Campaigns to End Violence against Women and Girls - Virtual ...

women in the media. The toolkit seeks to de-mystify the media, and gender and
media advocacy by illustrating through concrete steps, case studies, pointers, tips
and information, the actions that can be taken to change gender representation in
and through the media, including changing how the media portrays gender-based
violence for example. Available in English, French and Spanish.
TOOLS IN “EARNED” MEDIA COVERAGE
Important tools to have in any media strategy, to garner as much earned media
coverage as possible include: media advisories, press releases, interviews, press kits,
press conferences, opinion pieces (op-eds), letters to the editor, and open editorials.
The tools listed here are only meant as a guide. Their application and use may differ
from country to country, and context to context, depending on the nature of the media
environment, and the ways in which the media functions. It is critical therefore to have
done a comprehensive to best tailor and use the
tools described. For example, a press conference may have different components in one
country than in others: In Southeast Asia, it is often common for food and drink to be
offered at press conferences, while in the US and Europe this is much less likely to be
the case.
Interviews
Interviews are an excellent way to present a message in an engaging question-andanswer
format. Journalists generally like interviews as it gives them a ‘first-person’
account to use in their articles. Interviews can be given by appointed spokespersons for
a campaign, such as leaders of the campaign or well-known personalities who support
the campaign; by participants of the campaign; or persons affected by the campaign
issue. Care must be exercised when pitching interviews to the media, since interviewees
must be well-prepared – questions can be difficult, or if on TV or radio, the interviewee
may be nervous and not able to articulate well. Interviewees always need to be ‘onmessage’
meaning that they must never veer away from the key messages of the
campaign, and they should have the necessary facts and figures to back up any
statements or arguments during the interview process. Extra caution should be taken
when preparing interviewees who are those affected by the campaign issue, such as
VAW survivors. They must give full consent, and be made aware of the possible
consequences of the publicity from the interview. (See Adhering to ethics in
campaigning).
Practical tips
� Identify radio or TV stations which broadcast interviews on social issues and propose
to be their guest, e.g. for an interview, a call-in program or a talk show.
� For people who are not experienced with media appearances, it may be a good idea
to conduct a few mock interviews with a friend and ask for feed-back beforehand.
Think carefully of the essential points of your message that you must get across, and
make sure you practice saying them.
182
Campaigns December 2011