Engaging the media in Human Rights advocacy is an essentialspect of the struggle itself, hence the need to pay attention to why media involvement and exactly how do we involve the media. Most importantly, the social function of the media is closely related to the activism around Human Rights advocacy, the media is the societal watch dog advocating for the required change. The involement in Human rights brings a lot of attention to specific issues that requires change and processes necessary to be followed to realise the change.

While recognising that both functions from different angles, the objectives are quite similar and identifying further strategies on how to make the process work effectively for different context is of importance. Hopefully we can explore this workability of the process together effectively.

Best,

Mufuliat Dasola Fijabi ,Women's Human Rights Advocate, Lagos Nigeria

Good morning everybody. First, apologies for not being able to attend the conference call yesterday

I wish to address the fisrt vital aspect of engaging media in the discourse of human rights. So why should we engage the media at all? It is universally established that media is essential for dissemination of information, creating opinion and more importantly mobilising masses to make an informed choice. It works well in many scenarios - in democratic societies where the constituents can shape the policies of their governments as well as in international geo-politics where member states of regional and the global treaty bodies can influence, warn or penalise non-conformist regimes. In a society, the best aspect of media engagement in human rights is its ability to bring the facts to light and more importantly to start a debate in public domain where citizens are made part of the process of realisation of rights with facts and information providing them an opportunity to inspect and analyse the various aspects of rights, their benefits and consequences. Not all might agree in favour, but access to facts and bringing issues in public discourse achieves  a very vital goal of right to know and hence creating a social and thereby political momentum through making an informed choice. It is the vehicle that shapes, often defines and launches the movements to realise rights. Thus, media may not be a guarantor or human rights but it is more often than not the very starting point for their realisation.

One thing that seems to be much appreciated is that the media have an important role that they play in human rights activism. If this is generally accepted, then one may ask, how then can human rights activists engage the media? How should we package our information so that when it is run in newspapers or broadcast on electronic media, we are not frustrated by the results that we get. Many times, NGOs complain that media houses reported on the activities of their organisations in ways that they did not want! In order to avoid such disappointments, it is important to engage with the media so that both sides interact and are able to speak from the same side of the coin. This would help clear the grey area that NGOs / Media experience.

Agnes M.F. Kamara-Umunna

Radio Producer/Pres

The media is the most important place to talk about Human Rights, newspapers or broadcast on electronic media.

Through the Media, individuals, organizations, networks and groups around the world are able to bring their human rights stories and campaigns to global attention and to mobilize action to protect and promote human rights. The question is the, Is the  Governments allowing the Media to reports about the Human Rights activities in their countries?

IN Liberia I know good Human Rights activists that were active, we can read about them in news papers, hear and see them on radio and on T.V. The Government have given them jobs and they are not talking anymore. WHY?

Even though mechanisms exist to protect human rights defenders, many continue to face harassment, intimidation or other abuses. Defenders who work in such situations develop strategies and tactics to protect themselves and others, based on their daily experiences. But they also need to be able to call on a wider human rights community for support.

Journalists and Human Rights NGO leaders should work together to fight the Human Rights violence in Liberia.

The journalists and Human Rights NGO in Liberia can survey the root causes of Human Rights atrocities. Working together through their unique roles, they can shine light upon and advocate for needed social, political, and  legal reform.

Human Rights NGO and media participants should paired up to visit local NGOs engaged in victim assistance, police intake units for victims of violence, and human rights organizations active in advocacy efforts.

The media are the natural amplifiers and facilitators of messages and information across society -linking the government and the governed and so it is natural that NGOs should wish to engage with the media: I usually think references to history or historical events are problematic when trying to get different interests together to focus on development, stability and peaceful co-existence: That said, it's important to realize  that modern journalism owes its origins in the West to the pamphleteers of old who were the human rights activists of their day - advocating reform, changes in regressive laws and issues such as emancipation and suffrage. So I don't think we should be to shy about promoting close -and closer association still between media and the NGO community: If the media is not about defending rights and promoting freedoms, monitoring abuses and promoting good governance and transparency -what is it for? In areas of transition and crisis this is especially so and journalists and editors should be proud of their association  with and support for NGOs and the human rights community and wear their association like a badge of courage. Being pro-human rights and pro-NGOs doesn't though mean being pro-opposition or anti-government. So the media should strive to be de-political (i.e. politically objective and neutral) -but pro-human rights and advocates for society.

Alan Davis

Director of Special Projects

IWPR

www.iwpr.net

www.rightsreporting.net

www.mianeh.net

Advocacy as a concept can apply to mass media. Journalism is defined as a work of writing, editing or publishing daily newspapers and other periodicals.  There is a wave of liberalization in media scene in Kenya that has transformed the media paradigm.

When the transition settles the free press will not be state controlled, but will be havens for good advocacy journalism. Indeed with new developments where print media concerns have launched into radio and television establishments, there is not only a criss-cross of talent but even much more critical, there is a criss-cross of content and a subtle exchange of places in terms of prominence and recognition. 

Undoubtedly, the electronic media has the potential not only to upstage the print media in the not too distance future but the pride of print media genres come alive on television and on radio as they dramatically acquire flesh and blood status. In addition, the speed of electronic media in Kenya robes the print media of its attention-catching, story-breaking monopoly and hence it has proven to be the undisputedly the most attention-catching medium of mass communication suitable for advocacy journalism. 

