Using media for advocacy

Mainstream media

Media

• Radio • Television • Newspapers • Magazines • Internet

Media advocacy

• Use of any form of media to help promote an organization's objectives or goals.

• Integrating media in to an advocacy effort to achieve heightened visibility and impact.

• Advocacy: working for a particular position, result or solution.

Why the mainstream media?

• To get the attention of policy makers• Swaying public opinion • Reach a broad audience• Encourages other people to get involved • Agenda setting • To inform the media • Heightened visibility for organisation and its

issues

What do you want to achieve?

• Decide early what your goals are. • Who is your target audience? • What is the best way of reaching the target

audience?

Newsworthiness

• What is news? What makes news? • Begin with the most important and catchy

detail of your campaign, down to the least important. (inverted triangle)

• Keep things simple and to the point

Reaching the media

• Letters to the editor • News release • Op-ed • Interviews • Media events • Press conferences• Features • Paid advertisements and PSAs

Letters to the editor

• Considered individual opinions• However, a letter may mark the beginning of

extensive coverage by the media if the issue at hand is of interest

• Undergo editing like all media content. To avoid over editing, keep the letter clear, concise and to the point (remember inverted triangle)

News/press release

• Originated by the organisation to media houses

• Mostly invitation to events • Include details of the event such as date,

venue, reason for the event, chief guest, e.t.c. • Remember to include the name of the

organisation, contact details and contact person

• Usually addressed to the news editor

OP-ED• Short for opinion and editorial• Written by an expert on an issue to push a

certain view point • Well researched, factual and persuasive • Competition for OP-ED space is quite stiff • Campaign for the piece to be published• Always talk to the editor to obtain guidelines

before writing and talk about the importance of the issue

• Do not submit one piece to two newspapers

Interviews

• Used especially with radio and television audiences

• Opportunity to reach target audiences through community radio stations

• Let the station know about your organisation and campaign before hand (selling the campaign)

• They may be about a subject of national/human interest, do not necessarily have to be newsworthy

Media events and press conferences

• Press conferences are used to announce major news e.g. the contents of a report following a research.

• Newsworthiness???• Press conferences help draw the attention of

the public to a subject and have the potential to put such a topic at the top of the national agenda (agenda setting)

Media events

• Location and timing is important. Find an accessible venue. Best time is in the morning before things heat up in the newsroom

• Send out e-mails or faxes to the newsrooms addressed to the news editor to notify them of the press conference. Don’t forget to include venue and date and contact person for the event

Media events

• Have contacts in the media houses and send them personal invites. Call them on their mobile phones to be sure they know about the event

• Reporters may help you to sell the story to the news editor

• Press briefings are held to provide journalists with background information about a topic.

• Remember to put together a press kit for the event

Features

• Mainly on human interest stories • Provide opportunity to examine the subject in

depth • Interest journalists in the subject• Put a human face to statistics and hard facts.

Appeal to people’s emotions to help bring the subject closer home

Tips on engaging the media

• Keep it simple • Decide on the kind of information you want to

get out to the general public and stick to your agenda. Too much information may obscure your message.

• Where possible, use a public figure to draw attention to your campaign

Tips

• Establish ‘talking points’ complete with specific terminology.

• Craft answers to expected questions in advance. Keep your answers simple and to the point

• If on radio or TV, speak in complete sentences • Media freedom/safety/relationships

Tips

• Media can be worst enemy or best friend. • Treat media people with respect• Be truthful; if you have to confirm a fact or

don’t have it on your finger tips, say so and ask the journalist to give you time to confirm such

• Keep appointments • Return phone calls

Tips

• Establish personal relationships with journalists

• Get together with other like-minded organisations for a stronger voice

• Take advantage of days set aside for certain issues e.g. World AIDS day

• Be open and generous with information

Tips

• Strategize: Some issues may take some time before appearing in the mainstream media. Be patient.

• Prepare your organisation • Be flexible • Some campaigns may end up going on

indefinitely. Be prepared for this.

Conclusion

• The media is always on the look out for new stories; take advantage to push your issues