1. Media Advocacy :An Overview
Akinbode Oluwafemi
Deputy Executive Director
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria

2. Introduction What we will talk about: What is Advocacy
Understanding communication
What is Media Advocacy?
Audience diagnosis
Messaging/Message Development
Crisis Media Management

3. What is Advocacy
Getting those in Power and Interest to Act In the Interests of those without Power and Influence
Broadly three types:
People-Centred
Policy
Political

4. Advocacy….
“The pursuit of influencing outcomes including public-policy and resource-allocation decisions within political, economic and social systems and institutions that directly affect people’s lives.” - Advocacy for Social Justice,2001

5. Advocacy…..
Gathering, Organiszing and formulating information and data into effective argument-which are then communicated to policy –makers (for e.g) through selected methods to change an existing situation

6. What is Communication?
Communication is Purposeful Relaying Message( s) from a Sender through a Medium to a Receiver
The Question goes to Participants first

7. Can Public Health Be Badly Communicated

8. What is Media Advocacy
Deliberate use of the mass media to advance behavioural changes or to promote social or public policy initiatives.

9. Why Media Advocacy? It has huge capacity for creating mass awaresness
Trusted by the public and policy makers
Connects behavioural change to political and policy agendas
Feared by the Industry
It is a contested space

10. Components of Media Campaign
Context
The Message
The Messenger/ Encoder
Mediums/channel
The receivers/Decoder
Feedback
Components of Media Campaign

12. Steps to creating Media Advocacy Campaign
Develop
Develop a theory of change
Frame
Frame the issue
Identify
Identify your publics. who do you want to influence:
Adults, young people, community, specific professionals
Policy makers, government agents, legislators (local, national)
Pick
Pick your tools/medium

13. You Must be SMART
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound

14. Tools Traditional : Newspapers, Radio, TV,
Outdoor: Billboard, Mobile advert?
Social Media: SMS, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp etc.
Community Outreach: Rallies , roadshows, Mobile Theater , Town halls, community meetings etc. (can be integrated into media campaign planning)

15. Tools
No one size fits all approach, each campaign is unique

16. Tips for Effective Media Advocacy
Train
Journalists, parliamentarians, law enforcement agencies
Yourself
Recruit
Professionals into TC campaign (Health, Lawyers, Economists)

17. TIPS Planned – clear and result in mind
Keep Message Simple and concrete : AIDS KILLS
Appeal to emotions
Support individual behavior change : DON’T CONDEMN VICTIMS
Build momentum : BE CONSISTENT
Integrate messages into a variety of media
Institutionalize messages
Focus on the benefits

18. Tips Think of/deal with the media as a beautiful bride
Be knowledgeable
Have a Media plan
If budget permits, engage a professional
Keep and regularly update your media list/contacts
Everybody likes freebees but don’t bribe
Create effective media worthy events
Build partnerships not transactional relationship

19. Crisis Media Management

24. Crisis Media Management
Expect Backlash- These comes in various forms
Stay on Message
Always set the media agenda
Don’t panic
Sometimes, Silence is Golden

25. ALWAYS BE PREPARED

26. Devloping Advocacy Plan

27. Developing Media Plan