Storytelling in a New Media Age: Collecting, Framing, and Promoting Valuable Stories to Further Health Center Goals

The news media landscape has changed vastly over the course of the last decade, and promoting the value of health centers to the public, decision-makers, and elected officials is more important than ever. As newsrooms shrink along with the American trust in what they are reading, more people than ever are putting aside newspapers and getting their news on a smartphone and through social media. For nonprofits, this trend offers an opportunity to be your own journalist and share your story. Utilizing basic social media and communications tools, health centers can operate their own newsrooms and develop content that builds public support, educates a broader audience about their mission, and builds critical support from lawmakers on issues affecting health centers and their patients. Attendees will learn the basics of blogging, using Twitter and Facebook live, and gain a greater understanding of the NACHC tools available to help them write and frame their stories for key audiences to tell the health center value story.