THE POWER OF THE PERSONAL STORY to highlight the importance of a narrative can take a media pitch from good to great. I recently worked on a media relations strategy for Prostate Cancer Canada highlighting the number of Canadian men who do not get the PSA (prostate specific antigen) test. A strong human-interest component was key to telling a somewhat niche story attached to a specific procedure. “What we know is if prostate cancer is detected early, survival is close to 100 per cent,” says Yaz Maziar, CM, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, Prostate Cancer Canada. “And storytelling is a powerful way to raise public awareness, generate conversation and importantly, inspire action.” Finding patients, survivors or family members that a) have a compelling story and (b) are willing to speak to the media, can be difficult. While it’s important to brief lay spokespeople, it’s the ability to tell their story, in their own words, that makes the most impact. I also attend all these interviews, if only to act as a calming presence. Click on the link to watch the powerful story of Kate Black who was determined that no other daughter lose their dad to prostate cancer: http://bit.ly/2o7wOwU
