by Melanie McGrice

One of the most important aspects of working with the media is being up to date with clinical knowledge. Journalists are always on the lookout for a new angle or new information, so to work with the media, you need to be at the forefront of new research.

My tips for staying up to date include:

– Put 30-60 minutes aside each morning to review new research and trending topics. During this hour, I review the following:

o 6 minutes medical

o Google trends

o My twitter feeds and twitter trends

o The leading newspapers in your state

o My journal feeds

– Setting aside time in your schedule for attending conferences. These provide you with updates to write about. Personally, I am to attend at least one conference or PD session each month. If I don’t attend a conference, I’ll watch a webinar.

– Don’t just read research, but analyse it. Write blogs on the topics as this will force you to look for new statistics and really get your facts straight.

– Plan and prioritise. Like any skill set, working with the media can be advantageous for your career, but it is pointless unless you know who your target market is and what your goals are. I set aside time twice every year to plan what my next goal is and how I’m going to utilise my media skills to help me get there.

Working with the media can be time consuming, but like anything worthwhile is simultaneously very rewarding as the effort that you put into fine-tuning your knowledge will also assist you with your clients. Furthermore, when you have a passion for nutrition, it’s fantastic fun reading all the new research that comes out! Enjoy!