Bringing the International Day of No Prostitution Into the Media

For many of us, the media is a primary- and sometimes the only- means we have to reach the people we need to educate, inform, support, or confront: people who influence or shape policy and law, people who exploit or benefit from systems of prostitution, people who are trapped in systems of prostitution, and people who are unaware of or indifferent to the realities of prostitution.

The media is essential to our work and goals. And, we also need to be prepared for the reality that we may have little or no control over the stories told about our work and action, may not be able to get the coverage we need, and should be prepared for some frustrations or problems.

The purpose of a media toolkit is to assist you in interacting with and making the most effective use of the media and of your own time and resources. We have included information on finding media, tips and sample documents for contacting and interacting with the media, information on press conferences and press kits, ideas for getting media attention, and some issues to consider about giving testimony or interviewing. We have also included some ideas about alternative means of publicizing events or issues, particularly if the media venues available to you are giving you no or only harmful coverage.

Finally, we want to state that for anti-prostitution organizers, interactions with media are particularly complicated and risky because of the victim-blaming, scapegoating, and negative stereotypes that most societies direct at those who are prostituted. Giving careful and strategic thought to your public relations and media strategy is a key component of planning for the International Day of No Prostitution. It is very important to think through how to challenge mythologies about prostitution, how to prepare for common media stereotypes of feminists and activists as hysterical or without credibility, and how to use your own commitment, emotion, resources, and knowledge to create the most powerful impact.

We want to know your experiences with media and the IDNP! Click here to pass on news articles, or relate your own experiences

 

 

(table of contents, as a sidebar, or however makes sense)

Bringing the International Day of No Prostitution into the Media

Planning Your Communications Strategy

Types of Media, Finding Media

Contacting the Media

o How to Write A Press Release

o Sample Press Release

o How to Write a Press Advisory

o Sample Press Advisory

o How to Write A Letter to The Editor

o Sample Op-Ed letter

o How to Write A Public Service Announcement

o Sample Public Service Announcement

o How to Write a Calendar Listing

o Sample Calendar Listing

o "Tips for TV" by Tara Russakov, TV news producer

Organizing a Press Conference

Creating Press Kits or Educational Packets for Media

Combatting Myths About Systems of Prostitution: tips for interviewing and ways to monitor media

If You Are A Survivor: Some Issues to Consider About Giving Interviews or Testimony

Getting Media Attention: Creative Tactics and Strategies

Other Ideas for Getting the Message Out There: Creating Grassroots Publicity

 

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Planning Your Communications Strategy

Taking a little time to think through your plan for dealing with media and public relations, also known as your "communications strategy”, is worthwhile when preparing for the IDNP.

Identify the following:

WHO is your target audience(s)? (who do you want to educate, inform, confront, or influence?)

WHAT is your primary message(s)? (what do you want to be sure people take in and understand?)

HOW will you reach the public? (what media or publicity venues are available to you, and how will you contact and communicate with them? How can you achieve the kind of coverage you want- i.e. do you need to do background research for them, provide photos, etc.)

WHEN should you be interacting with media or seeking publicity? (what's your timeline?)

WHERE specifically do you want the media to be? (are you planning a press conference? do you want them at all or only some of your events?)

what OBSTACLES or difficulties do you anticipate, and how can you plan for them? (relative to negative coverage, difficulties in communications or practical planning, or how to frame complex issues)

what RESOURCES do you want to commit to media and publicity? (do you have funding or space to host a press conference, do you have to pay for access to a fax machine, do you have the time and energy to prepare press kits, do you want to spend time building relationships with people in the media?)

Once you have answered these 7 questions, you've got a basic agenda- and can think carefully about how best to reach the people you need to, and how to deliver the messages that you choose, given your resources and energy.

Click here if you are trying to decide whether to engage with the media at all

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In addition to these basic questions, it's also useful to consider the following:

If you anticipate that coverage of prostitution will be negative or harmful, is bad publicity better than no publicity?