 Advocacy Journalism therefore must be seen in its broader definition and content encompassing all mass media, as well as the work of such other practitioners as communication strategists for change, human rights organizations, political parties and community based organizations in service set up. It must engage the silent ones, must speak of inner states, must speak of desires of silent ones, and must facilitate their utterance that all others shall hear. In addition, advocacy, therefore remain critical for the silent ones to silence the auditors. Both are crucial to a new human rights dispensation. 

In the new emerging democratic dispensation witnessed in Kenya anything done that ignores the uplifting of human rights and democracy is insensitive to effects of change and will be injurious to the new way and reminiscent of present and past methods, values, and ends.

Undoubtedly, the articulation of the new methods, values and ends in monitoring, investigation and reporting human rights abuses is at the heart of new advocacy strategies.   

The only advocacy that will capture once again the enthusiasm and the spirit of the people is that which goes beyond singular agendas-that ties these surface slices to the wholesome whole, to a far reaching vision of a different set up that address the ordinary people’s whirling preoccupations with genuine promise for being free from abuses and respect for human rights. 

As the human rights movement continues, it is important for the population, and the frontiers, to keep identifying and defining their tactics. Media that offers itself for the sensitive renaming change and definition of the new and old, encountered on the way, by change, offers a critical service. Advocacy journalism should aim at in-depth treatment, holistic approach and researcher’s culture, side by side with a genuine and strategic participatory rather than token approach to human rights. 

While researching in human rights, advocacy has shown that the closer advocacy is to the natural mode, the more effective it is.  Advocacy journalism is elastic and pervasive. The new technological divide offers great possibilities for the professionals particularly in regard to communities, venerable groups, and rural and semi-urban areas and interventions for radical and urgent change. In addition the rising star of the free press in Kenya that has started with liberalization will take on board two kinds of advocacy talent; the   community drama talent and the community media talent as well as the journalist. 

Journalists practicing advocacy must be well grounded in communication theory and societal change. The current emphasis on agenda content and writing skills is harmful to the very effort of advocacy. Advocacy is part of a new global awakening for individuals and group rights, identity questions and is a language for change. Advocacy journalism in Kenya now makes part of a quest for an alternative pathway to the future that takes on board the population and is not a frivolous adventure for a few in the human right movement.

While the media has taken a prominent position in the current debate of good governance, the pursuit of this cause has sometimes been viewed with suspicion, cynicism, nostalgia, outright hatred and an occasional sense of retrogressive melancholy.

The media in their calling are agenda setters for societies. In the context of human rights advocacy, they should ideally promote and protect good governance. They should also be at the forefront of educating the populace on their human rights and responsibilities. 

Human rights advocacy have always been very indistinct with different tactics, having both public as well as personal characteristic. Their significance focuses on the success of their sociopolitical and cultural values. This tactic focuses on the fundamental role of “advocacy journalism,” in engaging the media in human rights advocacy to end impunity and help hold perpetrators accountable, an advocacy organization that litigates to end impunity and advocates for human rights, usually sends a team of human rights monitors to investigate the allegations. If a case, for instance, is reported and documented, consent is then obtained to use the documentation for publicity.

The principle of confidentiality still applies, Journalists practicing advocacy journalism then publish the case in newspapers or a documentary is carried out in the electronic media, the impact of the media sparks a national debate, which influences public opinion. The media is often ignored by organizations freighting to champion human rights due to the cultural setting, which determines the conduct, performance and practical language used, by the various organizations involved in advocacy.

 Africa Intractive Media Foundation and Voices of Africa Project applies advocacy journalism to defend the rights of torture victims, who are systematically violated with impunity.  Whenever there is a case of human rights abuse or torture reported against the police, the victims often face obstacles in obtaining the necessary documentation to press for charges. Victims complaining of torture or ill treatment by the police are required by the law to report the allegations to the police station before being issued with a police complains form –P3 form, the form is to be certified by a police surgeon before the police prefer any charges against the accused police officer(s).

Victims must prove that they were subjected to torture and that the act was intentional and systematic. 

Advocacy journalism proves effective and represents the needs of many victims of human rights abuse, facilitating advocacy and monitoring even at national level where bureaucracy still holds.

Africa Interactive does this through the promotion of citizen journalism where mobile phone users document and report through sms every form of abuse they encounter. 

This tactic appreciates that human rights advocacy includes social organizations and processes, which strengthen or even weaken cohesion. It holds that communication is one of the processes and the level of communication existing in a society is manifested in communication content and strategy.        

Alan has raised an interesting point. He asks : "If the media is not about defending rights and promoting freedoms, monitoring abuses and promoting good governance and transparency -what is it for?"

So what is the mandate of media? Broadly to inform and entertain. It is the first aspect that is of great importance as we discuss its ascribed duties to inform, monitor, promote, educate...I would say media's paramount purpose is to inform. It should not be seen as a champion, promoter, negotiator or arbitrator. Although, all of these and mentioned above could be byproducts  if the media resolutely performs or is allowed to perform its basic function to inform... to bare the facts. As long as facts are presented unbiasedly and accurately, the purpose is achieved to start a discourse on rights and build a momentum -through agreement or disagreement, to examine its all aspects, needs, benefits and consequences.

