Foundations and the Media

Local and national media outlets can help grantmakers inform and educate the public about important health issues and promote the work of their grantees. For many foundations, however, working with the media is uncharted territory. Although foundations may understand how health journalists can help inform public opinion and behavior, they might be concerned that the media may be seeking sensationalist stories or that poorly researched stories could distort or oversimplify complex health issues. Despite such concerns, even relatively small foundations have begun to harness the potential positive power of the media by establishing programs to educate journalists and partnering with organizations that have established media connections and the expertise to get the right message out and create the right impact. While some funders use communications and public relations firms for this purpose, there are other resources to help promote responsible and appropriate coverage of health issues in the media.