Selecting a Medium

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Disseminate Your Report:

Selecting a Medium

Key Points

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  The medium (e.g., print, Web, and/or mass media) you choose to convey your quality information can
  affect what and how much you can say, how effectively you reach your audience, and how you display
  information.
  
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  Printed quality information is less common than it used to be, but it remains a good choice for some
  audiences. The information can stand alone (e.g., as a brochure or multipage report), or be
  incorporated into other printed materials. Learn more about Printed Report Cards.
  
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  Web-based reports are increasingly popular and offer several advantages over print, such as the ability
  to offer layers of information. However, they come with their own challenges, particularly if your
  audience lacks access or fluency on the Web. Establishing an identity, or brand, on the Web is also a
  concern, given the proliferation of Internet sites. Learn more about Web-Based Report Cards.
  
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  Mass media—including radio, television, magazines, and Web sites that have a broad scope and
  reach—are seldom used for quality reports. However, they offer some key benefits with respect to
  reach and may be appropriate for certain purposes and audiences. Learn more about Mass Media.
  
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  To determine which medium or combination of media is right for your reporting project, explore your
  options with your audience and think through the implications for your project. Learn more about How
  To Decide on a Medium.
  

To learn more, go to Distribute Your Report.

Also see: Tips on Designing a Quality Report.

Questions and Tasks

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 What do you know about where and how your audience seeks new information, particularly about health care?

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  What do you know about the credibility of different media with your audience?
  

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  What can you do to learn more about your audience’s habits, attitudes, and preferences?
  

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 What are your options for distributing your report? To determine the appropriateness of a printed or Web-based document, consider:

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  Which would be most accessible and suitable for your audience?
  

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  Do you or your partners have experience using one or more media?
  

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  Are your capabilities and resources better suited to one media or another?
  

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 Given where your audience is located (e.g., all over the country, in a limited geographic area) and where it is most likely to get information, could you use mass media to reach it? If so:

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  What options might you have?
  

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  Which kind of media would be most helpful (e.g., mainstream press, ethnic press, radio talk shows)?
  

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  In what ways would these media match your audience’s needs and capabilities?
  

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 How do the options available to you affect how you could display the quality information?

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 How do the options available to you affect your ability to reach and communicate effectively with your audience?

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 What would each option cost? What can you afford?

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  Learn more about how you can Disseminate Your Report.
  
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  List all topics in the Checklist.