Controversy attracts journalists. Their training teaches that conflict has news value (9). To a journalist, bad news is just as topical and interesting as good news—and often more so (30). In a world where things are expected to go right, journalists look for things that go wrong—the unusual, abnormal, unexpected, and dramatic. Investigative reporting, in which journalists make news by uncovering problems or exposing wrong-doing, can go to lengths that—justly or unjustly—damage the people, organizations, and issues being reported on (35).

Many family planning program managers think that the news media should give them unquestioned coverage, support, and endorsement because they are providing good services and not doing anything wrong. Thus they are troubled that journalists so often focus on negative coverage that generates unwanted publicity (68). Although you cannot change what journalists consider news, you sometimes can affect how journalists cover a controversy.

Effective media relations can help to head off controversies before they start (21). For example, if reporters trust you, they may ask you to comment on stories generated by the opposition at the time they are being run (19, 26, 30). If the story is baseless, they may decide not to run it. Even journalists who are prejudiced or unfriendly, however, deserve courtesy, respect, and offers of assistance. Your goal is to encourage accurate, objective, fair coverage, not to control access to information or to play favorites.

One family planning communication specialist advises that, to deal with persistent attacks, you should step up your efforts to invite journalists to visit clinics and meet clients, send them information about the work of the program and about family planning issues, and telephone them with offers of your assistance in covering medical issues (27). In contrast, warns the US National Association of Science Writers, if you try to obstruct reporters, they may be even more likely to pursue negative stories, since the distrust that you sow may convince them that you are trying to hide something (45).