MEDIA - Media skilling  - updates welcome  
(a company owns copywrite and want us to stop using 's' at the end of 'skill' if it follows the word media)
www.isis.aust.com/rtn/mediaskills.htm

If members of your group are keen to develop their skills in working the media, your local TAFE outreach workers, community college or even local journalists could be approached to run a workshop. 

The following general information came out of  the Bathurst workshop which was presented by Helen Leonard and the workshop booklets Using the media and making your voice heard  and Understanding the policy process: Lobby and be heard published by the National Women's Media Centre, 1996.

  • Invite 'the enemy'  in - it's a form of lobbying!

  • Be available - if possible give two contact numbers for the media.

  • Answer the questions and myths about your issue."   (Helen)

Three points for success:

Content
Have something of interest to hook them in - feed into the myths and stereotypes, provide hard data, have  a service provider to bring the issue to a local level, have a human interest story. This may be from a survivor. It is important to stay with this person - she may be vulnerable. Different media have different needs - print requires pictures and words, radio requires sound, television requires images.

Back up statements with statistics.

Talent
For face to face contact dress up! 

A script of the most hard hitting things can come from the most conservatively dressed. This may sound like we're compromising our principles but it's about weighing up what's important - being defiant and being effective!        

If your group has anyone with some media experience seek their advice.

Pull

Pull a complex issue down to a few pithy words. For example, think of brief responses to the questions: 

  • "What is Reclaim the Night about?" 

  • "Why are women marching?"

  • "What about men?"

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