Media Contact:

Lorilyn Bailey
birdfluprep@gmail.com
(919) 878-9108
Raleigh, North Carolina

A DOZEN Story Ideas for Journalists covering the Bird Flu

Although news of a possible pandemic is now in the news more often, much more needs to be done as far as providing citizens with useful information.

Story Ideas for Journalists:

1. STORY IDEA: Who is preparing in your community? Are people secretly preparing? (Give interviewees an opportunity to remain anonymous.)

Interview: People who are preparing, people who are not preparing, people who are secretly preparing. Are they afraid of their neighbors? Should we be afraid of our neighbors?

2. STORY IDEA: Psychology of accepting change: Why are some people accepting the possibility of a pandemic and are preparing and others refuse to do so?

Interview: People who do not believe in the possibility of a pandemic and psychologists. Will "non-believers" eventually recognize the need to prepare? What will it take?

3. STORY IDEA: What do you do if your spouse does not agree you should be prepping?

Interview: Husbands and wives who do not agree on the need to prep.

4. STORY IDEA: What will be done for people who are in institutions (hospitals, nursing homes, mental institutions)?

Interview: Institution administrators, residents of institutions, relatives of residents in instutions

5. STORY IDEA: Why are some government representatives saying to prepare for two weeks and others are saying three months, when in reality, the threat may occur over 12 to 18 months?

Interview: Dr. David Nabarro, Senior UN system Co-ordinator for Avian and Human Influenza; Michael Leavitt, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; Michael T. Osterholm, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and other pandemic experts. Also interview: Peter Sandman, risk communications expert.

6. STORY IDEA: How to prepare when you have little budget to do so?

Interview people who have prepped.

• Write about how you would prepare for a family of four: How inexpensively can it be done? Use (and give credit to) BirdFluPreparation.com and slide presentation, Bird Flu Preparation Tips slide program (http://www.birdflupreparation.com/preptips.html).
• Get tips from people who have prepared. What's the easiest way to shop at Sam's Club? (Order online and pick it up the next day.)
• Interview managers of Sam's Clubs and Costco stores; are they planning on offering any special goods for bird flu preparation? Some have suggested the stores have "prep packages" available, in other words, a list of recommended "preps" that are all found at one store. Will stores assist in helping their customers prepare or will that seem like profiteering?
  

5. STORY IDEA: Religion and Bird Flu Preparation

Interview: Ministers and members of various beliefs: Baptist, Methodist, Jewish, Muslim, Unitarian, Buddhist, Wiccan.

• What are local "faith-based groups" doing as far as far as spreading the word about prepping?
• The U.S. government has requested that "faith-based groups" help prepare for and handle a potential bird flu pandemic. What do church members think of that? Is it fair for them to shoulder this burden? How much should they do? How much can they do?
• Some religious people have said they will pray that there will be no pandemic, and they think that is enough for them to do. Is it? What are ministers' responses to that belief?
• Some people believe that whenever something bad happens that it's because God is angry. Does anyone really believe that God is angry and giving us a bird flu pandemic?

6. STORY IDEA: What would happen to water and other utilities in the event of a pandemic?

Interview: Managers of local water plants, gas and electric utilities

• Some people believe that clean water will be unavailable during a pandemic because delivery of chlorine and other chemicals to clean water at our water treatment plants will be interrupted. Some say there is only a six-day supply available at any given time. Is this true? What are water utilities doing to prepare for a pandemic?
• If the water was not able to be treated, would undrinkable water be available for toilet flushing? How could the bird flu affect the availability of water?
  
• Should you stockpile water? What is the best way to do that? How long does it last? Is there any way you can "freshen" it? What about filters, do they work? Would a filter make lake or pond water safe to drink? What are the best types of filters?

7. STORY IDEA: Who doesn't know about the potential pandemic? Is the Hispanic community being properly educated about this possibility and advised to prepare? What are government or church organizations doing to make sure minority groups understand what they need to do? What about the Asian community and other communities? In 1918, many immigrants died of the pandemic flu.

Interview: Community leaders, members of communities, church and government leaders

8. STORY IDEA: The U.S. government has said that it will NOT be able to help its citizens in the event of a pandemic. (See: http://www.hhs.gov/pandemicflu/plan/part1.html#1) Has this information become common knowledge? What has the government or the media done to share this fact of life? What is the background of this statement? Why doesn't the government share this information more obviously with the general population? Is the government afraid of condemnation? What are the consequences for citizens if the government does not help? What more can the government do to share information about a possible pandemic? Why aren't they promoting the need to prepare via radio and TV public service announcements?

Interview: Government officials at the highest levels possible.

9. STORY IDEA: If someone does contract the bird flu, what is the best way for a family member to care for him or her? How do you prevent others in the family from getting ill? What equipment will you need? Masks? Gloves? Is someone has been exposed to the general public and returns home, should that person be "quarantined" in the home? How do you do that? For how long?

Interview: Doctors, nurses, and others familiar with infectious diseases and patient care.

10. STORY IDEA: Where do you store your preps? Few people have enough room to store three to six months' worth of provisions. Everyone may need to get creative. How can someone store their food and other items when they have limited living space? Can you or should you replace your end tables and use boxes of food covered in a tablecloth?

Interview: People who have stockpiled provisions, organization experts, interior designers

11. STORY IDEA: How do you work through a pandemic? Whose jobs are vital during a pandemic? What are local employers (small, medium, and large) doing to plan for a pandemic? How many people can work at home? Will the Internet hold up with everyone working at home? What is needed for the Internet and for electricity to stay up and running? Are Internet companies and utilities preparing to ensure they continue to operate during a pandemic?

Interview: Local employers, owners of large and small Internet companies.

12. STORY IDEA: If a pandemic interrupts the distribution of food to stores, people will need to depend on having their own gardens. What is the best type of vegetable to plant? What lasts a long time? What is easy to grow? What can apartment dwellers do?

Interview: Garden store managers, local gardeners, local farmers

Journalist Resources:

World Health Organization (WHO) Handbook for Journalists Covering Avian Influence Pandemic:
http://www.missiontech.org/AI/Documents/General%20Information/WHO%20Handbook%20for%20Journalists.pdf