Ideas on How to Keep Your Citizens Informed

As localities struggle with issues such as the Zika virus and the Opioid epidemic, gathering and disseminating trustworthy information can be daunting.

But one group of Federal agencies and offices have come together to create a free and easy way to incorporate public health web content, images, video, microsites, data, and infographics into other sites, apps, and social media.

But one group of Federal agencies and offices have come together to create a free and easy way to incorporate public health web content, images, video, microsites, data, and infographics into other sites, apps, and social media.

Digital media syndication of science-based resources from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) can be combined with your ongoing activities and can help coordinate health messaging for maximum impact and reach.

The service is offered under the umbrella project called Content Services (CS) —a cumulative effort pulled together across HHS to disseminate information to other Federal Government agencies, state and local health departments, and the public.

What Does This Mean?

High-quality content and multimedia developed at the federal level can be used locally in a number of ways and is designed to be easily distributed through your existing channels.

This Is A Valuable Opportunity To Do More With Less

• Expand your public health impact with high-quality multimedia and science-based content provided by trusted partners.
• Find and use timely social and digital content from a growing communications library for your existing initiatives.
• Worry less about content development and upkeep with automatically updating, low-maintenance tools.

Current health storefronts:

• Health and Human Services Syndication Storefront
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Media Library
• National Institutes of Health Content Syndication

3 Easy Steps To More Health Content

These resources are offered through federal digital media syndication sites that are easy to use, regardless of your technical expertise or size of your team. When you syndicate content, automatic updates mean minimal maintenance on your part and technical assistance and support mean help is always available.

1. Register at these sites and get anytime access to high-quality content, plus alerts when new content is added.
2. Discover content by browsing digital products from across government agencies that can be integrated into your own sites and applications.
3. Send feedback to tell us how the system can be improved, new types of content you want to see included, or contact us with questions.

Benefits of Content Syndication

• Content Re-use
• Content Re-use
  • Leverage inter-agency content to reduce overhead and streamline content channels
• Audience Retention
• Audience Retention
  • Retain and grow audiences based on content
• 24/7 Content
• 24/7 Content
  • Deliver content to your audience where, when, and how they want to consume it

_This post was originally published on the [ICMA blog](http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/blogs/blog/26/ICMA__blog) and shared on DigitalGov.gov with permission of the author._ _Check out our recent DigitalGov articles on the benefits of [content syndication](/topics/content-strategy/) and effective [content strategies](/topics/content-strategy/)._