Ideally, you can plan to try to get effective, clear coverage that doesn't entail scapegoating, victim-blaming, or mythologies about prostitution. But if you are dealing with conservative press, press who accept funding or advertising from or are owned by corporations that produce pornography or engage in trafficking, or for whatever reasons expect hostile coverage, it's realistic to think about whether the media can help you more than they harm you. Though we anticipate that in most cases, IDNP organizers will choose and need to access the media, it's not completely unusual for activist groups to choose not to inform the media, or to refuse to be photographed or interviewed, and to rely on community communication networks and independent publicity instead. This is something to decide well in advance of October 5th!

The following questions may help you make decisions:

1) If you don't engage with the media, will they cover you anyway? i.e. should you engage with them to try to do damage control or make the coverage less negative?

2) If you don't engage with the media, are there alternative ways to reach the public that will be effective and not too time-consuming?

3) Can you be selective? i.e. Are some media outlets worth the energy more than others?

4) Do you expect that any of the readers or viewers of the media will be likely to be critical of the coverage or able to 'read between the lines'? i.e. How well-informed are people in your area about this issue?

5) Who will be most hurt or affected if coverage is negative? i.e. will coverage will be a significant danger to those trapped in systems of prostitution, or will negative coverage hurt your policy or legal efforts?

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Types of Media, Finding Media

Mainstream Media

o Print

o Television

o Radio

Alternative Media

Using the Internet

Resources and Contact Information

(click on links)

Mainstream Media

The mainstream media refers to official, widely read, or generally respected media, not associated with the political left. Mainstream media outlets operate various ways, based on size, location, and type of media. If you have time, it’s useful to pay attention to differences between media outlets in your area- to take note of their coverage of prostitution and make contacts with individuals. Pay attention both to content, and to what languages most or all programs are aired in. However, in many cases, activists don’t have time to do more than find contact information and send out press releases, advisories, and other documents. Either way, it’s useful to identify as many media sources as you can. Though it’s rarely the case, if you have support or endorsements from local authorities or from advertisers whose business the media outlet relies on, this is a useful thing to communicate when it’s possible and appropriate.

Also keep in mind that the Associated Press, as an international media resource, is an important way to reach many venues at once. Click here for contact information for the Associated Press (http://www.ap.org/pages/aptoday/aptoday_contact.html)

For most forms of mainstream media, you can find listings for local print journalism in phone books under “media”, “press”, or “journalism”, or on the internet by typing in these same terms as search keywords, coupled with your location. Click here for more resources and media contact information

Print Media:

Types of print media include newspapers, magazines and newsletters. Though organizers are typically concerned with news oriented publications, keep in mind that magazines or newsletters without a news focus may sometimes run features or announcements about the IDNP. With the exception of rural areas, cities and towns in most countries have at least one local form of print journalism. It may also be useful to contact media in nearby regions, counties, or territories. Complete contact information, including fax, email and regular mail addresses are listed on the editorial pages of most publications. You can often locate smaller media outlets you’re unaware of by browsing newsstands, bookstores, or other shops that sell publications. Also keep in mind that many publications invite reader response on the web, and this is a useful place to get your message out, and to informally alert the editors to public interest in covering anti-prostitution efforts.

Television:

Most major public television stations run news programming, which will be the best option for media coverage. However, talking with station managers about whether coverage can be incorporated into other programming can be very useful. It’s useful to contact producers of talk shows, “wake up” or morning programming, and to dialogue with station managers about public service announcements. Non-public or cable television may also be willing to air public service announcements, or interview IDNP organizers on local programming. Contact information is sometimes listed in the credits of television programming, but if you contact the station directly, you can also request phone, fax, email and regular mail contacts for news and other programs. Use this opportunity to request information about which programs may be appropriate venues for your message. Many television stations have websites which will come up under a simple search, and give you lots of information about how they work. Many also invite reader response or comments on the web.

Radio:

You can easily identify local radio stations by browsing your radio dial, and spending a little time listening. This is useful to do to identify the format (i.e. musical, talk, news and information, religious) of each station, and to investigate whether the station might be receptive to your message. This may not be the easiest or fastest way to obtain contact information, however, and it’s useful to use phone books or the internet as well. If you are seeking radio stations outside your immediate area, you can turn to the internet, and also ask local stations if they are part of radio networks. Many radio stations are owned by chains or media outlets, and it can be very useful to ask for public service announcements or seek interview time on syndicated programs, across regions, states, or areas, rather than focusing solely on one local station. Keep in mind that it may be useful to make specific arrangements to try to get one or more organizers onto a radio call-in show, rather than focusing solely on news or public service announcements. Radio stations may also have web-based resources.

