media advocacy toolkit

Media Advocacy Toolkit

Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare Inc. Media Advocacy Toolkit, Page 1

Media Advocacy Toolkit

2011

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION

7

PURPOSE OF THE TOOLKIT

8

WHAT IS ADVOCACY?

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THE MEDIA AS AN ADVOCATE

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MEDIA ADVOCACY TOOLKIT A. DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION

1. Popularizing POPDEV and RP/RH/FP in Radio Broadcasting

2. The Role of Media in Popularizing POPDEV and RP/RH/FP in Print Media

10

B. THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

19

REFERENCES

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15

INTRODUCTION This media toolkit was developed to help the media practitioners become more effective in promoting the cause of reproductive health, population and sustainable development.

By becoming effective media practitioners, the stakeholders’ awareness of population development issues will be raised and consequently attract allies and sway public opinion.

This toolkit provides useful tips, and how-to’s to help media volunteers and partners to advocate for population development. For those who are new to media work, this toolkit provides the basics for getting started to advocate for population and development (POPDEV), responsible parenthood (RP), reproductive health (RH) and family planning (FP). For the seasoned media practitioners, each part of the resource guide can serve as a checklist for their ongoing efforts.

Population and Development is very simple yet very complicated because of its interrelationship that greatly affects the development of a country.

Population affects development and outcomes define development processes.

its

For the country to ensure wellbeing of its citizenry, it has to be responsive to the needs of its people.

There are identified gaps and challenges concerning the increasing population of the country:

4. One-child gap between the actual and desired fertility rate; and 5. High and increasing unmet need for family planning services.

The media has a big role to play in all facets of life, including the continuous provision of health care for the mother and child.

However, more often than not, media practitioners encounter difficulty in writing, interpreting, discussing, and reporting topics particularly on POPDEV, RP, RH and FP. The national and provincial media are very much involved in all areas of information dissemination. Media even air instructional materials hoping that it can help inculcate the importance of responsible parenthood and family planning in the minds of couples thereby contributing to the welfare of communities and the nation as a whole.

Readers, viewers and listeners look up to or even idolize some media practitioners and personalities.

It is therefore important to provide media men and women with reference materials and the necessary training on current population and development concerns, including RP, RH and FP. These materials constitute a timely response to the needs of target media practitioners for new and innovative information that would guide them in writing and reporting.

1. Lack of responsive population policy; 2. High population growth rate; 3. Higher fertility rates for those women in rural areas with no education and who are poor; Media Advocacy Toolkit, Page 7

PURPOSE OF THE TOOLKIT This toolkit has been designed to support journalists / media practitioners interested in understanding and developing the stakeholders’ engagement about POPDEV, RP, RH and FP. Specifically, this toolkit aims to provide information for media practitioners to: •

Understand the issues and concepts relating to POPDEV, RP, RH and FP.

•

Understand how they can play a pivotal role in influencing the attitudes and behaviors of decision makers and the community.

•

Enhance their skills on popularizing POPDEV, RP, RH and FP in print and broadcast media.

WHAT IS ADVOCACY? Advocacy is a political process by an individual or group, which normally aims to influence public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated by moral, ethical or faith principles or simply undertaken to protect an asset of interest.

One can engage in advocacy by meeting with a legislator on an important issue, writing an editorial for a newspaper, raising awareness for a cause in a community event, or even promoting an issue while having dinner with friends.

Advocacy occurs when an individual engages in dialogue about an issue they care about.

It can occur in many forms such as speaking out, letter writing, protesting, voting, and even wearing a t-shirt that makes a statement. It can help individuals make clear their own views and wishes; express and present their views effectively and faithfully; obtain independent Media Advocacy Toolkit, Page 8

advice and accurate information; and negotiate and resolve a conflict.

THE MEDIA AS AN ADVOCATE Media is a general name for the people, businesses and organization in the communication industry that includes journalists, reporters and photographers.

