USING MEDIA AND RESEARCH FOR ADVOCACY Acknowledgements This guide draws heavily on an earlier guide which was co- written by Emma Must. Many thanks to the editing and layout assistance of Sian FitzGerald, Lori Jones, and Syed Samsul Alam, Using Media and Research for Advocacy: and to Shoba John for her diligent help in chasing down stories. I would like to thank to all of those who responded to our call for Low Cost Ways to Increase Success information, and who offered suggestions, advice, and examples for the previous and current versions of this guide: the Advocacy Institute, Nguyen Hoai An, Izama Angelo, ASH (London), Asociación Salvadoreña de la Juventud (El Salvador), Simon Chapman, Véronique Le Clézio, Mary Cook, Cancer Patients Aid Debra Efroymson Association (CPAA), Yel Daravuth, Andjelka Dzeletovic, Finn von Eyben, Cecilia Farren, Trish Fraser, Hemant Goswami, Rakesh Gupta, Thomas Gyimah-Mensah, Tran Thieu Khanh Ha, Greg Hallen, Mai-Anh Hoang, Belinda Hughes, Andrew Hyland, Paula Johns, John Kapito, Phillip Karugaba, Dr Javaid Khan, Tran Minh Khanh, Nguyen Tuan Lam, Susana Hennessey Lavery, Karen Lewis, Judith Mackay, Ross MacKenzie, Rafiqul Islam Milon, Mission Housing Development Corporation, Shanta Lal Mulmi, Akinbode Oluwafemi, Marta Patoprsta, Ralph and Barbara Patterson, Manjari Peiris, Mike Pertschuk, Dzhamilya Sadykova, San Francisco Tobacco Free Coalition, Inoussa Saouna, Dina So, David Sweanor, Christine Thompson, Le Thi Thu, Mitsuaki Toyoda, Asutosh Tripathy, Anna White, Ian Willmore, Marcus Yu, the staff of WBB Trust, and the World Development Movement. HealthBridge June 2006 USING MEDIA AND RESEARCH FOR ADVOCACY Table of Contents Appendix 6: Further Reading and References.................................55 I. INTRODUCTION......................................................................... 3 Appendix 7: Research on Women’s Economic Contribution through Unpaid Work, Guidelines and Suggestions......................55 Purpose of this guide....................................................................................3 What is advocacy?.........................................................................................3 Appendix 8: Press Coverage of the Value of Women’s Unpaid Work ......................................................................................................57 Why use the media for advocacy? ..............................................................4 Appendix 9: Parking, the Key to Car Control: Interesting and Why use research for advocacy?.................................................................6 Useful Comparisons ............................................................................58 Getting started...............................................................................................6 Appendix 10: Pictorial Warnings on Cigarette Packs.....................61 The media can be very cheap—and often free!.........................................7 Appendix 12: Useful Websites on Transport Issues .......................63 Research does not need to be lengthy or costly ........................................7 Appendix 13: Useful Websites for Searching Tobacco Industry Conclusion .....................................................................................................7 Documents ............................................................................................64 II. LOW-COST MEDIA ADVOCACY ............................................ 8 How to make news: from A-Z….................................................................8 Conclusion ...................................................................................................29 III. RESEARCH FOR ADVOCACY............................................ 31 What is research for advocacy?.................................................................31 Getting Started.............................................................................................31 Types of Research for Advocacy...............................................................32 Presenting your research............................................................................36 Specific suggestions on research to meet your advocacy objectives....37 Conclusion ...................................................................................................46 IV. SUMMARY .................................................................................... 47 Appendix 1: Tips on Writing a Press Release.................................. 48 Appendix 2: How to Write a Letter to the Editor ........................... 50 Appendix 3: Tips on Writing a News Article.................................. 51 Appendix 4: How to Organize a Press Conference ........................ 52 Appendix 5: How to Monitor the Media ......................................... 54 USING MEDIA AND RESEARCH FOR ADVOCACY Foreword INTRODUCTION HealthBridge (formerly PATH Canada) has produced separate Purpose of this guide guides on using research for advocacy, and working with the This guide is intended for people who wish to work with media. This guide combines information from those previous governments for positive change and who are interested in guides and incorporates new and updated information. obtaining new ideas for expanding media coverage or conducting While the original guides were focused exclusively on media and research that will support their advocacy goals. research for tobacco control, this guide also addresses various The guide aims to: other issues, particularly transport. After all, advocacy through low-cost research and media is needed on a number of issues, not explain why using the media and targeted research can just tobacco; and those who have spent many years working on help secure better policies in your country, on a range of tobacco control can usefully put their experience to bear on other issues; issues as well. suggest various ways to make news, with lots of practical guidelines such as how to write a press release or organize Transport is particularly highlighted because it affects so many a press conference; aspects of our lives, and because its’ effect on health and the offer practical tips on ways to use the media for free or environment, on individual and government spending for very low cost; transport and fuel, on the global climate, and on city life are show how you can monitor the media; equally devastating and avoidable. explain the different types of research that can be used for Availability of low-cost transport will increase access of advocacy; and vulnerable groups to education, jobs, and health care; fuel-free propose guidelines for and concrete samples of research and public transport are often major sources of employment; and that can be used to meet advocacy objectives. expenditure on transport can be a major burden on the poor. Note that no information is completely definitive, and we often Women are particularly affected by poor transport, as they may succeed by breaking the rules. It is far more important to try what simply avoid going out, so that their low mobility further will work in your circumstances than to follow advice to the letter. decreases their access to needed services. Relatively few NGOs are addressing transport and urban issues, What is advocacy? yet much could be done that would have an enormously positive Governments have great power to influence personal behavior. impact. To learn more, read on... Much of what people do is based not on their individual characteristics, but on the surrounding environment. If the environment encourages social interaction, people are friendly; if it encourages isolation, people lead more lonely existences. If it is easy to get about by foot, bicycle, and public transport, people will use those means, especially if car use is also discouraged through I. high parking fees and other measures; if the easiest way to get about is by car, then people will drive. In countries where taxes USING MEDIA AND RESEARCH FOR ADVOCACY are high on cigarettes, tobacco advertising is banned, and most implement programs that will most benefit the public is called public places are smoke-free, smoking rates are lower than in advocacy. Given that we must often overcome great resistance on countries with weaker tobacco control policies. the part of governments to act for the public good, and convince government officials that in fact no other course is possible, In an ideal world, governments would always try to act in the best advocacy could be defined as the art of converting the impossible interest of their citizens by carefully weighing the effects of their into the inevitable. policies and actions and choosing those most likely to contribute to the public good. In a more realistic scenario, NGOs and For example, if the government is considering raising fares on individuals encourage governments to act in the public interest public transport and lowering taxes on private cars, NGOs might and plan their work so as to increase the chance that the meet together and create an advocacy plan. They would start by government will adopt positive policies and programs. identifying their objectives: to raise public protest against the proposed changes, to inform the government of their opposition, Public policies are not always based on existing evidence of what and finally to convince the government to reverse its decision. is best for health, the economy, or the environment. If they were, They would determine those activities that are most likely