 

Alternative Media

Alternative or left-wing media may often, though not always, provide more sympathetic or accurate coverage than mainstream media. However, alternative media are often more difficult to locate. One positive thing about alternative media outlets is many will cover stories that are not local to a particular area, so researching national and international media outlets is often useful. ESCAPE works on international coverage for the IDNP, so feel free to send us information and announcements you want included in our press information. (We’re interested anyway!) Alternative outlets include: independent radio stations, newsletters, magazines, newspapers, and the occasional cable television show. Many outlets are specific to particular communities, causes or issues (e.g. labor, culture, women, or the environment). If you communicate about the relevance of the IDNP to social justice causes not specific to prostitution, keep in mind that you may receive coverage from a variety of publications or other media. Useful places to look include: classified advertising or listings of other publications, local activist organizations, the internet, informational tables at political events, alternative or diversified bookstores, fairs and festivals, and word of mouth. In many cases, political organizations will have internal newsletters you may not be aware of, so be sure to ask.

 

Using the Internet

Types of internet resources vary by language. Some ways to make use of the internet to publicize your event and make useful contacts include:

Making contact with website managers who might be willing to provide links or information about your events

Distributing announcements or press releases via email mailing lists or bulletin boards

Researching organizational resources via keyword searches

Setting up localized mailing lists to inform people about planning meetings or issues

Getting involved in international networking via the IDNP organizing mailing list (click here)

You can obtain lists of email lists by typing in the keyword “mailing list” or “email list” in an internet search engine.

Resources and Contact Information

The following links have useful contact directories and media listings:

http://www.mediachannel.org/

http://www.fair.org/resources.html

http://www.newslink.org

http://www.altmedia.about.com

http://www.broadcastnews.about.com

 

 

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Contacting the Media

There are a number of ways to reach the media. Generally, it’s most useful to make individual contacts with people in the media if you have the time, access, and ability to do so. Below are some specific examples and tips for contacting media in ways which will be likely to be effective.

o How to Write A Press Release

o Sample Press Release

o How to Write a Press Advisory

o Sample Press Advisory

o How to Write A Letter to The Editor

o Sample Letter to the Editor

o How to Write A Public Service Announcement

o Sample Public Service Announcement

o How to Write a Calendar Listing

o Sample Calendar Listing

o "Tips for TV" by Tara Russakov, TV news producer

(click on links)

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How to Write a Press or News Release

The purpose of a press release (also known as a news release) is to bring the attention of the media to an event, issue, or statement you want to make. News organizations do not respond to all press releases they receive, so it's generally most effective to write releases that are clear, to the point, and contain all the essential information needed to construct or outline a news article or story.

Your release should begin with the date, your contact information and organization(s) name, and a headline. The headline should grab the attention of the reader and summarize the content of your press release. Your opening sentence is also particularly important in communicating that your event or issue is newsworthy.

Following the opening sentence, you should focus on communicating the basic information journalists use: who, what, where, when, why, how. It's also useful to include a statement about the event in quotations that can be transferred directly into the text of a news story. It's useful to talk about both what the International Day of No Prostitution is globally, and what you are planning or combating locally.

When seeking coverage for the International Day of No Prostitution, it's particularly important to think about to think about how to encourage the media to cover the issue in terms which don't feed into victim-blaming or conservative assumptions or ideologies. Where you can, find ways to use the release to introduce your perspective or politics about the issue, or let the media know where to find out more background information that presents the issue from feminist and social justice perspectives.

We appreciate and encourage activists to include the  International Day of No Prostitution web pages as a source of centralized information about the IDNP. You may also want to list contacts for other good people to interview or supportive/sponsoring organizations appended to your release.

Releases are generally faxed, emailed or delivered- regular mail is unlikely to be timely. Depending on the size and scope of the media you're approaching, you may want to send out an initial release a week before October 5th, and then a second press release on October 2nd or 3rd as a reminder. This will allow adequate time to initiate media coverage before the IDNP.