They transmit information about society to a wide audience; investigate issues that an individual would not have time or resources to research themselves; and influence public opinion through editorials and news coverage They also question the government, organizations and institutions on behalf of the citizenry (also known as civic journalism) and expose issues or problems that some people or organizations do not want to be made public or want to avoid discussing.

Advocacy and Public Interest Personal Advocacy Each one of us has our own personal advocacy, quietly upheld or otherwise.

Journalists are impartial, unbiased, fair, just or plain presenter of facts.

Public Interest On the other hand, there are issues and current or future concerns that may affect the greater majority or public.

It is the journalist’s role to educate, inform, and enlighten the public on these issues and concerns.

UPWARD COMMUNICATION Target audiences of upward communication are policymakers and decision makers. The advocacy approaches that can be used are: • • •

Editorials addressed to specific policy makers of government, e.g., legislators and executives Press conferences TV or radio guesting of policy makers to voice out their opinions and position on a particular area of concern or interest affecting the vast majority, especially the constituents.

DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION Target audiences of downward communication are stakeholders and the general public.

Direct contact with the masses and other interest groups are done through text-ins, phone patch, interviews, forums and press conferences.

STOPA Process Stop means stop being unfocused. Rather spend time and focus on a particular advocacy issue.

Think and reflect what the issue is all about. Why the need to advocate and how to be creative in developing your compelling messages.

Observe how the issues are affecting the lives and opinions of others. Develop a story on the issue by putting a human face.

Plan and strategize how your advocacy messages/storyline will be delivered or presented.

Act by effectively delivering your

message and do not forget to evaluate.

Was I effective? Did I “touch” my listeners, viewers or readers?

PURPOSIVE AND PLANNED Advocacy is purposive and planned. It aims to influence public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. It may be motivated by moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an interest. Advocacy strategies are aimed to take the “win-win” positions without sacrificing the potential benefits of the majority or the target beneficiaries.

Media Advocacy Toolkit, Page 9

Targets of Advocacy Messages 1. Primary audience – people with the greatest influence to solve the problem being addressed by the advocacy campaign.

They are the key policy makers.

2. Secondary audience – people who can influence the primary audience. They are the influentials like the media, key staff of policy makers, youth, academe and the business sector.

4. Strengthen partnership with developmental agencies and institutions. Facilitate audience’s contact with them.

5. Encourage feedback and conduct regular evaluation of programs. Be flexible enough to adjust the program with what the audiences prefer.

Program Planning Essentials •

Needs must be indentified and validated

•

Audience awareness includes their needs and aspirations.

•

Objectives are expressed in terms of outputs like a policy, an ordinance, expression of support or dissent.

•

Message is the very core of advocacy that is expressed in a short but understandable and compelling mode.

The purpose of community broadcasting is the same as that of development broadcasting: to promote development. It differs mainly in its coverage – a small geographic area that is commonly referred to as community.

•

Form/presentation is the means of strategically and creatively conveying the message. This is the essence of “tell” and the realization through “action” of advocacy.

Tips on Planning and Producing Development Radio Programs

•

Resources support the advocacy activities.

These include the right people doing the right advocacy activities at the right time and place with the right audience and with adequate financial support.

POPULARIZING POPDEV AND RP/RH/FP IN RADIO BROADCASTING Development broadcasting is using the broadcast media, particularly radio, in helping the people diagnose their problems, clarify their objectives, overcome their obstacles, and stimulate them for social action that will result to the betterment of their lives. (Gomez, 1975).

1. Set clear and definite objectives. Be definite with what you want to achieve with the program.

2. Always consider the audiences. Take an effort to know them well. Base the program on what they need and want.

3. Allow audiences to participate in the program either by involving them in program planning and production or by allowing them to contribute numbers by sharing their talents in the production.

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Steps in Producing a Radio Broadcast 1.

2.

3.

4.

