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Get Interviewed During Social Work Month

Given the 24-hour news cycle, there's ample opportunity to get social work ideas and expertise into a range of media outlets. NASW regularly arranges interviews with consumer magazines and news organizations. But to have the greatest impact for the social work profession, these national efforts must be coupled with local media outreach.

During Social Work Month, consider introducing yourself to the people who write about or report on the issues you care about in your area. Post thoughtful comments on their blogs, email them good resources and follow them on Twitter. Don’t discount the value of a well-timed phone call or invitation to lunch if you know a reporter in your community. The key is to offer information of value to the audiences of the journalists with whom you want to connect, and to become a go-to person for them.

Find a Journalist

Seek out journalists who have written about your issue or topic recently; they are more likely to cover the topic again. If you need background information about a journalist, do a quick Google search on their name or check their bio at their news organization website.

ProfNet
ProNet connects journalists (and government officials, researchers, publishers and industry analysts) to expert sources. ProfNet Connect is a free online network for journalists, bloggers, PR professionals, experts and other key influencers to network and communicate with one another.

Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
HARO helps journalists find sources for upcoming stories. Experts use HARO to find opportunities to get valuable media coverage.

Google News
Sign up for the “social work” and “social worker” feeds (plus your city or town name) and you will easily learn which journalists are covering social work issues in your area.

Example Interviews

Bringing the Senior Center to the Residents
NASW-CT YouTube promotion
The Solution to New Orleans' Health Rankings: Social Workers - Carmen Weisner, NASW La. Chapter - Executive Director and Dr. So'Nia Gilkey, Asst. Professor - Tulane School of Social Work

Related Tools

5 Rules for Publishing High-Quality Press Releases—PR Newswire
Press Release Template
Writing a Sound Pitch
Media Toolkit

Social Workers Speak
The Media Watch section of this blog features social workers in the media.

www.HelpStartsHere.org
Many of the social workers who contribute to Help Starts Here are referred to national media interviews by NASW National staff.

Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Government statistics on the number of social workers in the United States, and the faster than average growth for the profession, can help to make your media pitch compelling.