Click here for information on finding contact information for media

 

Sample Press Release

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 1, 2002

Contact: International Day of No Prostitution Collective

 

email: idnp2002@hotmail.com

http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion/idnp/index.html

 

"Activists Challenge Prostitution Globally"

SAN FRANCISCO, USA, 10/1/02,  Feminists and social justice activists on six continents have organized the First International Day of No Prostitution this Saturday, October 5, 2002.

Organizers and participants are uniting to advocate for a future in which there will be no prostitution or related forms of sexual exploitation or sexual trafficking, and to draw public attention to the devastating consequences of prostitution for the girls, boys, women and animals who are used, bought, and sold for sex. This one day in which activists, advocates and survivors of prostitution speak and organize against sexual exploitation is intended to provoke public demand for social change, extending beyond October 5th.

The Day is specifically a challenge to "pimps", "johns" and "tricks"- or the men who buy sex or profit from selling the bodies of others for sex- to stop participating in and profiting from sexual exploitation and violence.

(organizer’s name) states: “There's a mythology that prostitution is a victimless crime perpetrated by women and girls who are in systems of prostitution; we want people to understand that prostitution can only stop when the men who buy and sell others are not able to do so any more”

Many participants are specifically advocating for decriminalization of prostitution for those who are used and trafficked, coupled with increased legal and social opposition to trafficking and exploitation of prostitutes and to the poverty, racism, sexism and child abuse that create prostitution. This means stopping prosecution of prostituted women and children, and increasing prosecution of pimps and johns.

Participating organizers and organizations have come together from feminist, labor, children and youth advocacy, anti-racist, animal rights, anti-poverty, human rights, and anti-globalization movements on six continents and numerous countries to be part of the International Day of No Prostitution. Planned events include public speeches, rallies, marches, vigils, educational events in and out of schools and universities, conferences, and artistic and multi-media displays.

Find out more about the IDNP at http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion/idnp/index.html

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How To Write A Press Advisory

A Press Advisory lets the press know to attend an event. Unlike a press or news release, it is not the basis for writing an article, it's more like an invitation or alert that a newsworthy event is about to occur- such as a press conference, community forum, or meeting with public officials. Ideally, fax a press advisory a week before the event, and then follow up with a phone call. Fax and phone again to confirm, the day before the event.

If you have multiple events that may be newsworthy, it's not advisable to send a separate advisory for each; either attach a complete events list to your advisory or release, or if you think additional pages will be disregarded, communicate directly with someone in the media you've made contact with and offer to send a complete list of events. Send a press advisory for one or at most two events which you want to make certain get the most media attention. If you highlight an initial event and it goes well, this will hopefully bring media attention to anything else that follows.

The components of a press advisory are: the date and contact information, a title and one sentence/phrase description. A brief paragraph describing the event. A list of speakers or noteworthy attendees (if relevant), and basic statements of What, Where, When.

 

Sample Press Advisory

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September 28, 2002

Contact: IDNP Collective at idnp2002@hotmail.com

Attn: Assignment Editor

Bay Area Speak-Out on Prostitution

Local and international speakers, survivors, and testimony about the

realities of surviving prostitution and kick-off the First International

Day of No Prostitution

Political organizers, community leaders, and survivors of prostitution will discuss violence and sexual exploitation, police harassment and brutality, strategies for policy and legislation, and communal responses to prostitution. The October 4th Speak-Out precedes the First International Day of No Prostitution (October 5th, 2002).

Featured Speaker:

Jill Leighton (Prostitution Survivor and Organizer with

ESCAPE)

What: Speak-out and Rally Against Prostitution

Where: University of California at Berkeley

When: Friday, October 4, 6-8pm.

 

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How To Write A Letter to the Editor

In many print publications, Letters to the Editor may be your best chance to communicate what the IDNP is really about. Letters should be sent to publications, and specific instructions are listed in the editorial pages. Many publications require a contact phone number to verify that you are the author of the letter. Letters to the editors should be brief, make clear your position and the basis for it, and highlight a few key reasons why people need to oppose prostitution or support the IDNP. If you want to publish something longer, some newspapers run “Op-Ed Opinion Pieces”- which are longer essays, usually two to three times the length of a letter to the editor. Op-Ed pieces generally run on the page facing letters, and usually have titles. Include one yourself if you don’t want the paper to make on up for you. If you don’t want your Op-Ed piece reproduced, be sure to indicate that you are copyrighting it (© Copyright 2002 by your name) below the title of your Op-Ed piece.

