To: Interested Persons
From: Joanne Doroshow, Center for Justice & Democracy, Jeff Blum, Helen Gonzales,
USAction
Date: April 30, 2003
Re: Consumer Group TV Spots on Medical Malpractice
From April 23 through April 27, three 30-second television spots aired
in some combination in the following eight markets: Boise, Idaho; Bangor and Portland, Maine; Las Vegas, Nevada; Portland, Oregon; Providence,
Rhode Island; Memphis, Tennessee; and Burlington, Vermont. The total media buy was approximately $225,000.
Two ads featured real victims with emotional stories of medical malpractice: Linda McDougal, who underwent an
unnecessary double-mastectomy after being mistakenly told she had cancer; and Vern
and Shawnna Gardner, whose two-year-old son died of dehydration after a series of medical blunders. A third innovative spot shows how
insurance companies are to blame for the price-gouging of doctors.
The spots ask viewers to call their U.S. Senators to oppose anti-patient medical malpractice legislation. The
Memphis spots show Senator Frists picture and direct calls to his Memphis district office; the Las Vegas
spots show Senator Ensign and list his district office number. In all other states, generic spots ran without photographs,
listing the U.S. Capitol switchboard number.
The ads were produced by the award-winning firm North Woods Advertising, headed by creative director Bill
Hillsman, who is known for producing groundbreaking political ads that leverage significant free media. The
spots were sponsored by USAction, the nations largest consumer activist organization with 33 affiliates, including
statewide organizations in 23 states. Production of the ads was coordinated on a volunteer basis by
the New York-based consumer group, the Center for Justice & Democracy.
CJ&D oversaw production and editing of all three spots.
The spots were completed on Thursday, April 17. On Friday, April 18, tapes started arriving at media outlets
around the country, a process that continued through Tuesday, April 22. A national news conference
unveiling the spots, with USAction, the Center for Justice & Democracy
and the Gardners who appear in one of the spots, was held on April 22. In addition, the following local groups, many of which are USAction
affiliates, received broadcast quality tapes and press materials on Monday April 21: Oregon Action, Ocean State Action (Rhode
Island), Maine Peoples Alliance, United Vision for Idaho, Tennessee Citizen Action,
Vermont PIRG and Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. Individuals in these states shopped the story and tapes around to
local media outlets, some accompanied by local medical malpractice victims.
Media coverage
The story of the TV spots broke first in Memphis with a Commercial Appeal article about the Frist ads running on
Saturday, April 19. This story was picked up by the local AP and spread throughout the state that
weekend. By Monday, we had a national AP story and interest by ABC News, as well as CNNs Inside Politics, which did do
a segment on Monday, April 21 showing the full Gardner ad. The Inside Politics story was
reported in The Hotline. On Tuesday, April 22, CBS Evening News did a full segment on the Gardners as well, having taped them during
their last visit to DC and having attended the April 22 news conference.
The following is a list of national and local media coverage we obtained from the launch of the ad campaign. Clips
of many articles and transcripts are attached. This was significant coverage for the launch
of an ad campaign. Even Bill Hillsman sent a note stating, You have done a great job in leveraging free media from the spots. We have
never had this much accomplished solely from the client end before, on any project. Usually it only happens if we
make it happen. But I doubt even e would have been able to get as much press as you did, especially in
such a short period of time.
(We also think the potency of the spots had something to do with it.)
National Coverage
CNN Inside Politics April 21, 2003
The Hotline April 22, 2003
CBS Evening News April 22, 2003
ABC News (website) April 21, 2003
BlackVoices.com April 21, 2003
Yahoo! News April 21, 2003
Fox Market Wire April 22, 2003
Alabama
AL.com April 21, 2003
California
Sacramento Bee April 21, 2003
San Luis Obispo Tribune April 21, 2003
Connecticut
New London Day April 22, 2003
District of Columbia
Washington Times April 21, 2003
WTOP-AM 1500 (website) April 21, 2003
Florida
Bradenton Herald April 21, 2003
Miami Herald April 21, 2003
Polk Online/Winter Haven News Chief April 21, 2003
Sarasota Herald-Tribune April 21, 2003
Tallahassee Democrat April 21, 2003
Naples Daily News April 22, 2003
Georgia
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer April 21, 2003
Macon Telegraph April 21, 2003
Illinois
Belleville News-Democrat April 21, 2003
Indiana
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette April 21, 2003
Kansas
Wichita Eagle April 21, 2003
Maine
WSCH-6 (Portland) April 22, 2003
WMTW (Portland) April 22, 2003
Lewiston Sun Journal April 22, 2003
WLBZ.com (Bangor) (DATE?)
Bangor Daily News April 23, 2003
Massachusetts
Boston.com April 21, 2003
WBZ-TV CBS 4 (Boston)(website) April 21, 2003
Michigan
WSMH Fox 66 (Flint) April 22, 2003
Minnesota
Duluth News Tribune April 21, 2003
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune April 21, 2003
UPN 29 WFTC (website) April 21, 2003
Mississippi
Biloxi Sun Herald April 21, 2003
Jackson Clarion Ledger April 22, 2003
Missouri
Kansas City Star April 21, 2003
Nebraska
Kearney Hub April 21, 2003
Nevada
Las Vegas Sun April 21 and 23, 2003
The Ralston Report April 21, 2003
KVBC (Las Vegas) April 22, 2003
New York
Newsday April 21 and April 23, 2003
North Carolina
Durham Herald Sun April 21, 2003
North Dakota
Grand Forks Herald April 21, 2003
Ohio
Akron Beacon Journal April 21, 2003
Oklahoma
KOKH (Oklahoma City) April 22, 2003
Oregon
KGW (Portland) April 22, 2003
KOIN (Portland) (DATE?)
The Oregonian April 23, 2003
Salem Statesman Journal April 25, 2003
Pennsylvania
Centre Daily Times April 21, 2003
Levittown Bucks County Courier Times April 21, 2003
Philadelphia Daily News April 21, 2003
Wilkes-Barre Times Leader April 21, 2003
Rhode Island
WJAR (NBC) April 23, 2003
WLNE (ABC) April 23, 2003
WRNI (NPR) April 23, 2003
South Carolina
Myrtle Beach Sun News April 21, 2003
Beaufort Gazette April 22, 2003
South Dakota
Aberdeen American News April 21, 2003
Tennessee
Channel 5+ (Nashville) April 22, 2003
Commercial Appeal April 19, 2003
Chattanooga Times Free Press April 20, 2003
Jackson Sun April 21, 2003
Knoxville News Sentinel April 21, 2003
The Tennessean April 21, 2003
Texas
Fort Worth Star-Telegram April 21, 2003
Washington State
Seattle Times April 21, 2003
Tacoma News Tribune April 21, 2003
Wisconsin
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel April 21, 2003
Vermont
WVNY-22 April 22, 2003
Vermont Public Television April 25, 2003
Burlington Free-Press April 23, 2003