However, media itself taking the role of a champion or ascribed notions of a pathleader and a torchbearer are both worrying scenario. Both these positions run the risk of influence from political stances and ideologies. Media at its best should be - and be treated as -  to unbiasedly and neutrally approach issues and present facts in public domain. Media, for its own credibility and for wider involvement of masses -thereby in greater interest of the champions of causes, must ceaselessly remain neutral. Political and ideological leanings - even among causes, slows the process of their realisation and divides public  support and erodes political consensus. Thus, media must remain an all accommodative platform and not a champion of rights. In doing so it remains the biggest facilitator, a vehicle for realisation of rights. It must not be seen as an end but a very powerful means to arrive at ends in human rights.

Hi All,

I have a couple of questions I would love to put forth to the featured practitioners and all other participants.

As an activist without any training or ties to the media, how do you get journalists to see themselves as activists as well? That is, how do you begin to engage the media as an outsider? My high school peace and justice group (yeah, I’m young and inexperienced…) always tried to get our local media involved in our issues. We would call them when we were planning a protest in an attempt to get more coverage than the handful of people who would walk past our carefully crafted signs, and we would submit editorials to the paper- mostly to be rejected except for one glorious publication. We weren’t effective in spurring anything but a fleeting interest, if that, in the journalists we talked to, and I’m sure there are much better ways to go around it. Since all of you have incredible experience and training in the fields of journalism/media, do you have any suggestions for how to successfully approach media that doesn’t have such an active and engaged background in human rights work, and how to foster a sustainable interest in human rights issues and relationship with said media?

A critical aspect of engaging the media is actually understanding “why” you want to engage media in your human rights effort. This can be both a strategic and tactical decision.

Consider what the added value would be for engaging the media in your effort. Also consider the fact that engaging the media can also be a liability if the "message" picked up by the media is NOT the message you want broadcasted.

As Sharon points out, there is often disappoint, at a minimum, and sometimes outright animosity that develops on the side of NGOs toward media because the media did not "get the story right", but reported the story in a way even contrary to how the NGO wanted it reported.

There is never any guarantee that your story will be reported in the way you most desire. But there are ways in which you can position your message and information to increase the probability that it will.

The very first tip from Philippe’s blog – Lessons from a successful media campaign is “Decide what you want” - he writes:

"You should know what major step you seek, or policy change you want. Define your objective and stick to it. That's your nail. Stay on message. Hit it as often and as hard as you can. Streamline your moves and define one angle for the day, towards your objective."

Nancy Pearson, New Tactics Program Manager

So, I think that this topic of engaging the media is such an important one, and I am thrilled to have our experts sharing their knowledge with us. It's no secret that important issues too often get pushed aside by the media. It's truly an art to successfully engage news organizations and the like.

 But I wonder if it might be an issue of wondering which comes first (the chicken or the egg)? My point it this: it seems that most media responds (albeit slowly) to what their audience wants. Through feedback, advertisement sales based on viewership, ratings or whatever, the media get feedback on what people are watching, responding well to, and want to see more of. So when the media doesn't cover something is it because they have learned from experience that people don't like to hear about it? Or are they just being neglectful?

Certainly, this idea doesn't take the guilt away from any media outlet for not covering certain issues, but perhaps it's because they're waiting for larger audiences to start paying attention to those issues. I think every human rights activist can attest to having experiences when people don't want to hear about an issue because it's too hard to think about or makes them feel guilty or helpless. What if the media are just feeding off this too-common trait present in so much of the public?

What are some ideas for making tougher issues easier for audiences to swallow? Is engaging the media also kind of like packaging issues and stories in a certain way so that the public (not the news organization) will want to hear them?

I want to thank Wendy for moving us into the "what' questions. (Not that we can't still ask and answer plenty of other "why" questions.) But let's share ideas on What makes a human rights issue newsworthy; or as Wendy asked, "What are some ideas for making tougher issues easier for audiences to swallow?"

I was listening to a program on the radio featuring the director of the animal humane society. He talked about the difficulty they have engaging the public in protecting animals. We recently had a large outcry regarding the horrendous treatment of cows going to slaughter in a major meat factory that resulted in the recall and destruction of thousands of pounds of beef. The director of the animal humane society said that there have been much worse cases of animal abuse they have tried to expose to the public but the media said they were too graphic and disturbing so wouldn't report them.

I find myself in a quandry about this issue. Images of horrible events can greatly disturb and traumatize those who watch and hear about those events. On the one hand, media will often graphically show footage of a murder or accident scene (what might be called sensationalism) yet won't cover the reality of war - saying it's too disturbing.

The public may be more inclined to demand an end to war and conflict, as well as a wide range of abuses, if they really understood both the reality of it but also that these CAN be changed. It is in our power to do something about them.

Nancy Pearson, New Tactics Program Manager

Sarah and Wendy draw our attention on how to engage the media in various rights and advocacy campaigns. For this it is vital to understand how the media operates. Just as much media often introduces issues, starts trends and builds opinion, it itself suffers from the side-effects of what it delivers and creates. Media is not insulated from what it creates or the reactions that occur within socieities. Reporting a trend or an issue often makes it popular and brings it in public discourse a la "talk of the town". So even though at first instance media may have reported or created an issue, soon after its availability in public domain and driven by the "demand" for that "supply", it  not only takes the role of  a supplier/promoter of more information as well as finds itself in a position where the issue grows to a size that it dictates more and more coverage.

