Advocacy Tip of the Month, January 2007

Take Your Advocacy Up a Notch: Engage the Press

Because the news media are a key gateway to reaching a wider public and influencing policy makers, effective advocacy should include a plan for engaging the press. At the local level, news outlets have a considerable and often untapped potential to impact public opinion and policy making, on campus and beyond. And local news outlets are more likely to take the time to listen, especially if the person speaking is a member of the community.

Most organizations have strict policies about who talks to the press. Still, every NAFSA member can play a productive role in ensuring that their local press is informed about the issues that matter to them. NAFSAns are increasingly called upon by their institutions to serve as media relations resources. In many other instances, NAFSAns may not be the ones doing the talking, but they can help in other ways to raise the profile of important initiatives, programs, and policy issues. Members of Congress are also watching, and seeing international education in the spotlight in their local and district press makes them more aware of the key issues that matter to their constituents.

Action Steps for January

1. Be a resource.  You don’t have to be quoted to make a difference in the local news coverage of international education issues. In cooperation with your office supervisor, make sure your communications office knows what you do and how your programs are making a difference. Establish a relationship with that office, and help your cause by helping them: Give them examples of story ideas they could pass along to reporters, and alert them to brewing issues in the field that may be of interest to the press.

2. Do a media readiness check. Take a close look at your office communication plan. Does it need updating? Do you know what to do if a story breaks and your office is asked to respond? Are your contacts, statistics, and talking points fresh and up to date?

3. Download "Working with the News Media: A Different Kind of News Advocacy." Created just for NAFSA members, this handbook offers guidance and tools for working with – and dealing with – the news media.

4. Want to do more? Join NAFSA’s local press network. This small group of NAFSAns focuses on working with the press as a way to increase public and leadership awareness of international education at the local and state level. To find out more, contact Ursula Oaks at ursulao[at]nafsa.org

5. Interested in knowing more about your local press? Check out the “Guide to the Media” tool on the NAFSA Take Action Center.

View previous issues in the Tip of the Month Digest
The Advocacy Tip of the Month is meant to help further your knowledge of grassroots advocacy while offering tips to effectively engage your elected officials. Each month, we will give you information on the tip with action steps to take relating to that month’s tip. This information is distributed to all registered users of ACT and posted in NAFSA.news.