Speak Out in Local Media

Wherever you live, you most likely have a local or regional newspaper and/or a local news channel. These media outlets provide communities with valuable information on local issues, events and happenings. They often operate under a tight budget and are on the lookout for quality content to share with their readers.

Writing an article or opinion piece in your local newspaper - or being interviewed by a news channel - can expose your community to hearing loss as an important health issue. What you say can help readers understand the signs of hearing loss and its effect on society at large. Moreover, it can encourage those that show signs of hearing loss to seek help and contact a hearing clinic for further assistance.

In 2020, Canadian man John Watters wrote an article for CBC about the problems caused by face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic for some people with hearing loss, including himself. Jennifer Pastiloff, who also has hearing loss, wrote on a similar topic for online platform Forge.

If you'd rather tell your story on camera, take inspiration from Amanda Storkey and Will Moseley-Roberts, who were interviewed by their local news channels.

This powerful piece in the Sydney Morning Herald by Megan Blandford, about her daughter's experience of hearing loss and the stereotypes and stigma surrounding the condition, is also worth reading.

Local newspapers and news channels provide valuable information to their community. It is important for them to cover all aspects of a reader’s life. Doing so allows local media to connect to their audience.

Writing an article about hearing loss in a local newspaper or being interviewed by a local news channel can help start a community-wide discussion about the issue, bringing the topic of hearing loss out of the closet and onto the breakfast tables and into the living rooms of local homes.