At this point one may not Nancy's observation on media bias. With their supported ideologies, political affiliations, market or ownership, it is almost impossible to be "zero-bias". Even widely-acknowledged indepenedent and neutral media corporations like the BBC often face accusations of a slight bias. However, in a more pragmatic approach, attempt should be to remain as close as possible to the centre of neutrality.

Coming back to Sarah's and Wendy's views, increasingly media, unlike public-funded corporations like the BBC,  has had to constantly make compromises to remain sustainable. And in many cases- to make profit. So news, events and issues sometimes go through the filter of their saleability in terms of circulation. It's like checking if the pizza has all the right toppings for a sell out! We may not like it, but it is the reality of the day. However, organisations can get around that by creatively designing their campaigns and using innovative approach to highlight their cause. As a news producers I would be more likely to send a crew to cover activists posing dead in Trafalgar square highlighting the plight of Darfur victims than to attend a group meeting in a cosy charity office. Or I would be more keen to cover installation of a ticking clock in the city that reports number of children dying of malnutrition across the world.

The above are just examples of how same things can be done differently without having to dilute their purpose and meaning. Best advocacy is to make the most of all means of communication and campaign starts from the ability of the campaigners to communicate.

Davinder

A journalist is trained -or encouraged to be cynical and for good reason: A journalist who belives what they hear or are told too readily -without checking things out from others -and determining facts and so on -is no journalist at all. We have all too recently seen in the run up to the most recent Iraqi war what happens when journalists just report what they are told by governments. So we should not then be too surprised that a good journalist will try and use that 'detachment' as a justification from trying to keep some distance from the NGO community.

At the same time all journalists need stories: All editors need material. All media are by tradition competitive: The more NGOs can imagine the perspective and demands of the media, the better they will be able to 'engage' in a way that satisfies both sides. Most importantly, the approach to the media should not be peacemeal, but should be strategic. It should not depend upon a single journalist who may change desks or jobs -but rather should be based upon a longer term vision which involves the senior gate-keepers (i.e. editors and publishers and station managers) and also more than just one media outlet. NGOs should not be thinking about one particular story necessarily, but trying to build a more sustainable, longer-term and profitable relationship with media houses on discussion, awreness and education about the issues -and always doing from the perspective of 'give' and 'take' -that is to say, helping the media produce very good and engaging stories on those subjects that are well crafted, accessible and theirfore popular with audiences -and so advertisers where relevant. Thus, we need to talk about 'marketing.' How not to engage the media? We need to discuss the practise of NGOs paying the media to attend presse conferences or cover stories or buying air time for programming: That short termist approach is wrong, unhealthy and unsustainable. It simply means NGOs are perceived as commercial advertisers as opposed to very useful partners in civil society development and protection.   

Alan Davis

Director of Special Projects

IWPR

www.iwpr.net

www.rightsreporting.net

Hey! comrades just check out this links and find out what can obviously happen if the media is gaged and therefore its strategic to work with the media and creat safeguards.

www.africanews.com/site/list_messages/15920

http://voicesofafrica.africanews.com/site/list_messages/10661

http://voicesofafrica.africanews.com/site/list_messages/10663

Undertsanding that the media and NGOs work hand in hand for the betterment of the society leaves us with the question of exactly how do we engage the media considering also the point raised earlier by Alan Davis. From BAOBAB's experience of working with the media our priority always is to make sure that the media actually undertands our issues very well. For coverage of specific events for example we invite them ahead of the event for a formal briefing for explanation of issues/terms that they may not  be familiar with. On the day of the event itself, we usually prepare press statements alongside an information folder prepared specifically for their own references. 

This has helped greatly because in writing their stories they already have sufficient information on the topic of discussion. so far our stories have not been mispresented or over blown as the case may be. This has worked very well with us. Compared to the time we were not doing this.

 My observation however is that most NGOs while working with the media assume that the journalists should be able to report their events very well even when they the NGOs have not provided adequate background information on the issues been discussed.

May be atimes NGOs forget that the journalists have the journalism skils quite alright but are not experts on HIV/AIDS  as an health issue for example unlike us that have become experts on the issue haven't worked on it for several years. As for the journalists after covering the HIV/AIDS they may move on to maternal mortality related issues organised by another NGO and so the cycle keeps moving on.

My analysis dwell on the need for NGOs to pay more time and attention to engaging the media by preparing sufficient information pack for them for events that we organise for adequate coverage .

Mufuliat Dasola Fijabi

BAOBAB for WOmen's Human RIghts, Lagos, Nigeria

I will start with Nancy's comment first. She talks about "payola" and situations where NGOs engage voluntary or as a necessity to keep the scribes in good humour by subsisting their cost of travel and food etc. It is an undeniable fact that in some parts of the world, media persons are not well paid enough and often have be like activists surviving on meagre resources. It is important for NGOs to draw a distinction between  hospitality and "bribe".  Passion for their work and ability to convince their purpose is what will apeal most to journalists of calibre. Equally, it is a public knowledge -especially in the media - that not all NGOs are true to their image, mandate and motives. This leads to Mufuliat Fijabi's observation about reliable, verified and substantiated research. The work of NGOs through their publications, statements, advocacy campaigns must reflect that their object and purposes are based on solid foundations of research and reason. Although Nancy draws an analogy with market situation - in a different context though- the process not much different, if not entirely the same as a "business transaction". 

