Help for Journalists
1. Who can use this site?
MedicareNewsGroup.com is open to all. Anybody who wants to learn more about Medicare will find our site to be a resource for news, legislation and policy discussions. The only part of the site not accessible to the general public are those areas designated for use by working journalists, which include My Contacts, My Clip Files, the Photo and Video libraries, and the Toolchest.
2. Why should I register?
Registered users are able to get, via email from the MNG team, information about The Medicare NewsGroup and our newsletter. Only registered journalists are able to utilize the custom tools set, the photo and video libraries, My Contacts and My Clip Files. During the registration process, site visitors can indicate the perspective they bring to the discussion by registering as a legislator, a person working in the Medicare environment, an advocate, an interested citizen or a journalist, for example. This will give us the ability to actively interact with you, a key tool to help us best meet the needs of our audience.
3. What particular benefits are available to registered journalists?
This site has specialized tools for broadcast, print and online journalists who are looking to provide broader and deeper coverage of Medicare issues.
Verified journalists have access to a Toolchest, which will enable them to create a Story File that houses content they clip from various areas of the site. Several clips may provide source material for a story, and journalists can capture all information and links to that information in their Story File. Each story file also includes a deadline, helping journalists manage their time and prioritize their work. Registered journalists can keep these story clips in an archive for future reference.
Registered journalists also have access to My Contacts. This feature allows journalists to create their own expert source list for use in reporting on Medicare. Only registered journalists can see the complete contact information for expert sources. That information is hidden until the source is saved to your contacts file. In order view expert source contact information, you must clip the expert and save to your contacts.
And finally, registered journalists have access to photos and video archives. They will have access to images and videos to use with the subject matter about which they are writing.
4. How do I become a registered journalist on MedicareNewsGroup.com?
To obtain the registered journalist designation, follow the steps below:
- Go to the “Register Now” link and select a media job title in the subscriber profile.
- In the account information field, enter your contact information and at least three links to your published work. These links will be validated by our editorial staff to ensure only journalists have access to the site’s privileged areas and custom tools.
- Upon verification, you will receive a welcome email with details of the site’s privileged areas and functions.
5. What tools can a registered journalist use?
- To create a story from site clips, find an article and click Save to My Clip Files. Select a story header already created, or create a new story and add the clip to it.
- To collect experts’ information in your own contacts area, search for experts by expertise and use the clip tool to save to My Contacts.
- To see what items are in your contacts and clip files, click on the link at the top of MedicareNewsGroup.com, and select My Clip Files to see all stories and clipped articles or select My Contacts to see your Medicare expert resource list.
- Journalist can use the Toolchest, which appears on the various content throughout the site. If needed, expand the Toolchest to view all available tools:
- Comments: Indicates how often this content was referenced by others.
- Clips: Indicates the number of times this content has been clipped by other users.
- Sources: Expert sources identified within the content item.
- Locations: Geographic locations identified within the content item.
- Save to Clip Files: This feature allows journalists to clip this content and store it in a story within My Clip Files.
6. Photos and videos will be available soon to registered journalists only.
