Several different types of media exist that affect the public’s perception of any given health-care story, each type having different needs. One of the simplest and safest methods is neurosurgeons offering their opinions on important medical issues by submitting short pieces for publication in the letters or op-ed page of printed newspapers and/or electronic newspapers (Bernstein 2003, 2009). Many of these are extremely personal, selfless, and inspiriting to other readers within our profession (Kalanthi 2014). It is also important to note that public advertising of equipment and/or expertise in the media does happen, and while there may be no law against this, it often results in false or misleading claims and should be frowned upon (Linskey 2000).

However this chapter focuses on the more timely and interactive ways neurosurgeons can engage with the media. Considering our case, a reporter working for a print publication may ask for a taped telephone interview from which the neurosurgeon could offer more details on this type of procedure, surgical checklists, and how or when a mistake could have been made that led to this error. Print journalists are sometimes allowed more space than other types of media to include background information and relevant statistics (e.g. number of wrong-site surgeries recorded in the last 10 years).

A radio news reporter may only have enough time for a very brief phone interview as they frequently file several stories over the course of the day. Radio news reports are usually no longer than 15 s or 30 s for a big story. The result is often a very short clip from the surgeon which may not include everything the doctor had wanted to express. This is a perfect example of when a previously prepared “main message” statement could be used.

A television news reporter would ask for a videotaped interview involving a camera crew coming into the surgeon’s hospital, shooting the interview and likely extra footage for editing purposes. Broadcast stories, although brief, can vary in length from approximately 1.5 to 3.5 min depending on the programme and news outlet. Most television news reporters have to file their story for the same-day news broadcast. In this scenario, the surgeon’s physical appearance and the background are both important points to consider in addition to the message being communicated. Visual aids or, if available, a previously taped video of the procedure in question would be a helpful tool to provide the broadcast journalist for editing of the final piece.

The rise of social media offers new opportunities and complexities to the field of health news reporting. Medical professionals now have a direct route to comment on issues via blogging and Twitter (Leask et al. 2010). In our given case, a neurosurgeon could use social media to communicate an unfiltered statement on medical error, the procedure that was performed, and the ethical issues at the core of this case. For the health reporter, social media is yet another tool for collecting information on their given story. Social media sites like Facebook are a useful means of locating family and friends of those affected by a health-care story, and it is an effective way to reach people and receive information, but it needs to be treated with respect, and everything must be verified.

Physicians should exercise caution when replying to questions posted on social media sites. Unlike mainstream media, there are no governing bodies overseeing the content and accuracy of the independent social media writer. Sharing credible health information and resources may be helpful to the general public. Conversely, physicians should avoid writing about specific patients and remember to protect the patient’s identity (Chretien and Kind 2013).

Despite the varying needs of each type of media, many of them share similar constraints. All journalists are faced with strict deadlines. Most reporters are assigned a story during a morning news meeting and often the angle that it should take. One study exploring how journalists select and construct health news stories found that between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. was usually the only time reporters were given to educate themselves with background information and technical aspects of the case, find and conduct interviews, write, and then review the accuracy of their scripts (Leask et al. 2010). Given the tight time frame that reporters are given to produce their story and that most reports have a same-day deadline, a physician’s cooperation in being both accessible and prompt in returning reporters’ calls is crucial.

Journalists are often faced with restrictions on the length of their story. Producers and editors are always pushing for something shorter that can still manage to capture the audience’s attention and inform the public on the issue being discussed. Having a medical professional who can explain a complicated case in simple, clear, and concise terms allows the journalist more space to include other important points in the story. It also avoids forcing the journalist to condense the statement and unintentionally distort the message.

The constraints of deadlines and restricted story lengths may result in news story content being sacrificed. News people are forced to make quick judgements from imperfect information and deliver their product at a set time, ready or not (Meyer 1990). The content of any given news story always challenges the journalist in several ethical categories including truthfulness, fairness, and standards of decency (Hanson 2014). Health-care professionals have an underlying concern that the content of a medical story will be sensationalized by the journalist in an effort to make the news item more appealing to the public (Leask et al. 2010). Competition among news organizations and even between reporters on the same staff can occasionally result in a blurring of the facts. Journalists fighting for their story to be “the lead” may sometimes overstate or slightly dramatize certain aspects of a medical event while still keeping within the boundaries of truth. Other constraints may be specific to certain cultures and societies (Riaz 2008). By getting involved with the media, neurosurgeons can help uphold a level of accuracy with health news stories and the way they are expressed to the public.