 As an NGO my aim must be to convince (sell) my purpose if I wish to lead the organisation to positive results. A defensible body of research, identified aims and objectives and action plan is the basic essential, however, the next step is to disseminate this information and most importantly to convince others about its relevance and importance. Even the most worthiest causes may get lost in the crowd because there are aplenty.  As a journalist I am more "susceptible" to cover causes where I am impressed with the research and information and where I am "convinced" that it is relevant and must become part of public discourse.

This brings us back to my previous post which talked about effective communication strategies and activists themselves becoming the first link in the chain of effective communication. Like I mentioned earlier and Philippe has also underscored in his post, the need is to acquire more innovative approach and in effect become more effective communicators. NGOs following archaic methods of engaging the media face strong competition from their likes who use newer ways to get attention.  Some might say this requires resources that not all can afford. Not really. Innovative approach does not always come with a big price.

For example, if I work for an NGO that campaigns for the welfare of destitutes, I won't  call a press conference over tea and snacks to tell what I do. I would instead arrange for journalists to spend a day/night in a destitutes home or on streets and leave them to talk with the inmates and supply them with our research.

So coming back to Nancy's observation, we can say the media does operate like a market, but "selling" a relevant product often costs a bit of creative approach. If on surface all goods look the same, I am more likely to look at something that is somewhat different, compelling, new or engaging.  

P.S. I post my comments first thing in the morning before rushing to my other assignments so I don't check them for errors. Please excuse me for that in case you encounter any.

Thank you Mufuliat for the motivating feedback on my post! I'm glad that you found it useful.

 Thus, I would like to share one more iuseful tool for those human rights activists that might be interested in bypassing the media to document and share controversial information. The tool is called 'wikileaks'. Have you heard of it?  It is a 'wiki' (which is simply an online document that is open for edit among the public) whose posts are entered by people around the world - anonymously! There have already been over one million posts entered to this website wiki. If you are interested in documenting and sharing information for which the leaking of such information could pose a threat to you, you should take a look at this website. 

And please read Sarah Ingebritsen's blog post on wikileaks for more information.

- Kristin Antin, New Tactics 

(I'm writing this piece based on my North American context. I'm very interested in the differences in your region. So please share!)

Human rights abuses are rooted in power imbalance. Rights violations, whether originating from states, corporations, collectivities, or even individuals, are both symptoms and instruments of domination.

Because the media is defined in both ethymology and reality as the "medium", the go-between, the carrier of information and meaning, it is the main channel through which power relations will be observed, known and arbitrated as they are being (re)defined.

And so it is that a primary interest of the media lies in the "news", the shifts in power relations. Look no futher for the what, the why, the who, the when, and the how of newsmaking. Thus, being able to sustain a media presence means being able to affect and change power relations over a substantial period of time.

So there is that. 

But wait. There's more.

It's called infotainment.

Sure, Power and how it changes is a key obsession of the media. Yet the media is also pulled by a three-headed hydra — sports, scandal and sex — the three S's of sensationalism. Such snakes sell so well, see. The senses have to be involved. The more S's the better. And if there's blood too, oh have we got a headline for you.

Until it becomes too much. Because we (in the West)  like our blood in small doses. Not too much. And really, we prefer fake.

My suspicion is that although sensationalism tends to be overly exploited by mass infotainment corporations, the fascination burrows deep into human nature. I think we just have to admit that.

Therefore most media outlets cover social conflict as they do games, races and other sports events: they are mostly interested in the play, in who scores and who doesn't, in how some got injured and how some won the game plan. Everything is a contest.

We can critique it, we can deplore it, and debate it. But in the end, we somehow have to work with it. Or be ignored. If we want to hit the news, we have to find a way to use what's in the real world.

Does that mean we have to play crass? Not necessarily.

But I do think it means we have to be imaginative. The millions of dollars we can't afford in paid advertising and Public Relations campaign, we will compensate with the sheer power of our creative brains. 

It has caused me much grief to see countless worthwhile causes rely on the old, tired, boring press release cum press conference and expect to make a splash. Because human rights and other social justice organizations are smaller — don't forget, the media just loooooves power — only at our own expandable expense should we rely on the traditional means that bigger players use.

Davinder said that an innovative approach does not always come with a big price. He's right. And I agree with him that we have to be consistent. You don't invite the press to a fancy hotel to talk about the homeless. And you don't serve expensive pastries to talk about hunger. 

And here's the good news: in avoiding these pitfalls, you bring on the novel event that creates the headline. It's the dinner plate on the street solution. It's genuine. It's powerful. It's low cost. It's hard hitting. And it's us.