Use letters to the editor to correct misinformation in articles or reports, to generate public sympathy, and to represent the issues to people who are unaware of them. Though it may not be effective to be deliberately inflammatory (or may in some cases), letters to the editor need to be interesting and simple enough to catch and hold the reader’s attention.

Sample Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to your recent story, titled ______, in which you discussed prostitution as a threat to public morality. I agree that prostitution is a very significant problem. However, my opposition to prostitution is based on recognition that prostitution involves violence against living beings, typically children and women, who are forced or coerced into prostitution by poverty or abuse. Prostituted girls and women are not criminals, and are not a threat to public decency. The real immorality is a society that creates organized economic and sexual violence and then blames the victims.

This October 5th marks the first International Day of No Prostitution, a day of protest against the abuses and human rights violations that occur within prostitution every day. As we approach this day, we need to be thinking about how to support those who want to escape prostitution, and to put the focus on the crimes committed by pimps and by men who are “tricks” and “johns”.

Sincerely,

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How to Write A Public Service Announcement

Public service announcements may be sent to radio stations, and in some cases television stations. Announcements must be clearly of interest to the listening or viewing public, and should be brief and informative. If you are sending an announcement for television, it may be useful to include a video clip. It’s useful to include PSAs of various time length, so that stations will be able to fit you into their programming schedule. Always include your contact information, if you can do safely. Public service announcements are especially useful to publicize a particular event. Specify if there are costs or pre-registration requirements.

 

Sample Public Service Announcement

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Public Service Announcement

For Immediate Release:

September 26, 2002

For more info. Contact:

Your Name: Phone #

Community Rally for the International Day of No Prostitution

30 seconds

Saturday, October 5 marks the first International Day of No Prostitution, a protest against sexual exploitation. Prostitution survivors, educators, and activists will be speaking about why and how we need to fight prostitution and pornography. The rally will begin a 7pm at the University of California at Berkeley, in Sproul Hall. For more information contact the Bay Area IDNP Planning Committee at (phone #)

15 seconds

Learn more about stopping prostitution and sexual exploitation at a community rally at 7pm, Saturday, October 5 at the University of California at Berkeley, Sproul Hall. For more information call (phone #)

10 seconds

Learn more about stopping prostitution at a community rally on Saturday, October 5th at UC-Berkeley. For information call (phone #)

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How to Write a Calendar Listing

Calendar listings do not replace press releases or advisories, since they are generally handled by a different editor. The purpose of a calendar listing is to catch the attention of people who are interested in community events, and invite attendance.

You may submit a listing in two ways- either by sending one in according to the standard format published in that publication, or by sending the editor information on “What”, “When”, “Where”, “Who” (is sponsoring, and should attend), and “Cost”

Calendar listings are usually addressed to the “Calendar Editor”, though for small newsletters, they can just be directed to the editor. You should send out Calendar listings at least two weeks prior to the publication date by which you want it to run. This will vary based on how often the publication comes out.

Sample Calendar Listing

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Calendar Listing

September 10, 2002

Attn: Calendar Editor

Contact idnp2002@hotmail.com

 

 

International Day of No Prostitution

Bay Area rally and march against prostitution for survivors,

activists, and community members

What:

At a kick-off rally for the IDNP, survivors and activists will talk about sexual exploitation and violence. A march and educational tour of a high-prostitution area will follow. Artwork and informational tabling will also be onsite during the rally.

Where:

The rally: University of California-Berkeley, Sproul Hall, Berkeley.

The march/tour: (address), San Francisco.

When:

The rally: Friday, October 4th, 7-9pm

The march/tour: Saturday, October 5th- 1-3pm

Who:

Sponsored by  the Bay Area IDNP Planning Committee. The rally is open to the public. The march/tour is open to interested girls and women.

Cost:

Free. The rally includes refreshments.

