We are strategically and proactively identifying opportunities to raise the visibility of APA and psychology in the media ― and it’s paying off. In August 2019 alone, nearly 3,700 news articles mentioned APA or our journals, with a total potential reach of more than 6.8 billion people. Through our social media posts on press releases and APA in the news, we reached more than an estimated 2.3 million online viewers. The bulk of the coverage for the month was a result of APA's swift and strong response to the tragic incidents of gun violence in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. Outreach included:
A statement from APA President Rosie Davis, PhD, which was cited by The Washington Post, FOXNews.com, CNN, CBS News and Time. My subsequent statement in response to President Trump’s statement blaming the violence on mental illness was cited by FOXNews.com, NPR, the Associated Press, Detroit Free Press and the Associated Press. APA’s Deputy CEO Jim Diaz-Granados was quoted by USA Today and CBS News, and interviewed by the Spanish language channel Univision. In addition, APA offered the media interviews with psychologists with expertise in various areas of gun violence; these experts were cited by The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC News and the Associated Press.
Also, in August, APA’s flagship podcast, "Speaking of Psychology," was downloaded more than 128,000 times, the most downloads of any month since February 2017 when the show’s data collection began. Earlier this year I was pleased to have been in one of the June episodes: “How Psychologists Can Do More to Address the Opioid Crisis” (June 5) and to take part in APA’s efforts to share psychological knowledge with our members, the broader field, and the public in new ways. Most downloads are coming from the United States, Australia, Canada, the U.K. and Ireland.
Let's continue to work together to shape the larger conversation about the role psychology plays issues that matter to APA's members and society.
Note: The information in this post provides a snapshot, as of the publication date, of some of the most recent work underway on APA's strategic plan. This post is not meant to be a comprehensive account of this work, but rather to provide insight into some of the top-level themes that are emerging during conversations with members, including governance leaders. Your input is always welcome at strategicplan@apa.org.