The power of the media
If you’re trying to gain traction for an issue or cause, getting a foothold with a high profile media outlet is a compelling force that can often lead to swift and definitive action.
A recent case in point that delivered remarkable results was the push to approve funding for Herceptin at the provincial level. Considered by many to be one of the biggest breakthroughs in the treatment of breast cancer, Herceptin has been used to improve the chances of survival for women whose breast cancer has spread. It’s been described by oncologists as a breakthrough because it can literally reverse a patient’s prognosis from poor to good. Clinical results demonstrate that 33 per cent of women receiving only chemotherapy had breast-cancer recurrence four years after diagnosis. With Herceptin, that rate fell to 15 per cent.
The real story behind Herceptin is that the treatment is not new on the scene. In fact it has been in use in limited cases for six years and has long been approved by the federal government. Political wrangling and red tape at the provincial level had slowed approval for funding treatment.
The floodgates opened in June of this year, when the media grabbed hold of the Herceptin story and began a relentless, high profile awareness campaign to push approvals. On June 8, a Globe and Mail article “A Case of Growing Impatience” appeared that focused on the lack of government funding for Herceptin. This article was the catalyst for a continuing barrage of stories that personalized the cause by featuring breast cancer victims unable to access treatment in Canada.
By putting a human face on the issue–backed by solid statistical reporting that outlined government initiatives (or lack thereof)–the media was able to embarrass the various provincial governments into taking immediate action on an issue that had been languishing for years.
The coverage included a number of elements that made it effective:
- Profiles of women who were in desperate need of the drug personalized the issue for the general public (articles were supported by photographs of the individuals seeking treatment)
- Clinical results were presented in an understandable and digestible format
- Comparative examples were used to spotlight the imbalances in the healthcare system (EG excessive healthcare spending on smoking related illnesses, obesity and Viagara)
- The number of women in immediate peril if treatment was not provided was repeatedly specified
- Articles received prime “real estate” space in the paper to boost reading
How effective was the coverage? On June 24–just two weeks after the first article–the Ontario government became the first to announce it was fast-tracking the drug approval process. Others quickly followed suit and by July 11, the matter had been pretty much addressed across the country (although new problems surfaced such as too few doctors able to test and treat the thousands of women who could be saved by the drug).
The Herceptin case study is a sterling example of just how powerful the right word to the right person at the right media outlet can be.