 

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10 TIPS FOR T.V.

by Tara Russakov, Television News Producer

 

1. Reporters sometimes don't have the time or ability to research an issue thoroughly. They may be handed a story and sent out the door 5 minutes before an event. Make it easy by outlining your story in your press release. Be brief and to the point.

 

2. Your release will be one of hundreds to arrive in a given week. Send one early and another closer to the event. Your best bet is to do a little research and make a

contact. A release that arrives will be filed by the date of the event and looked at the day before or the day of the event. The best way to get coverage is to create a relationship with a reporter or assignment editor that lasts over time. Spend 2 weeks watching local news and learn who the reporters are. Is there one that may be sympathetic to your

views? It may be worth your time to send that person a release directly.

Reporters are always looking for sources they can talk to about multiple topics. You can become one of those people. Just don't try to do it at 9 am or 2 pm when most newsrooms are in their editorial meetings.

3. Answer the "Who cares?" question. Tell the press how your issue affects people locally.

4. Think visually. Interviews are necessary but reporters need pictures in between the sound bites for TV. Press conferences don't count as video, unless you have something to look at that moves. If you don't give them something to use for video you may get something from the station's files which may not be good for your story and won't help you.

5. Make sure your contacts can be contacted. Out of date phone numbers and unavailable contacts lead to no coverage. If a reporter is handed a story at 6 pm that airs at 11 pm and the phone number they have is only good from 9 am - 5pm you can imagine what will happen. You should also make sure the contacts are comfortable being interviewed.

 

6. Offer special opportunities for one on one experiences. (e.g. if there are outreach efforts in your community the chance to tag along.)

7. Be concise. Pages 2 and 3 have a tendency to get lost. Keep it to a single page. Sound bites for television or radio are usually less than 20 seconds. Watch your local stations to see what they regularly do.

8. Realize the myth of the liberal media.

9. For the most part, don't expect to hear a response to your release right away.

10. Realize news happens at unscheduled times. Planes crash, fires burn, children disappear, and it could happen during your event. When these things occur reporters are taken off their assigned stories and rerouted to the immediate need.

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Organizing a Press Conference

The purpose of a press conference is to convene members of the media and allow questions and interaction between your organizers and the press. The following steps are basic components of putting together a press conference.

Find a venue or place to have your event. Keep in mind weather, cost, accessibility, and size relative to the number of people you want present. Make sure microphones, chairs, a raised platform or podium, and anything else you require, is present.

Choose a date and time. Make sure the timing is not too far from the day of the IDNP (if not on October 5th) so that you won’t lose the media’s attention before future events. Also consider events or dates which may draw media attention away from you. Make sure the hours of the event incorporate normal work day hours, or are likely to be compatible with journalists’ schedules.

Choose your spokesperson or speakers. You may have a single person hosting a press conference, or a series of speakers, or a panel of speakers.

Plan your format. Will you have statements by one or many speakers followed by question and answer periods, or only question and answer? You may have the option of using visuals or some sort of presentation in advance of your Q & A. Over-long presentations may result in losing the press’ attention, but brief statements or presentations may be very effective.

Create press packets or kits, or informational handouts for members of the press, which can be used to supplement the verbal statements.

Contact the media. Usually a press advisory is appropriate, though press releases may be as well. It’s most effective to make direct contact and send duplicate advisories or reminders if you are not certain you have gotten the attention of the relevant editors or reporters.

Make plans for safety or security, particularly if you don’t want to open your press conference to the general public. In this case, plan to check press credentials and issue members of the media some sort of “press pass” or name tag to identify them as people who should be present.

Make sure the room is pretty full. You can fill the audience with your own supporters if need be.

Plan through and practice responses to questions and ways to respond to challenges or hostility.

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Creating Press Kits or Educational Packets for Media

The purpose of a press packet is to make certain the media have comprehensive information to draw on when reporting on your press conference or events. This helps cut down on misinformation and misrepresentation, and may win the good will of the media in some cases. Press packets or kits should be included in press conferences, and may be distributed at other events as well, at your discretion.

Press packets should minimally contain:

A copy of press releases or significant documents or publicity that the press may want to reference

Agendas or itineraries for press conferences or other specific events

Complete IDNP event listings

Lists of contact people and organizations who can provide quotes or expert information. Specify if people can and are willing to provide experiential testimony.