Gather broadcast materials Write the script Audition talents, music and sound effects Tape, mix, and dub

Pre-Broadcasting, Broadcast and Post-Broadcast Activities

4. Evaluating the Broadcast

It is the testing of the production on a group of individuals who represent the target listeners prior to its actual airing in order to find out if:

Carrying out an evaluation is a way of knowing how the broadcast has affected the listeners and how they responded to it. The evaluation results will be useful in planning and designing the objectives, contents, and form of the future radio broadcasts.

•

The Radio Script

1. Pretesting

• • • • • 2.

The message is relevant to the target listeners.

It attracts attention.

The message is clear and understood.

It makes the target listeners involved in the issue.

It is acceptable to listeners’ culture.

The format and the presenters of information are acceptable to the listeners.

Campaigning for Listenership

It means informing the target listeners about the airing of the production.

Materials and strategies that may be used for this include fliers or handbills, posters, short radio announcements, announcements through public address system, and personal visit to the target listeners.

A radio script is a written material that contains dialogue, as well as directions for music, voicing, and sounding effect that must go into the production. It tells the announcer exactly what to say or do, and when and how to say it. It ensures smooth continuity of the production and accuracy of information; helps in organizing information; and aid in proper timing of the production.

Scripts may be prepared in different forms.

However, it is important that a station follows in particular or standard script format and that each radio staff is familiar with it. All radio staff must have a common understanding or interpretation of all script markings so that they can coordinate the various elements during production.

3. Airing and Broadcast Monitoring

Principles of Clear and Effective Writing for Monitoring aims to determine the listeners’ Radio feedback on the production. Positive feedback gives assurance that the broadcast objectives are being met, while negative feedback should alert the producer about any hindrance to the success of the production.

Feedback may be gathered from letters, phone calls, text messages, e-mail. Other feedback gathering strategies include the conduct of radio contests, field broadcast, and formal listenership survey.

1. Write for the ear • • •

Prefer simple and shorter words Avoid numbers or statistics Be conscious of sound clashes

2. Be informal or conversational • •

Write using the first and second person form Use contractions

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3. Aim for clarity • • • •

Use words that are familiar, commonly used, acceptable to listeners Remove unnecessary words Be accurate and precise Provide meaning of acronyms and abbreviations

4. Write sentences in the active form

4. Subject Magazine The program discusses a particular subject matter

Contents of a Radio Magazine A single magazine program may contain some, if not all, of the following parts or segments: •

Interview/s probably with an expert about a topic or with the people on the street about their opinion on a topic/issue, or with a person about his/her experience.

•

Short Dramatization of Information

Radio magazine is a production containing many different kinds of materials. The following characteristics differentiate it with other kinds of radio productions:

•

Trivia (bits of information)

•

Musical number maybe from records, CDs, or tapes, or rendered by local talent(s)

•

It contains segments that tackle a variety of topics or subjects.

•

News, short situationer reports, updates, or announcement

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The segments are presented in different style or presentations.

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Features story of an interesting topic

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Different voice talents are involved.

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Audience participation such as phone calls, letters, studio guests or visitors

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The segments are tied together by narration, music, and sound effects.

•

Radio Plugs

5. Use descriptive words 6. Relate the messages with the listeners’ experiences

Types of Magazine Programs 1. Variety Magazine A program that tackles unrelated topics 2. News Magazine Contains news items that are presented in different forms such as interview, feature, trivia, dramatization, etc.

3. Special Audience Magazine A program designed for a specified group of audience Media Advocacy Toolkit, Page 12

Guidelines for Producing a Radio Magazine 1. Identify the target audience • •

For whom is the program?

What are their needs and interest?

2. Specify program objectives •

Be definite with what you expect from the listeners after they have been exposed to the program/messages.

Do you expect only knowledge gain or awareness of the issue/topic, of change in behavior/practice?

3. Gather enough information about topic.

Do search.

