FEEHAN COMMUNICATIONS
MS responseEngaging the media in important stories about multiple sclerosis research earned us generous thanks from clientMS Research Australia (MSRA). We were all pleased at media reports covering an event in Canberra to remind politiciansof the urgency to increase Australia’s funding for MS research. Results on TV and radio– ABC’s The World Today, RN Breakfast, 666 Canberra, News Radio, ABC TV 2Breakfast News plus articles in The Sun Herald, The Age, Canberra Times and a
powerful piece on The 7.30 Report, based on thepersonal family story of John Coombs.Strong media coverage was also garnered for researchfunded by MSRA, with Australian and New Zealand scientists identifying the location oftwo genes which will help unravel the causes of MS and other autoimmune diseases.We co-ordinated interviews with researchers from 11 different science institutions coveredby SMH, The Age, The Australian, West Australian, Canberra Times, Daily Telegraph,
ABC The World Today and ABC Radio news in most capitals, the ABC news website and TV news on 7, 9 and 10.
Backing the blues for babiesClocking up 15 Jeans for Genes campaigns – and we’re still motivatedfor this client and cause – Children’s Medical Research Institute. Resultsstill strong and media continue to be supportive by highlighting themany colourful events and the reason behind them. In over 500 printmedia mentions and features – stories ranged from the personal to denimfashion. National magazines included New Idea, Woman’s Day,Australian Women’s Weekly, OK!, Cleo, Dolly, Who, Limelight, TVHits, Notebook and The Beast. Newspaper sections and magazinestoo, Daily and Sunday Telegraph, Sun-Herald, Perth Sunday Times,Adelaide Advertiser and SMH Careers pages. Broadcast media mentionsand interviews totalled 135 on topics about the cause of the day, theSydney Opera House going blue, scientists as chefs and the celebrity
jeans auction. Mornings with Kerri-Anne,Ready Steady Cook, Network 7 weather andNeighbours in which Ramsay Street got behindthe day with an episode in which one of thecharacters became a ‘genie’ volunteer. Valueof this publicity has been estimated at close to
$3.5 million though the credibility factor ‘priceless’ with the reach intothe community being extensive.
Sun
day Life, 2/8/09
Balloons take offover SydneySydney skies brightened when Balloon Aloft,operating already from Hunter andCamden, decided to bring the experience tocity dwellers. Magazines and travel sectionstook the ride and reported favourably toreaders that it is an experience worth gettingup for . . . pre-dawn! Words and pictures from
the air were in –The SydneyM a g a z i n e ,SMH, TheAustralian, GetUp and Go,Grazia, Sunday
Telegraph, Sun-Herald, The WestAustralian, Selector, Outdoor Australia,Australian Traveller, Get Up and Go, marieclaire and The Parramatta Advertiser.
Publicity – the sharing of news, events and ideas with the public through the media . . .
Sun
day Tele – 29/03/09
Issue No. 12 | October 2009 EDITION
PR projects completed byFeehan Communicationsin the past 12 months.
makes the headlines
Researchers and carers plead for MS fundingBy EmmaMacdonald
UNITED APPEAL:Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby,John Coombs andJohn Richert atParliament House.
Former Australian Maritime Unionleader John Coombs is quite used to‘‘giving cheek’’ to large crowds andpoliticians. Yesterday he addressed Par-liament as a distressed father on thebrink of losing his son to multiplesclerosis.
Mr Coombs joined a delegation of MSsufferers and leading international MSresearchers who hosted a parliamentarybreakfast yesterday to plead for$5 million in Commonwealth fundingfor a ground-breaking research strategyto be based in Australia.
Mr Coombs and his wife, Gwen, havebeen caring for their 44-year-old son,Garry, since he was diagnosed almost 20years ago.
Garry, who has been bed-ridden forfour years, depends on his mother andfather for his every need and the diseaseis so debilitating that Mr Coombs has to
clear his son’s airways with a tube asGarry does not have the strength tocough.
‘‘Garry is basically hanging on at thisstage because his daughter, Bianca, isgetting married on Saturday and hewants to get back into his wheelchair togive her away. He is a determined bloke.I reckon he will make it,’’ Mr Coombssaid.
More than 100 parliamentarians
attended the breakfast at which vice-president of America’s National MSSociety John Richert spoke of the inter-national interest in Australian researchinto the disease.
The society has directed more than$3 million of its research funding toAustralia because of its suitability as alocation for an MS prevention trial.