Statistics and basic information, locally, and nationally or globally.

Statements by organizers from which quotes can be drawn.

A description of the purpose and reasons for your participation in the IDNP

A description of your organization(s), including contact information

You may also include letters or endorsements from public officials, organizations or individuals, and/or articles or research papers or documents you want the press to reference. In some cases it’s useful to include photographs or video clips you want media to publish or air.

Press kits are usually distributed in a folder, with your event title or organizational name on the cover.

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Combatting Myths About Systems of Prostitution:

tips for interviewing and ways to monitor media

 

Figuring out how to deal with indifference and victim-blaming in the media is an extraordinary challenge. We suggest the following:

Where you can do so without compromising your message, frame the issue partly in terms of local community concerns and sympathies (these vary, but might include: public safety, child abuse, domestic violence, health risks, or economic inequality.)

Repeat and emphasize your key messages. For example, “prostitution is not the fault of women and girls”, or “the criminals are the people who buy and sell the bodies of other living beings”, or “we have to address racism and poverty as primary causes of prostitution”, or “prostitution is violence”, or “nothing can justify the murders and rapes inherent to prostitution”. Explain them, and provide easily quote-able sound-bites or statements which reinforce them.

Keep in mind that you don’t always have to directly engage with inflammatory or obnoxious questions. For instance, if someone asks you, “why are prostitutes so immoral/sleazy/aggressive”- directly answering the question is a trap. But you might respond with: “The way we can educate people and combat the myth that prostituted women and girls are bad people or are to blame, is to get people to understand that anyone can be prostituted, the real problem is the aggression and violence of pimps and of a society which thinks it’s okay to sell living beings for sex.” Explain that this includes children, women, and also animals used in bestiality prostitution- the reasons for prostitution don’t lie with the victims, but with the perpetrators.

Combat the idea that prostituted people are bizarre deviants, “not like us.” Work on making the individual victims of prostitution real to the media- stories and testimony are very important.

Plan your comments on law and crime, but also keep emphasizing that prostitution is a social issue, with social origins. Make clear that we have to deal with the reasons why ordinary men learn to want prostitution and pornography and stripping and trafficking, as well as thinking about legal strategies or services. Draw attention to the fact that this isn’t just “the way things are”, but a problem in the way we socialize girls and boys.

Have concrete examples of ways to reduce the incidence of prostitution, and reasons why fighting prostitution can be effective. Be prepared for “but what could you really do about ‘The World’s Oldest Profession’” types of comments.

 

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If You Are A Survivor:

Some Issues to Consider About Giving Interviews or Testimony

Survivor testimony may make the difference in whether or not you receive media coverage. It also can be the most powerful way to win public support and raise consciousness. However, putting yourself out there is hard, risky, and sometimes very painful. The following are some questions to consider, many of which you may be well aware of. However, going over them can be a useful way to make the decision about going public:

What are the potential risks to your physical safety or economic survival, and how serious are those risks?

If you give testimony, will anyone else be particularly at risk?

Who will be likely to attack or negate your testimony? How much harm will that do to you and to your message?

What do you hope will happen if you give testimony or interviews?

How receptive are the media around you to your worldview, experiences or ideas?

Is coverage of your story likely to be objectifying?

What are the alternatives to being a visible survivor or giving interviews?

If you have decided to give testimony, the following tips may be useful:

· Remember that you can decline to answer questions that feel too intrusive or dangerous. You can also use the opportunity to say something else you want to communicate instead.

· Consider whether it will be best for you to give interviews or testimony under a pseudonym or anonymously. Make absolutely certain to get an agreement about this before you begin an interview.

· Remember that you do not have to consent to be photographed in order to give verbal testimony. Even on television, you can be in silhouette, or your image can be blurred.

· It’s valid to bring a support person or advocate with you, or have them at hand. It takes a lot of strength to give interviews or testimony, and it is very normal to have some shock or emotional backlash during or afterwards.

· Think carefully about what aspects of your experience you are willing to share. You may want to communicate before an interview begins that you will not respond to questions on certain topics- if they are likely to come up anyway.