4. Review the materials that you have gathered. Select only those that are relevant to the objectives of the program.

5. Prepare an outline/running order of the program.

6. Determine the appropriate treatment/ manner of presentation of each segment.

7. Approximate the length of each segment.

8. Write the script for the different segments and for the continuity narration.

9. Prepare for taping/production.

• • • •

Select and rehearse the voice talents Audition music and sound effects Set the production schedule and inform the technical staff and the radio talents Prepare enough copies of the final script for the talents, technician, director, and other members of the production team

School-On-the-Air (SOA) is a specially designed radio program where the subject matter is presented systematically and in progressive manner with the ultimate goal of achieving desired results under a teachinglearning situation.

The techniques employed are instructional although the broadcasts are not under classroom conditions. Instead, students listen in their own homes by themselves or in groups. In other words, the SOA makes full use of non-formal education techniques and processes.

1. Characteristics of the SOA • • •

Has clearly defined behavioral objectives Well-planned About a single, definite subject matter

• •

The subject matter is presented in progressive manner Done as a cooperative project between a radio station and an agency

2. Planning a SOA • • • •

Identify a subject matter.

Decide on a format.

Identify a Subject Matter Specialist (SMS) Prepare a course outline

3. Conducting the SOA Pre-Broadcast Activities • • • • •

Preparation of course syllabus Enrolment campaign Pre-broadcast examination Writing the radio modules/lessons Recording of lessons

Broadcast Activities • • • • • •

Orientation broadcast Motivating students I-broadcast tests Monitoring students’ progress Modification of broadcast methods Visit to students/enrollees

Post-Broadcast Activities • • • • • •

General course review Post-broadcast examination Graduation Follow-up Evaluation of the SOA Visiting the graduates

4. The SOA Production Team • • • • •

Management Team Production Team Field Coordination Team Engineering Team Evaluation Team Media Advocacy Toolkit, Page 13

or no. Instead, encourage the interviewee to talk more extensively about the topic being discussed, voice out his opinion, his personal experiences or his stand on the subject matter being discussed.

Essential Elements and Helpful Tips to Become Appropriate and Credible Newscasters 1. Timeliness. Time is the most important element of broadcast media reporting. The broadcaster does not own the airwaves. It is a privilege to use the airwaves because airtime is very expensive.

• • •

The broadcaster must consider the listening tolerance of listeners, which is only 2.37 minutes.

Use active form of sentence – events that happened yesterday has to appear in broadcast news as if it is happening now.

Application of timeliness in responsible parenthood and family planning stories: The reporter can discuss the nagging issues and concerns due to increasing population that depletes the resources intended for everybody; put more human face on the issue generating ideas, sentiments of real couples affected by the challenge.

2. Aspirational. Develop positive stories.

• • • •

Ensure that there is balance to one’s content.

Make sure that information is from reliable sources.

Expand your horizons, link with other sectors and update your information and statistics.

Application: Development of positive stories such as promotion of breastfeeding.

3. Language. Use language acceptable to your listeners.

• • •

Use language / dialect appropriate to the listeners.

Consider your listeners ability to understand, their interests and their dislikes.

Application: During interviews, avoid asking question that can be answered by yes

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4. Eloquence. It is the mastery of the language, the approach to a right diction, mastery of information and extent of substantive research.

• • • •

Media practitioners should master their information.

Maximize available sources and learn the STOP process or the Stop – Think – Observe Plan.

Not just mastery of terms but also mastery of information.

Make sure that you are a broadcaster and not a newsreader.

5. Novelty. Making sure that you leave a mark; making sure your story is different from the rest.

• • •

Make sure that the people would understand the novel stories.

Know the parts of the story to stress or emphasize.

Application: Put stress point in the story and remember that 2.37 make up the listening tolerance of a listener.

6. Truth. Present both sides of the story. A responsible journalist always presents a balanced story.

•

Present also negative side in an aspirational story so that you will not be accused of doing PR work.

Timeliness, Aspirational, Language, Eloquence, Novelty and the Truth is T.A.L.E.N.T. Effective communication is an inherent talent.

THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN POPULARIZING POPDEV AND RP/RH/FP IN PRINT MEDIA Print media can be a very strong medium to influence one’s mindset in the context of promoting and supporting the different initiatives of the government for responsible parenthood and population management.

Putting a human face to one’s story will be very helpful to achieve the main objective of moving local legislators to act on the current situation of their constituents.

•

The media and its enhancements can further be used in order to bring more awareness.

This is because of the fact the there are still areas that need to be covered.

•

Provide education on human sexuality and family life in its varying forms to all, including means of marriage enrichment, rights of children, responsible and joyful expression of sexuality, and changing attitudes toward male and female roles in the home and in the marketplace.

Role of M.E.D.I.A M E D I A

- Mediator (bridging the gap; emissary of truths) - Equalizer (relevant experience and expertise; ethical at all times; equal, effect changes - Disciple (desire / drive, disposition : internal and external ; dominant) - Informant (interpersonal, interdisciplinary, influential, inhibit) - Advocate (associate, advance change)

•

People will resort to reading the details when they want to come up with their individual conclusion of certain news.

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Encourage everyone to do their own research, personal readings on the topics to understand effectively the different issues and concerns that affect the whole population.

Basic to media who advocated for RH / RP / FP should include: •

Changing negative perceptions.

•

Various types of media have been used to enlighten those without a source of information for quite some time now. These include newspapers, radio, television, and of course, the most pervasive internet. All these may be used in order to gain attention in whatever issue is at hand.

•

Provide counseling opportunities for married couples and those approaching marriage on the principles of responsible parenthood.

•

Build understanding of the problems posed to society by the rapidly growing population of the world, and of the need to place personal decisions concerning childbearing in a context of the well-being of the community.

•

Understand the family as encompassing a wider range of options than that of the twogenerational unit of parents and children and promote the development of all socially responsible and life-enhancing expressions of the extended family, including families with adopted children, single parent, those with no children, and those who choose to be single.

Media Advocacy Toolkit, Page 15

•

•

View parenthood in the widest possible framework, recognizing that many children of the world today desperately need functioning parental figures, and understanding that adults can realize the choice and fulfillment of parenthood through adoption or foster care.

Encourage men and women to actively demonstrate their responsibility by creating a family context of nurture and growth in which the children will have the opportunity to share in the mutual love and concern of their parents.

Role of Media in the Society 1. Media should respect the sentiments and ethics of the people they serve.

2. Media has the power to speak boldly against wrong politicians. Media give voices to the poor people. When nobody listens to a man, only the media raise its voice.

3. Media should offer choices as many new media and channels are coming up.

4. Avoid “sensationalizing’ the news items.

5. Media play an important role in the welfare of our society.

6. Media have a constructive role to play for the society.

7. Media are the watchdog of the political democracy.

8. Media can make or break successes.

9. Media are a powerful weapon that is used to target not few but large masses.

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Points to Remember 1. The first and foremost duty of the media is to inform the people about the latest news and events of the city.

2. At city level, media should create the awareness about health and cleanliness programs. Media should try to create the harmony between different communities by making dramas and different programs on social issues.

3. It is a fact that media channels are thought to be highly credible in the sense of providing news. This makes media practitioners very responsible and journalists need to use that responsibly wisely.

4. The news should not be based or should not show any sectarianism.

5. The ultimate goal of the media practitioners should be to shape a positive attitude of people towards social, political, environmental, and repro-health issues.

6. The reporters should keep in mind the cultural values of people from different backgrounds.

7. Although, today there are many foreign TV channels available with variety of entertainment programs, but still sometimes, they do not meet the demands of local people with rural backgrounds.

There is a dire need to make our media channels culturally strong.

MEDIA has both positive and negative impact on sexuality education. Knowing the characteristic features of media helps to deal with its effects: 1. Media’s influence is pervasive. It has the power to shape and modify public opinion.