Apologies everyone for missing yesterday -a lot on with regard to my project in Iran: As several people have alludedd to already, the more groundwork and thinking and strategic planning (all things that can be done for free in a dark or quiet room) the better the results (somtimes): So we need to park the issue of press conferences or even press releases to one side for the moment: It iis the issue or the idea (and as people have said already, who you are reaching out to) which are the mpst important thing. Events and pressers and gimmics are just the tools -sometgimes they are effective and sometimes -often not: As a journalist I used to get press releases constantly -some were just awful and went straight on the spike -some  were used to generate two sentences when we were desperate at the last minute to fill an empty space on page 27. Usually though if a press release got any real attention it provided something very new and interesting -a fact I didn't know, an angle i didn't know   -or a clue/iidea for a story (but the press release was only the starting point of the story). 

 I think it much more effective to develop the idea and the issue and get key people interested in the idea -you can do that on a one to one or informal meeting, a phone call or whatever. Gimmics can be good at one level -but at another they get in the way and mean your new story might get out at one level -but you have not necessarily made a connection with the media at a deeper and more sustained level.

So my parting shot for this Satuirday morning might be let's recognise and separate tools and vehicles (ie press conferences and press releases) from the actual reason for engaging.  

More later today. 

Alan Davis

Director of Special Projects

IWPR

www.iwpr.net

www.rightsreporting.net

Hello

It seems we are only talking among each other. I do hope that this tactic does reach the target audience, even though many may not actively be involved in the discussion. Too much information can confuse, exhaust, mislead or at worst can kill the curiousity to know more. It is a vital tactic to be precise and to the point. Heavy hypotheses, voluminous reports and jargoned advocacy runs the risk of limiting its audience and thereby rendering its impact ineffective. Often it is best to remember what "NOT" to say. Keep it simple, easy to follow and to the point. The information - even though weighing in tonnes -  must be tactically presented and released in a tactical measure.

This reminds me to keep my post succint. But it is  fact that I have always found the best press releases to be precise, generating curiousity to know more. All the sums, algebra and trignometry can be available extras but findings must remain simple to report and even more important - to understand.

Keeping it simple is a particular challenge for human rights advocates. As you say Davinder, human rights organizations have often gathered volumes of information - all of which is very important because it documents what has happened to individuals, families and communities. It's difficult to weigh all that information to decide what or who will be highlighted.

This makes me think about how lawyers consider taking on, especially pro-bono (free) legal cases. They can sometimes seem callous and uncaring to those outside the profession. But they will very strategically take on cases that will help to set precedence for advancing case law - in that way helping the many more cases that will follow.

I'd be interested to know from those of you in the media profession, if this kind of selective highlighting of cases that are more representative of a broader group is also something the media is interested in getting. Will it make it easier for the media to understand it's importance to a wider audience, as well as help to us to reach that wider target audience as well?

Nancy Pearson, New Tactics Program Manager

 It is a reality that simple messages well draftd and based on required context reach out to a wider audience than envisaged. Infact they remain memorable and make greater impact.

My observation about selective highlighting of cases that are more representative of a broader group raised by Nancy is that it leaves behind some other human rights issues even though it is what the generality desires.

One major human rights issues is the question of the rights of the minority. The minority issue may not be of interest to the broader group yet  a serious concern to the minority. How do we balance this then?

Somehow both the media and NGOs would have to strategize on this to have a balance presentation of cases/stories.

Mufuliat Dasola Fijabi

Women's Rights Advocate, Lagos Nigeria

Dear All,

 Allow me start by apologising for being away on Thurs/Frid. I was away in a sensitisation workshop for an extremely sensitive group of security operatives in my country.

That said, I would like to comment briefly on media strategies. When one speaks about engaging the media, within the media component comes along with it many strategies. As some of them have already  been discussed, it is important for an activist to know how to engage each. For example, Mufuliat spoke very well about press releases as sources of information. As one engages the different media strategies, ALWAYS know your audience because they are the final consumers of information. As such, it is also EXTREMELY important for the human rights advocate to be able to research, analyse, and evaluate information before/after it is either broadcast/published.

 For example, in my field of torture activism, things that I always look out for are: What is the age of our clients, what is their level of education, ETC. Now, how does this information help me? If our clients are between 15-40, they are youth so as youth, how best can I design information for their consumption. This kind of analysis was extremely helpful at the end of 2007 when I engaged the services of a consultant to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of my media activism. Amongst many other achievements, I would like to mention one. The consultants found out that a section of the public were able to recall the details of the message that was aired on radio including the time that the messages were aired. For me, this was testimony of the work that I had put initially into preparing  (packaging) my messages before they go out.

As this is a media discussion, I will not talk outside of media advocacy but as activists, it is worthwhile to know also that the media is one of many strategies used in human rights activism.

Sharon. 

Increasingly, with strong competition and commercial interests involved in terms of selling more copies or securing bigger audience, media organisations tend to give wider coverage to issues that strike a direct chord with the masses or in short stories that are more saleable. For example even a never-heard-before university with a research finding that hitting the dance floor on friday nights is the best way to lose weight, is quite likely to find good coverage in the media.

But this is not a cause for worry. This carries a simple message that as much as issues are presented to the media establishing a direct connection with the masses, the greater are their chances of being reported and followed up.  It is not just what you have, why you have, it is equally important how you supply it and keeping in mind WHO is it for. Striking a connection with the audience is very important so it is a must that the information meant for them must be conveyed in their language. For example, if you want to say that a certain company X daily releases toxic effluents to fill a trench 100 metres long, I would rather say X company is creating toxc waste the size of a football pitch - every day!

