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The Media press conferences | pres s release s | non-mainstrea m medi a The medi a i s a powerfu l too l i f yo u kno w ho w t o us e i t effectively. I t ca n b e use d t o publicis e issue s an d mobilis e people. Media coverag e als o expand s th e siz e an d diversit y o f your audienc e whe n yo u ar e tryin g t o ge t a messag e across . Every communit y organise r need s t o hav e a basi c understanding o f ho w th e medi a works an d ho w to us e i t as a tool. Buildin g relationship s wit h reporter s an d medi a organisations i s als o ver y important . Th e media , sometime s referred t o a s th e press , include s newspapers , periodicals , radio, television an d Internet-base d new s groups. However, the mainstream media may not pay sufficient attentio n to wha t th e editor s regar d a s minorit y o r fring e issues . Eve n established group s hav e problem s sustainin g medi a attentio n since th e medi a i s alway s lookin g fo r somethin g new . A n important unresolve d issu e ma y just b e seen a s old new s unti l there i s a ne w development . I n the year s t o come , peopl e wil l likely ge t mor e an d mor e informatio n fro m alternativ e mean s rather tha n vi a the mainstrea m media . NGOs nee d to becom e more sophisticate d i n usin g alternativ e strategie s t o ge t thei r issues out to the public . You may wish to explore different forms of getting your messag e across, suc h a s makin g pamphlets , whic h yo u ca n distribut e Getting Heard locally, o r creatin g you r ow n website , whic h yo u ca n us e t o provid e visual an d audi o presentation s vi a th e Internet . Indeed , wit h today' s low-cost, user-friendl y technologies , yo u ca n b e you r ow n reporter . People ar e becomin g mor e an d mor e comfortabl e wit h gettin g information fro m th e Internet . Wit h wireles s technology , i t wil l onl y become easier , faste r an d cheaper t o acces s al l kind s o f information , even out of the office - fo r example, when ridin g a bus. In thi s chapter , w e wil l loo k a t dealin g wit h th e mainstrea m medi a before considering som e simple ways to target alternative media . Holding a press conferenc e Use thi s a s a checklis t t o decid e whethe r yo u shoul d hav e a pres s conference an d how to organise one: • D o yo u hav e somethin g newsworth y t o say ? Thi s i s th e firs t question yo u mus t ask . Doe s the issu e hav e som e wide r publi c appeal or interest? Why should anyone else be interested i n this issue? • Wher e shoul d I hold a pres s conference ? Yo u d o no t nee d a n expensive venue . I f yo u ar e workin g o n a distric t issue , fin d a place i n you r distric t lik e a communit y hall , a socia l servic e centre, a schoo l o r eve n somewher e i n you r housin g estate , especially i f the issue concerns the estate. If you want to have a bigger even t the n yo u ca n hir e a venue i n a n easil y accessibl e place (se e Appendi x IV) . Ther e i s n o nee d t o provid e refreshments. • Ho w long should a press conference be ? Reporter s are busy so your conferenc e shoul d b e n o longe...

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