Adolescents and youth, bombarded with all sorts of sexual messages in media, may be influenced to make unhealthy sexual choices.

2. The reality conveyed by media is not unmediated reality – the information does not come directly from the source to the consumer but it processed through organization such as newspaper or news agency, the television or radio company and filtered through the perspectives of the editor, the reporter, the photographer, etc.

They, in fact effect, construct the reality of being projected.

•

Tangible and portable

•

Details can be reviewed and re-read.

•

Generally archived and can be accessed for research.

•

Good option for targeting educated target market

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Always in the eye of the public – especially magazines which are usually published once a month. Its lifespan can go on for years.

Types of Print Media •

Newspapers – the most popular form of print media; can be a daily newspaper or a weekly tabloid

•

Magazines

3. Market force driven media – to increase their circulation ratings, pleasing the audience becomes a prime consideration.

•

Newsletters

•

Brochures

4. Media can be edited/manipulated to suit the interests of publishers and sponsors.

•

Posters – form of outdoor advertising; message has to be brief and eye catching as it targets a person on the move.

PRINT MEDIA This medium is very popular to reach the target audience for advertisers.

Advantages •

Can be a very strong medium to influence one’s mindset

•

People resort in reading details to understand deeply the issue so that they can come up with their individual conclusion of a certain news

•

Have loyal readership.

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TIPS IN PRINT AND BROADCAST MEDIA

General Rules of Writing for Broadcast

1. Keep it simple. Viewers are not reading what you are writing; they are hearing it.

People watching TV or listening to the radio generally do not have time to check a dictionary.

1. The best way to learn broadcast style is to listen to radio deejays and television anchors/reporters

Example: PRINT: The physician conducted an extensive autopsy on the suspect’s cadaver (Isinailalim ng doctor sa isang masusing pagsisiyasat ang katawan ng suspek.)

BROADCAST: The doctor did an autopsy on the body (Isinailalim ng doctor sa autopsy and suspek).

2. Keep it short. Generally, sentences in broadcast copy should be even shorter than those found in print articles because shorter sentences are more easily understood than long ones.

3. Keep it conversational.

4. Use active voice in news casting.

5. Learn how to use a lead in sentence since this serves as a kind of headline for the story.

6. Put attribution at the start of the sentence for broadcast news writing; put the attribution at the end of the sentence for print news stories.

7. Learn and unlearn the techniques in leaving out unnecessary details because print stories tend to include many details that do not have time in broadcast.

2. Write clearly and read copy aloud to hear how it sounds 3. Use conversational style – simple and direct 4. Transitions are necessary, but pay close attention to how natural they sound in the broadcast 5. Use active voice 6. Emphasize the latest news of a continuing story, but give necessary background early to provide context for the story. The rule is that every story should stand on its own 7. Use present tense 8. Don’t cram too much information into the lead 9. Don’t underestimate your audience and talk down to them 10. Keep sentences short and economical 11. Avoid highly technical words, professional jargon, clichés and obfuscation (hiding of intended meaning in communication; making communication confusing) by bureaucrats 12. Avoid sexism in pronouns 13. Find the lead, then tell story chronologically 14. Answer logical questions. If you don’t know the answer, say so but do not ignore the question

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15. Be careful in using some words that have more than one meaning and if not use properly might put their work at risk: a) Accident b) Admit c) Claim d) Elderly e) Guerilla, insurgent rebel f) Leftist, rightist, radical g) Sanction, sanctions h) Survey 16. Make sure the word you say is the one you mean. Be cautious of the most misused, misunderstood or mispronounced words by broadcasters. a) Accept, except b) Allude, refer c) Allusion, illusion d) Boycott, embargo e) Die, kill f) Emigrate, immigrate g) Ensure, insure h) Rebut, refute i) Toward j) Whether or not 17. Be sure to have a script in radio reporting to make sure your thoughts are in order and your information are processed properly.

