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Media Communications Workshop in Singapore
Twas the week before Christmas when 26 public health practitioners from 15 countries gathered in Singapore for an introduction to mass media and communications. The five-day workshop was designed and taught by WLF and the Union as part of The Union’s International Management Development Program. Topics ranged from internal and strategic communications to media relations and crises management.
Participants shared their experiences, interviewed one another on camera, wrote press releases, and even staged a mock press conference. Guest lecturers included a high profile health journalist from The Straits Times who shared her thoughts on what makes a compelling story and crisis management experts from Deutsche Bank who talked about how they prepare for the worst.
Each workshop participant left Singapore with an objective-driven strategic communications plan for his or her own organization. Some will go home and campaign against youth smoking and others will use their new communications tools to intensify efforts for TB testing, AIDS prevention and maternal health. As the group dispersed back to Mongolia, Indonesia, China, Samoa, Zambia and other faraway places, they took with them new skills in communications that will significantly advance their public health work.
Jorge Alday and Sandra Mullin in Singapore