Children's Health, Reading Materials

Interesting summer reading turned up in a recent Poynter column on keeping roles straight if/when the relationship between journalists and their sources begins to evolve. This situation could pertain to small town or tribal journalists, or to reporters covering a beat where over time they might become closer to sources. As author O. Ricardo Pimentel writes, "...the truth is that both people in such a relationship should just lay their cards on the table. Get the ground rules straight...What we're trying to avoid here is any misunderstanding that will sour either a business relationship or a friendship. But both of you should be on the same page about whether it is one or the other." Read more on-line:

By 2007 the average American will spend 3,874 hours per year (about 10.5 hrs/day) with the major consumer media. The "Investment Considerations for the Communications Industry” report cites the increasing personal use of wired cable, Internet, home video and video games. 29 percent of consumers now feel overwhelmed by the volume of media options available to them. How will you distinguish your Sound Partners' projects from the rest?

Nearly four in 10 young women become pregnant before the age of 20. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (NCTPTP) has good news, though: Parents influence their children when it comes to sexual activity. According to teens, parents can help teenagers delay sexual activity and avoid pregnancy through conversations and example. NCTPTP offers online resources in English and Spanish.

This online publication from the US Department of Health and Human Services provides fact sheets, describes risk factors, outlines organizing steps, and identifies resources to help groups who want to improve the well-being of their communities by reducing alcohol and drug abuse.

This profile takes an in-depth look at the structure of Sound Partners for Community Health and its effects on participants and their communities, including an overview of the type of programming and outreach used to reach audiences, interviews with stations, community organizations and Sound Partners' staff, and what the future holds for community-based journalism. This report appeared in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's 2001 Anthology. (2001)

The Children's Partnership has published a 60-page guidebook -- "Express Lane Eligibility" -- that offers information to states and localities on how to use other eligibility programs to enroll children in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The booklet can be downloaded from the web site or ordered in hard copy.