Great to see you back in the discussion Sharon and for sharing this great example that draws out a number of excellent ideas for others to consider. 1) engaging media as consultants and 2) evaluating the results.

Consultants: As human rights advocates, we don't know everything about every human rights issue. Similarly, we can't be expected to have expertise in all other fields - media included. We are fortunate that people from all walks of life and training have dedicated their lives to human rights advoacy. This does not mean that those who make their livings in these fields are also not interested in human rights.

We can forget that's it's not only possible and strategic to engage people that have expertise in their fields - media in term so this discussion. Reaching out to people in media provides an opportunity for people with media expertise to share this in a way that can be highly rewarding for them as well. In my experience people really want to share their gifts and especially when sharing those gifts contributes to a greater good in society. People often just need to be asked to contribute their gifts.

Evaluation: Sharon, this is a great example of how by engaging the media consultants, you were able to take advantage of an additional aspect of their expertise - actually evaluating whether or not you hit the audience you were targeting with your message. The whole area of evaluation will need another discussion to scratch the surface of that topic.

Nancy Pearson, New Tactics Program Manager

I will admit, I am not familiar with the study of journalism. However I am very curious about the present and/or future existence of human rights in its cirriculum.

Do journalism courses include 'reporting on human rights issues'? Have they been popular? I wonder what this course would include. 

Where do you see the future of this relationship among human rights reporting and journalism school?

- Kristin Antin, New Tactics in Human Rights 

In trying to answer Kirtsin's very pertinent question, we end up going nearly full circle: As the Jesuits reportedly say/said: 'get me a child aged 7 and /she is mine for life.'  If the human rights community is to 'capture' journalists -the work should start at the very beginning of the education and training level:  A lof of journalists if asked 'why'? they went into journalism, will answer along the lines of -either they love to write (even if TV or radio journalists), or they are looking to help serve society. How better then to do the latter than to get a solid grounding in human rights issues -in the most comprehensive definition of what these are.

I am having direct experience now of the challenges related to journalism in the Philippines -a country where human rights abuses are huge (you name it, they suffer it): The journalists themselves are targets anhd any visit to the CPJ website will show you that the Philippines constantly figure in the most dangerous places to be a journalist. Unfortunately the total disconnect at the moment is that despite everything, journalism in the Philippines is still very heavily determined and driven by a beat system of reporting that keeps everbody in his/her box: Journalists cover city hall, they cover police beats or they cover personalities. Media is very heavily reactive and not as conscious or active as it may be (one of the things we are trying to do for example is redefine the police beat into a 'justice' beat).  In this way, the journalists start to think 'outside the box' and start to be more (pro)active in their reporting....

To cut to the chase then, we in discussion with colleagues about how to get a human rights module incorporated into the training provided to undergraduates on the journalism training courses provided to students at the University of the Philippines -and there is a scheduled conference over the summer with journalism academics from all over the Philippines on this specific theme - human rights. So Kirtsin asks a critical question that we need to address and answer. As the Jesuits say....    

Alan Davis

Director of Special Projects

IWPR

www.iwpr.net

www.rightsreporting.net

Hi Nancy et al,

I wholly agree it is crucial -though maybe we have not consciously tried to address it as we might all should.  Sometimes our journlism training and education is based upon old traditions and old text books and old assumptions. Many of these Anglo-saxon style approaches (short hand-reporting 1 credit, central  political systems 1 credit, local libel law, 1 credit and so on...) may have been simply transferred into journalism schools in developing and transitional  societies without much thought about whether these places need a little more. Again, when there is a strong democratic system (allegedly) and a long history of civil society and a vibrant media and all comlplete with checks and balances, then it is harder to make the case that the media has to be or do soemthing more......but in the  absence of some or all of the the above......I think targeting journalism educators is critical and  perhaps we have not really thought about it as muchas we might. In the coming months I am due to speak at a national conference for Philippine journalism educators about the importance of ensuring human rights education as a component -and maybe we need a lot more of these events to start waking people up and the role the subject can play in local journalism facilties. Ironic (and sad) that journalists can already invariably take modules on business reporting perhaps, while  human rights reporting at the moment doesn;t really get a look in. Something we need to change.

Alan Davis

Director of Special Projects

IWPR

www.iwpr.net

www.rightsreporting.net

Following on the tread started by Kristin, and the ensuing AHA! ideas around working human rights content into journalism school, I would like to suggest two other "upstream" and unconventional ways we might seek to awaken a human rights sensitivity among new or younger journalists.

1) Support student activism, especially in journalism school. Many journalists were changed forever through transformative experience while in college and university. Speaking in schools and supporting student mobilizations for their rights may be key ways to support future journalists who will be more aware of, and more deeply involved in, human rights issues.

2) Support journalists' unions. Here in Quebec, most professional journalists are unionized. Strikes in the information industry have usually been quite harsh and difficult. A tabloid in Quebec City has now been locked out for a record amount of time. Meanwhile, the locked out journalists are producing an alternative paper that is distributed for free in the streets of Quebec City, with a political flavour that is not as constrained as that found in the paper their employer used to publish.

