association (AHA). Similarly, if you are concerned about how chemicals and additives in food can endanger pregnancies, you might contact the March of Dimes, which works to prevent premature births and help premature babies.