At the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) two projects, Global Edition and Women's Edition, have involved editors from such key publications as Al-Ahram in Egypt, Femina in India, Parents in Kenya, Newsline in Pakistan, and Newswatch in Nigeria in a collaborative project to study and discuss the story possibilities and problems inherent in family planning issues. These editors meet periodically with representatives of international organizations to discuss potentially newsworthy story ideas. PRB also contributes finished pieces, background information, and photographs for the editors to use in their publications. While these projects have focused on the print media, the same approach could apply to gatekeepers in the electronic media (12).

Organizations in developing countries can apply this approach to working with senior journalists, keeping in mind that editorial gatekeepers, not family planning programs, decide what issues receive news coverage. Family planning organizations have much to gain by inviting senior editors and broadcasters to a luncheon or other informal venue for an exchange of ideas. "Your overture to a gatekeeper might turn family planning into an excellent, on-going story for all concerned," advises Winthrop P. Carty, associate director for media at PRB (12). Ask the editors how they see family planning stories, what kind of information they could use, and in what form. Such exchanges help interest news media gatekeepers in your activities and establish your organization as a reliable source of accurate information, good interviews, site visits, and other possibilities for stories.