Such experiences are transformative. Human rights and social change organizations supporting journalists, young and old, as they face their own challenges can only help sensitize and radicalize new generations of reporters and news editors. As they learn the meaning of empathy and solidarity, they tend to become more sympathetic and proactive in seeking to explain and support human rights cases.

These are just two ideas. Anybody else can suggest other means of helping journalists cover and support human rights from their own hearts and experience?

Journalists often not only need information but knowledge to understand, process and report is responsibly. The same onus lies on the NGOs to take accountability for what they produce and what they propagate. Alarmist activism and alarmist journalism may grab headlines but they both defeat the overall object and purpose of achieving "greater common good".  Just as media self regulation is very critical for non-partisan flow of information, it is equally important that NGOs to lead journalists and masses on campaigns based on fundamental principles of rights creating duties.

For example as an activist campaigning for human rights I might say that human rights abuses are huge in Philippines but as a reporter, I would be careful to make that statement. Any research or campaign in the domain of human rights must check its findings and reports within the sphere of international human rights law. Loosely used blanket terms such as "torture" "discrimination" "blatant violation of human rights" carry very serious meaning. For example stating that a group in a particular country is indulging in "torture" and "genocide" or another group, is in effect wrong if there is no established and proven collusion of state in such actions. Not all journalists are experts in human rights law and it is therefore important that more and more media persons are involved in understanding the legal aspect of reporting on human rights situations. It is a very vital need for any Journalism school to make students aware of international human rights law and the legal framework of treaty bodies in which their country operates.

Here is my overall summary in a nutshell.

* Get your facts right

* Keep it simple

* Use innovative ways

* Know WHO your target audience are

* Also in brief : Know WHEN you should do it. Unless it is an emergency, planned campaigns and briefings must be carefully chosen around the time when political activity is at its highest. I would choose to hold a press conference when the Parliament session is on rather than have it during holidays. Monday's papers are thin with stories - I would send a press release on Sunday morning ..etc

I must say that i have really enjoyed the discussion so far. I have gained a lot from the experience sharing But one more thing to add before we conclude is the need for NGOs to also show appreciation to the media in their effort to achieve change in the society. One may want to ask appreciation in what sense? After all they are doing their job.

The kind of appreciation i am talking about is sending in letters of commendation/appreciation once in a while when we hear them report our issues very well or publish stories around the issues very well. This i belief will be a kind of inspirational gift to them and natuarlly will make them do more.

 When  we also publish some of our documents, we should also see it as a priority to  send copies to the media the way we do with other organisations.

This is my thought for now and hoping that there will be more opportunity in the furture to take all our discussion points further.

It has been wonderful discussing with you all 

Mufuliat Dasola Fijabi

Women's Rights Advocate, Lagos Nigeria

This Comment is in response to the student of photojournalism and sociology at Boston University.

I would like to share with you the Ugandan experience. Some Universities in Uganda have been accused of being theoretical which is a complete contrast to expectations in the practical employer world. When students of journalism leave the school arena, they find that the world outside is different from the classroom scenario. For example, when a student is taught objectivity in the classroom, how then can objectivity be used practically in a newsroom?

My organisation, African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV) has in light of the above selected some Universities in Uganda where we go out and sensitise students on torture-related issues. A practical example here: We went to Faculties of Law and Medicine for an awareness exercise in one of the top Universities in Uganda. I was shocked to find out that students did not know regional and international instruments on torture and these are the next generation of possible human rights activists! And this is in one of the best Universities in Uganda. Much worse, even some lecturers were relying on information that my organisation was providing. In light of this, I agree with the Boston student that human rights could be a component in journalism syllabi. Right now, ACTV with the help of key resource persons that we usually work with in some Universities here are influencing incorporating the Istanbul Protocol which is a set of international guidelines on documenting and investigating torture abuses in the syllabi of both law and medical students. I also know of another University here where human rights activists are invited to share their experiences with students in Law Faculties.

If your University is not already doing it, field trips are very good learning environs. And it should not just be field trips where students are taken to listen to editors talk but it should be practical in the sense that you the learner are taken through the process of filing a story and this is where the editor guides the student through a hands-on approach. Learning visits (field trips) make a whole lot of difference. For instance, your University could plan visits to places where human rights violations have taken place, e.g., genocide museums in Rwanda. I have been there myself and it made a whole lot of difference to my human rights work. Being there gives a face to what you have only read or heard about in the classroom. If as a journalist, you are assigned to cover an extremely sensitive story, classroom knowledge alone will not provide you with the cons and ethos of how to handle such a story but field work will. There is so much to write but let me stop here for now.

Sharon Lamwaka, Uganda.

I wanted to share this excellent new resource on Reporting Gender Based Violence: A Handbook for Journalists, Published by Inter Press Service

Along with the other excellent chapters in the the handbook, a page is included on "Coping with the trauma of reporting on GBV", page 71.

"A great online resource is the DART Centre for Journalism and Trauma (http://dartcentre.org) – for journalists who cover violence. It also provides guidelines on how to cover violence, including online learning on journalism and trauma and photography and trauma. You can join the DART network and they are also available on social networking site, Facebook."

Nancy Pearson, New Tactics in Human Rights Program Manager