The Prostate Cancer Charity's busy Media and PR team works closely with a whole range of media, from national newspapers, to women's magazines, trade journals and local television and radio stations, and receives many calls for information and help in shaping stories and features each week.
Many journalists are looking to bring their pieces to life by featuring the personal experiences of someone who has been touched by prostate cancer. Individual testimonies always add a great deal more weight to news items than facts and figures alone.
Through its successful Media Talkers scheme, the Media and PR Team puts journalists in touch with the right people, who will be able to demonstrate the impact of the disease upon their lives, or highlight a particular aspect of prostate cancer, such as the side effects of a particular treatment or the effect it can have on relationships.
The team is eager to hear from anyone who is willing to speak publicly, through the media, about prostate cancer, whether they have been diagnosed themselves, or if they have supported a partner, father or friend through their treatment.
What is a Media Talker?
Media Talkers are people who are willing to share their experience - good or bad - of prostate cancer with the media to help raise awareness of the disease. Anyone signing up to the scheme will join a network of men - and women - across the UK, who give interviews about their own journey with prostate cancer, the issues they are passionate about and perhaps the support they have received from the Charity.
Why become a Media Talker?
Media coverage about the Charity or prostate cancer is very powerful. It can raise awareness, call people to action or make them aware where support and information is available. For instance, many interviews featuring our Media Talkers, whether they have appeared in The Sun, Yours magazine, on GMTV or on a regional radio phone-in, result in a considerable increase in calls to the specialist nurses, who staff our free and confidential Helpline. These calls are from people who have been living with real worries that they did not know how to address, or who to talk to about.
Who can join?
Anyone who has been touched by prostate cancer in some way, and who is willing to share their story, is welcomed to the Media Talkers scheme. Talking to the media is not as daunting as you may think, because, mainly, you are simply recounting what happened to you, how you felt about it and what you would like others to be aware of. Our Media and PR Team is only a telephone call away and will be there to guide you through each interview and will explain what kinds of questions you may be asked, to provide helpful facts and information and discuss what the particular audience may be interested in.
How do I sign up?
If you are interested in becoming a Media Talker for The Prostate Cancer Charity please email kate.cowling@prostate-cancer.org.uk or call 020 8222 7687 to find out more. You will be sent a simple form to fill in, which should capture all the information the team needs to understand more about your experiences and to put you forward for the right interviews.