Welcome and Introductions
--Appreciated starting off on a casual note. Also
appreciated the diversity of journalists in the program.
--Good explanation of program and how it can help
reporters. The introductions were a good way to
meet the other participants.
History of Drug Abuse and Addiction
--Loved it. Fascinating to see the relationships between
alcohol/drugs and historical trends.
Interesting—presented materials not common
knowledge—culminated in clear historical view of
topic.
--Good information, came up with several good
story ideas, very informative.
Fundamentals of Drug Action
--Wow—I can’t believe how fascinating this fundamental
approach to drug addiction is. It helps to
know the chemistry behind it. Great presentation.
--Shelly Schwartz-Bloom is and amazing and talented
teachers who easily breaks down complex information.
Neurobiology I
--Especially found the aspect of addiction being
genetically based helpful to know, as well as the
impact of starting as an adolescent.
--Very compelling info. On progression of addiction,
why people use drugs, and how brain reacts
to drugs—most compelling. What you do when
you’re 13 impacts your grandchildren.
Neurobiology II
--Ditto above. It really made me understand addiction
more as a disease. The comparison to congestive
heart failure was really helpful and eyeopening.
--Excellent information that can be applied to future
research and stories, especially role of genetics
and tags.
Does Prevention Work? What the Science
Tells Us
--Excellent, lovely discussion on ways to combat
abuse on a legal and local level.
--This was really helpful as far as learning how to
better evaluate prevention programs in my community.
I’m definitely going to apply a more critical
eye to the annual PR campaigns we tend to
give rah-rah coverage to.
A Personal Story of Addiction
--Mind-blowing, gut-wrenching and brave personal
testimony went beyond my expectations. Everyone
should hear Susan’s story.
--Is there a rating greater than excellent? Susan
would get that X 10. She’s brave, engaging, honest
and of course, articulate. Did I mention brave?
Wonderful cap-off to put a human face on what we
learned that day.
Does Addiction Treatment Work?
--Brilliant!! This will help me so much for almost
every story I write. It gave me a fresh new perspective
on addiction treatment and completely
opened my eyes. I needed this. Every reporter in
my newsroom does, in fact.
--Cool presentation. I liked the examples showing
how effective treatment is versus no treatment.
Also—it made me think about how risk factors for
addicts are the same for these as other illnesses.
Targeting Dispositions for Drug Offenders
--Again, 100% fresh perspective. Great way of
explaining why an “all or nothing” approach will
never work.
--This was by far my favorite session. It was
packed with tons of eye-opening information that I
think I will be able to use to develop numerous
stories. A lot of the things I learned were counterintuitive,
which means they will likely also be interesting/
surprising to my readers
College on Problems of Drug Dependence
--Good overview of the CPDD organization and research
underway.
--Good to hear his tips about working with scientists.
He also presented very good story ideas
based on the abstracts.
Scientifically Reliable Internet Sources
--A wonderful collection of sites. I knew about a
few but most were new to me. This will really help
|
 |
Scientifically Reliable Internet Sources, cont.
me dig deeper into stories. Data is often the key
to giving a story an edge.
--This is a list of priceless resources that would
impact almost every story.
Journalists’ Roundtable
--I loved hearing everyone’s ideas. Everyone had
different interests and their thoughts added to
some of my ideas. It was a good way to sort
through story ideas that could have a great impact
on society.
--Good to hear what great ideas people will go
back and write/produce.
Did the Program Meet Your Overall Expectations?
--Exceeded my expectations of what I learned and
story ideas I came up with. Great diversity of
speakers who really worked well together.
--I learned things I didn’t know about addiction
and had preconceived notions corrected. Also, I
now have sources (experts) I can contact when I
have questions about addiction. The program was
great.
Will the Program Improve Your Reporting on
Addiction?
--For the first time, I have some idea of how I
might explain the scientific basis for addiction. Also,
the experts here have all given me their business
cards.
--The speakers gave me so much new information
and corrected so many popular myths I thought
were true. Now that I have accurate info, my stories
will be so much better and more in-depth. It
also just helped me develop a ton of story ideas
that I otherwise would never have considered.
Do You Intend to Use Program Materials in
Next 6 Months?
--Absolutely. I have learned so much and have so
many story ideas. I also plan to use the info on
the flash drive to hold a brownbag at work for my
co-workers.
--Yep. Planning it in my head right now. Can’t
wait to tell my editor.
Do You Intend Visit the Program Website in
Next 6 Months? What Information Would Be
Most Helpful to You?
—The info is priceless and can help me set aside
my coverage to stand out from other reporters.
—Statistics about addiction and drug abuse. Also,
any new studies that come out that would make a
good story.
Did the Program Change Your View of Addiction?
--I never knew there was a difference between
addiction and abuse. I also really thought if people
had the will, they could stop addiction. I didn’t
understand the chemical, biogenetic aspects.
--I’m much more inclined to think of it as a disease,
in large part because of the parallel drawn to
other diseases that must be managed, like diabetes
and also because of Deni’s explanation, that
this doesn’t absolve the person of responsibility.
How Would You Rate the Overall Quality of
the Program?
--Superlative. Everything was well-planned and
well-executed. The group size, topic intensity,
time devoted, etc. were all perfect.
--This program is awesome. I want to help expose
more journalists to the workshop. It goes beyond
just health reporters and easily touches crime,
courts, etc.
Has the Program Changed the Way You Will
Write about Addiction?
--It means I will no longer shy away from stories
because of an addiction component. With a better
understanding of the complexities behind addiction,
I’ll report more—and better—on the story.
--My stories will be more science-based and more
in-depth. The program has also given me the tools
I need to develop stories to explore.
Other Comments
--The presenters were superlative. The format
built upon the previous presentations.
--I liked the quality and background of the presenters
and the type of info presented. I liked the flash
drive and binder of info given. I liked how organized
and well-run everything was.
|