· If there is a way to give testimony that feels best for you, it’s okay to work with that. You can negotiate whether you prefer to put testimony on tape, answer pre-screened or pre-arranged questions, communicate in-person, by phone, or in writing. If you are participating in a press conference or public question and answer session, you may arrange to have questions written out by the audience and screened first, before they are presented to you. This minimizes the risk of exposure to hate speech or completely destructive communication. If the only or best method of communication for you is through some non-traditional format such as artwork or other creative expression, this may be an effective way to use the media. Don’t limit your options if you don’t have to.

· Many people have a better or safer experience of giving testimony when it’s a collective experience. For instance, if you are going public and interviewing under your name, it may still be reassuring and powerful to join with survivors who are giving anonymous testimony to the same venue.

· If you are being interviewed by a particular media source, it may be useful to explore the work of the journalists on staff, and request someone who feels like the safest or best option for you. You may also want to negotiate or make clear how much time you want to make available.

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Getting Media Attention: Creative Tactics and Strategies

If the media is refusing to cover you, or your coverage is or has been continually weak or inaccurate, think about changing your tactics.

Some useful ideas include:

Dramatic, colorful, artistic, or confrontational events which will generate public attention. Some activists make use of tactics such as hunger strikes, non-violent civil disobedience, sit-ins, or other methods of political protest, including destroying pornographic materials. Needless to say, if you are risking arrest, make plans about your legal defense and support system.

If this can be done without compromising your message or agenda, push public officials to legitimate aspects or all of your work, in order to increase your credibility with the media.

Schedule a meeting, if possible, with editors of particular media outlets to discuss coverage of the issues and present them with story ideas and angles. You may schedule this meeting between media and multiple community organizations to increase your impact.

If it’s possible without damage to your agenda or goals, get the help of people who can influence the media externally- such as advertisers or other economic backers. You may have some influence over these institutions as consumers or community members.

Put some energy into your press packets, think strategically about how best to influence the particular media you’re interacting with.

If the media does want to give you coverage, but mostly negative, you may have some negotiating power. Try not to alienate the media if you don’t have to, but set boundaries about what they can access, any limitations on questions directed to survivors, and any other basic boundaries you think you can realistically put in place.

Think about opportunities which journalists may find particularly newsworthy or exciting- such as witnessing the arrest of a pimp or other perpetrator- particularly someone whose identity or privacy you don’t need to protect.

Make use of existing newsworthy events or issues, such as political campaigns or elections, local histories, or boycotts of very visible companies or products within systems of prostitution.

 

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Other Ideas for Getting the Message Out There: Creating Grassroots Publicity

Although we frequently need to rely on the media, sometimes we can’t or shouldn’t. And even when we do use media, we may still benefit from simultaneously using more grassroots publicity. This means finding ways to engage in dialogue with the public without relying on the press.

Some options for grassroots publicity include:

Frequent or timed flyering or postering campaigns in a range of public spaces (e.g. businesses, bulletin boards, public transportation)

Leafletting or passing out handbills (small informational pieces of paper) in various areas, including street outreach to children and women in systems of prostitution.

Artwork, exhibits, or murals

Using bookmarks, “table tents” in restaurants and cafes (paper shaped to stand up, with information on either or all sides), email signatures, graffiti, sidewalk chalk, buttons, t-shirts, stickers, or anything else which gets the message out.

Street theatre

Poetry or spoken word performances

Contacting educators and requesting time to speak to classrooms

Sending letters and requests to make announcements to local organizations

Creating phone trees or networks. For instance, you can ask organizations to call their membership or allow you access to their call lists for the purpose of informing people about IDNP meetings or events. You can also call the people you know personally, provide them with information and dialogue about the IDNP, and ask them to each commit to call five other people (with the same request). This obviously doesn’t work well with people you don’t have personal connections to, but it’s a good way to connect with people who might care about the issues, but wouldn’t get involved in a more committed way.

Slip flyers or handbills inside newspapers or other publications, potentially including pornographic publications.

Ask celebrities or public figures to make public statements in various arenas

Tabling (providing information and dialogue at a table) at various public events

Banners or large posters at crowded or visible events

Consciousness-raising or other word-of-mouth group discussions

Door-to-door canvassing of neighborhoods or establishments affected by or potentially educable about prostitution