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN ADVOCACY Social Media are media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable communication techniques (e.g. web-based and mobile technologies) to turn communication into interactive dialogue.

• • • •

Photobucket Flicker Multiply Twitter

Internet radio and internet newspapers are likewise popular communication tools in bringing the advocacy messages to the public.

Advantages of Social Media 1. Allows media practitioners to connect with hundreds of people on a daily basis.

2. Quick, easy and cheap sharing and receiving information, even photos and videos.

3. Can be utilized to spread awareness to media practitioner’s networks.

4. Encourage interaction (comments, reactions, ideas, insights, views, opinions) in real time.

5. Can help build positive presence and increase community base.

6. Social polls invite people to share their votes in a particular issue.

7. Social streams display positive messages about an issue or a campaign.

8. Social video players enable easy reposting of videos to various social media networks.

9. Social momentum utilizes the power to influence to reinforce a call to action.

Popular Social Networking Sites • • • •

Friendster Facebook MySpace YouTube Media Advocacy Toolkit, Page 19

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH (RH) is both a Choice and a Right of every Filipino couples and individuals.

New angles to RH stories

Major themes of coverage/commentary on Population, Development, and Family Planning

•

• • • • •

Mismatch between population resources Population policy in the service of development Church vs. State ‘Natural’ vs. ‘Artificial’ ‘Contraception and abortion’

and

These are examples of advocacy themes or issues to promote public awareness.

Three Steps to better coverage

1. Population and Development

•

•

Language reflects concepts Language affects analyses

2. Update your sources • •

‘Evidence-based’ networks Stakeholders - Women - Men - Teens - LGUs

3. Give a human face to the issue • • • • •

Women Men Teens Families Communities

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Who pays? – Employers, workers, PhilHealth, local or national government?

2. Health and Population policy •

Voices of other stakeholders – youth, sex workers, migrant workers, gays and lesbians, older persons

•

How is policy formulated? – Who are consulted? How is budget determined?

•

What is the LGU’s health budget? How does it compare with others?

1. Update your language • •

Impact of migration on services, peace and order, employment Link between health services/allocations and human development at national, local level

3. Reproductive health issues • • •

Men’s right to contraception Breastfeeding and milk marketing Health insurance policies - Assisted fertility - Contraceptive supplies - Incentives/disincentives

TIPS for Media Practitioners: 1. The language you use reflects a certain concepts – adopt international communication and the accepted language.

2. Develop a questioning attitude – check all the assertions given to you.

3. Strengthen the information campaign of the government on Population Development and cascading the right and correct information about the status, updates of pressing issues.

Let us help the government and other related sectors in restoring respect for one’s body and do not rely on temporary pleasures but work on our values and principles according to our faith, belief, rights and benefits.

4. Continue to improve and exert more effort to learn and unlearn to achieve a better, quality and substantive coverage of reproductive health.

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References Writing and Reporting About Responsible Parenting and Natural Family Planning - A Guide for Media, POPCOM, May 2010 Responsible Parenting Handbook, POPCOM, November 2009 Educational Communication, College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines at Los Banos, 2010 Development Communication, College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines at Los Banos, 2010 Science Communication: Popularizing Scientific and Technical Information, College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines at Los Banos, 2010 Community Communication, College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines at Los Banos, 2010 Community Radio Broadcasting, College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines at Los Banos, 2010 Violence Against Women: A fight for Equality, Justice and Self Determination, SARH-Phils in cooperation with PNGOC and Ford Foundation Inc. RH at the Grassroots-Stories and Features on Reproductive Health, Developed and produced by Raya Media Services, Inc. with the Assistance of UNFPA, 2000 Media Alliance for Reproductive Health, Gender and Population, PNGOC, 2005

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Unit 305 Diplomat Condominium Bdlg., Russel Ave., cor Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, 1300 Philippines Tel: (632) 8323267; Telefax: (632) 8521898; Website: www.pngoc.org Media Advocacy Toolkit, Page 24