This is due to Australia’s consistentgenetic pool, and a health-care system
which spans 34 degrees of latitude.Australian researchers have discoveredthe ‘‘latitude gradient’’ effect whichshows Tasmanians are eight times morelikely to develop MS than Queens-landers.
An epidemiologist with the MurdochChildren’s Research Institute ProfessorAnne-Louise Ponsonby, said an extra$5 million in Commonwealth funding –which would be matched by privatedonations raised by MS Research Aust-ralia – would enable an Australianimmune study to go ahead.
‘‘Given there is an annual 7 per centincrease in MS diagnoses each year, weconsider this disease to be a publichealth priority,’’ she said.
Mr Coombs said he was proud to thinkAustralian researchers were at the fore-front of unlocking the secrets to MS – adisease which affects 20,000 Australians.
‘‘Preventing this disease would bepriceless,’’ Mr Coombs said.
SMH
, 15/6/09
Can
berra Tim
es,18/03/09
Norelle Feehan, Courtney Goddard and Tina Elliott,photographed at one of this year’s events
A niche communications agency delivering exceptionalresults for not-for-profits and SMEs for 20 years.
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Meanwhile . . .Global health gets local support – making friends in the region for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosisand Malaria was the message for the launch of Friends Pacific, reported in The Age, SBS TV News, Sky News,ABC RN Health Report and Breakfast, Radio Australia and Australia Television and more.
Swtich Sticks (the colourful walking and hiking sticks) enjoyed many more media mentions over the year.
Norelle was thanked at the 10th anniversary of St Andrew’s Cathedral School’s going co-ed (FeehanCommunications coordinated communications to all stakeholders including media).
The third Throw the Book at MS once again challenged hundreds of readers while raising funds for MSResearch Australia. Each year, the donations have doubled. Founded by Johanna Dwyer and NorelleFeehan, it is pro bono project.
Ask us if you would like to know about any of the above projects and view media stories or find links.Or ask about any projects you would like to have presented to the media.
Time O
ut, Sep
t. 2009
Workshops that workThe media showed interest in a new program forparents and carers of school-aged children withautism. The Australian Autism Education andTraining Consortium (AAETC) is funded by thefederal government and includes our clientAspect and other agencies. Newspapers and radiohelped encourage many in their communities totake advantage and attend these specialworkshops. From Blacktown to Broken Hill, fromKatoomba to Katherine and Kalgoorlie – wearranged interviews for local papers and radio.For networking alone, participants found itvaluable; reducing the isolation felt by families isone of the project’s goals. Profiles on children and
their parents gave rich material toregional and suburban media, andrevealed the daily lives of familiesaffected by autism. Close to 80 stories– and still counting – included ABCregional TV and radio and website
links, metropolitan papers included the SundayTelegraph, The West Australian and TheBrisbane Courier Mail.
West A
ustralian
, 10/03/09
Topics for talkingThe Asia Pacific Autism Conference assembledleaders in this field who spoke on stimulating topics.Media found much of interest – from the incidenceof autism to employment issues and male brain theory
. . . interviews were plentiful withkeynote speakers, families andpeople with autism spectrumdisorders and spokespeopleincluding our client. ABC TVNews, Channel Nine News,Sydney Morning Herald, ABCRadio’s PM, 702 Mornings and
ABC Fora TV. The client was extremely pleasedwith results which was given a dollar value some 30times more than the budget. Features are also due toappear in Reader’s Digest, Australian Doctor andMedical Observer.
Painting the SpectrumAutism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) has had afull program this year and we’ve been keeping up
the pace with publicity. Firstproject of the year includedan exhibition of beautifulartworks by adults withautism. Painting the
Spectrum generated some colourful mentions inarts and what’s on pages and a compelling 7 minutestory on ABC TV’s Stateline.
Stateline, 29/05/09
We’re history!The scandals, crime and corruption that shapedNSW resurfaced in print and broadcast items for thisyear’s History Week in September. Over 140 eventstook place around the state and the dark shadows ofour past were explored with interviews on 702Mornings, 2GB’s Ray Hadley and local ABC radio
programs. Infamous crimes anddubious characters were outlined inSMH and Daily Telegraph featuresand the events were pre-promoted inpublications such as Time Out,Sydney’s Child, SMH Spectrum’s The
Planner and The Australian’s Out and About page.The events were well attended and client feedbackwas very positive suggesting the PR this yearcontributed to increased visitor numbers.
Practical Parentin
g, Sep
t. 09
