With the evolving COVID-19 situation, consumers have become more health-conscious. In the meantime, the healthcare industry has seen an influx of developments in various sectors over the past year.
How can brands collaborate with the media to share educational and informative content that addresses the concerns of readers and get them up to speed on the latest healthcare developments? What can PR professionals in the healthcare industry do in order to maintain good relationships with the media?
For this media pitching kit, PR Newswire interviewed 15 editors and journalists in the healthcare, medical, pharmaceutical and lifestyle sectors across 8 markets in the Asia-Pacific region, providing valuable insights into the above questions.
Download the kit here or start with the main takeaways below.
1. Spotlight on COVID-19
When it comes to pandemic-related coverage, journalists are most interested in reporting on the global vaccination drive and the potential side effects of various vaccines.
“Right now, most of my coverage is related to COVID-19. Anything about the virus’ trajectory or how people and companies are responding to it would get my attention,” said Michelle Fay Cortez, Senior Medical Reporter/Editor at Bloomberg News.
“Science stories are also interesting – updates on drugs and vaccine development, new findings and research. Readers are always curious about the statistical model that predicts how and when the pandemic will end,” said Uyung Pramudiarja, Managing Editor of detikHealth.
2. Medical discoveries and breakthroughs backed by research are preferred.
10 out of 15 journalists express their interest to follow up with more in-depth coverage on new developments in the healthcare field that are supported by credible data and sources.
“I would also like to receive news of new products, investments, innovations, mergers and acquisitions and innovative technology in the healthcare sector in APAC. From AI applications to industrial tools, technology can solve challenges in the biopharma and healthcare services sector,” said Hithaishi C Bhaskar, Assistant Manager and APAC Coordinator (Content & Coordination) of BioSpectrum Asia.
“Besides COVID-19 news, breaking news in the health and science industries will entice me to do follow-ups. I am also keen on covering medical breakthroughs and developments from well-known scientists,” said Sean Pan, Senior Editor at The News Lens.
3. Address healthcare issues beyond COVID-19
We are in the middle of a pandemic, but life goes on. Journalists seek to report on perennial healthcare issues such as the treatment of chronic diseases, drug developments, surgical techniques and how countries are grappling with their ageing populations.
“I look forward to seeing additional medical start-ups focusing on technology development and innovation in the field of pharmacology, including coming up with innovative drugs and devices. These developments will enrich the local ecosystem while meeting existing needs,” said Liu Zongyu, Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Content Managing Partner of VC Beat.
“I hope to report on health-related issues beyond COVID-19 such as chronic diseases, or the latest developments in heart surgery and dementia because our readers are relatively older, and Taiwan has a growing ageing population,” explained Sisy Lee, Editor-In-Chief at Evergreen.
4. Skip the jargon
It is best to explain any jargon in your pitch and provide examples and context to help journalists and their readers to understand your news angle and why it matters to them.
“For healthcare-related press releases, avoid using jargon and make the information as clear as possible so reporters can identify the right angle themselves,” said Ho Nhi, Journalist at Giao Duc.
Other key pitching tips from the media include pitching news with a positive angle and keeping pitches short and concise. For additional advice and insights into the APAC healthcare industry, download the PR Newswire’s 2021 Healthcare Media Pitching Kit (APAC Edition) here.
