The Big Idea: John Taylor, Community Medical Centers

During his 30 years as a journalist with several newspapers across the country, John Taylor understood that if you didn’t have fun reporting it, the audience would never have fun reading it. As Director of Public Affairs for Community Medical Centers, Taylor advocates a deeper and more vital connection to readers at MedWatch Today.

“It is important to have an embrace between the people doing the communicating and the people they are advocating for,” Taylor said.

The self-starting, short-staffed Taylor recognizes that as traditional media declines, he is required to manage the voice of one of the largest hospital systems in California. This includes developing an online health program that is now aired on the local NBC affiliate and crafting more announcements within a 140-character construct.

“We are changing the dynamic. While we still send out press releases, the media should be conditioned to come to us to check things out.”

Lesson: With changing media landscapes, it can pay to develop your own.