Developing a "Prevention Page" for your community

The development of the Prevention Page of the Monadnock Ledger was an innovative step toward educating and mobilizing the community around issues of substance abuse. We asked the staff at CPC to share with us their story, and to provide pointers for anyone interested in developing similar partnerships with thier local newspaper. Here's what CPC had to say:

"Ask and ye shall receive. A simple statement but true none the less.

First, you must pick your publication (hint: it helps if you already have a relationship with the publisher – in our case he was on our Board of Directors). Next, you must set-up a meeting with the publisher and editors. Going in you should already have an idea of what you want. At the same time you must be open to working with the design team, even seeking out their expertise. It is important to designate responsibilities and timeline.

In our case, the Prevention Page is done quarterly. CPC’s role is to select the theme and then write and/or coordinate others to write on specified topics. The Monadnock Ledger then designs the layout and recruits sponsors.

You will be surprised at what you can get by simply asking for it."

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