http://oneworldus.civiblog.org/beyondborders092007.jpg
   On Sept. 19, OneWorld.net & Fenton
   Communications co-hosted a media panel
   discussion to talk about what organizations can do
   to increase media coverage around global issues.
   The panel was moderated by Liz London, Senior
   Vice President at Fenton Communications.



_____________________________________________________________________________

Panelists
See full panelist bios below.






Andrew Lam
Writer & Editor
New America Media

  






Rachel Levin
Producer
Al Jazeera International






Ann Peters
Director of Development and Outreach
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting








Hal Straus
Interactivity and Community Editor
WashingtonPost.com
_____________________________________________________________________________

Meeting Highlights

Here are some tips discussed during the meeting for increasing coverage for your issues.

Find Local Connection for Global Issue.
Rachel mentioned that in order to do a story on Iraq she talked to an Iraqi-American who was working with a NGO in Iraq.  If you have staff who have worked with projects in other countries, they can share what’s going on. Ann said that you can often find a local connection.  For example, you can do a story on teenagers in Vermont volunteering in Uganda.  Hal said that public interest in global issues has grown dramatically in the U.S. It is driven by celebrity culture (i.e. Angelina Jolie) and global economy. The U.S. has a vested interest in other parts of the world and it makes it easier to pitch global issues to mainstream media.

Put a Face to an Issue.
It is important to put a human face to an issue and talk about how people are affected by that issue.  Rachel suggested that you can try to find one person making a difference in the community. This helps to humanize the story.

Timing is Crucial.
Andrew mentioned that he wanted to do a story about population issues in Vietnam and he timed it when President Bush was visiting Vietnam.  Ann mentioned that you can tie your stories to important dates and anniversaries. 

Evergreen Issues that Are Always Important.
Hal mentioned that anything to do with religion, security, war and employment are examples of issues that always interest audiences.

Types of Stories That Interest Media.
Andrew suggested you can commission a poll, a study or create an award.  You can recognize people that deserve to be recognized around issues you are focusing on. Journalists like to cover these types of stories.

Fit into Segments & News Coverage.
Rachel talked about how you can look at segments in TV and frame your story for a particular segment.

Be a Resource for Media.
Andrew mentioned that many newspapers are cutting back resources.  They have limited resources for coming up with good story ideas and covering global issues.  You can pitch story ideas and provide them resources to make it possible for them to cover the stories.  Provide experts that can comment on what’s going on in the mainstream media.

Provide Powerful Visuals.
Rachel said that if you can provide powerful video footage or photography that can really help to sell your story.  You can also pitch photo journalists.  Andrew suggested that you can also provide good graphics and charts that help to tell a story. 

Pitch Early & Get on the Calendar.
Ann said that as soon as you know the date, make sure you get it on the editorial calendar.  Don’t wait till the last minute to pitch your story.  Hal said that you should send press releases first thing in the morning, instead of waiting till later in the day. 

Communicating with Journalists.
Faxes and phone calls usually don’t work too well.  Email your contacts when possible.

Target Local, Ethnic & International News Media.
Rachel said that if you are trying to reach audiences worldwide, you can pitch Al Jazeera International and other international media.  They tend to be more provocative than American media. Andrew mentioned that ethnic media tend to cover more global issues because of the tie to the home of origin, so pitch your stories to ethnic media.  You can also target the local news media if you have a local angle for the story.

Outreach on Social Networking Sites.
Hal talked about how you can use Facebook and other social networking sites to promote your stories. The Save Darfur Coalition effectively used Facebook to raise the profile of the Darfur. issue. You can put your video content on YouTube and reach out to issue-specific blogs.

Engage People that Care About Your Issues.
Talk to your board members, funders, donors and others who care about your issues and see if they can help you to get the word out about your organization’s work.

Need to Challenge Mainstream Media Insfrastructure.
Khalil Abdullah from New American Media said that nonprofits need to take interest in FCC regulations and how they are affecting the media domination.  This is affecting what types of issues are covered in the media.

For more tips, check out Fenton Communications' report Over Here: 10 Tips to Get U.S. Media Coverage on Global Issues. _____________________________________________________________________________

Panelist Bios

Andrew Lam, Writer & Editor
New America Media
Andrew is a writer and an editor with New America Media, a short story writer, and a frequent commentator on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” His essays have appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines across the country, including the New York Times, The LA Times, Utne Reader, The Nation, Mother Jones and the San Francisco Chronicle. His short stories are also anthologized widely and taught in many Universities and colleges in the US.

Lam’s awards include the Society of Professional Journalist Outstanding Young Journalist Award, The World Affairs Council's Excellence in International Journalism Award, the Asian American Journalist Association National Award and many others.  Lam was a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University during the academic year 2001-02. He is also a member of the World Academy of Art and Science, and a member of Pen editorial committee.

He was featured in the documentary “My Journey Home,” which was aired on PBS nationwide on April 7, 2004. Lam is author of “Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora,” which just won the “Pen American ‘Beyond the Margins’ Award” and short-listed for the Asian American Literature award.  His collection of short stories will be published in 2008.

Rachel Levin, Producer
Al Jazeera International
Rachel Levin, Producer for the Americas at Al Jazeera, is a twice Emmy Nominated field  producer with over ten years experience reporting from around the world with leading news organizations such NBC News, CNN, BBC and National Geographic. From 2001-2006 she produced and wrote daily news stories on the Middle East and Europe for NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, MSNBC, Dateline and MSNBC.COM.  She has covered international news events ranging from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Tsunami in Indonesia, the Intifada, the custody battle for Elian Gonzalez and Hurricane Katrina. In addition to daily news she has also produced investigative pieces and documentaries.

Ann Peters, Director of Development and Outreach
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
Ann Peters has worked as journalist, lawyer and director of non-profit initiatives.  A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Georgetown University Law Center, Peters began her career as a correspondent for United Press International.  She reported from North Carolina, Washington, D.C., Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Egypt and South Africa between 1983 and 1991. Her domestic reporting ranged from covering the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster to the North Carolina Senate race between Governor James Hunt and Senator Jesse Helms, one of the most expensive political campaigns of that time. Her assignments abroad gave her ample opportunities to cover international affairs, whether interviewing Palestinians and Israelis during what would become known as the first Palestinian intifada or South Africans on the days and weeks following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison.

At Georgetown University Law Center, she was on the staff of the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics and the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy (formerly the Georgetown Journal on Fighting Poverty).  She also represented juveniles accused of crimes in the District of Columbia through Georgetown’s Juvenile Justice Clinic. After law school, Peters worked in London as a research associate and consultant for Human Rights Watch, focusing on blinding laser weapons, laws of war and arms embargoes, and then in Washington, D.C. for the Open Society Institute as program director of its Landmines Project.

She also practiced law at Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg, LLP, a firm specializing in providing legal advice to nonprofit organizations and individuals in the areas of nonprofit organization tax law, election law, employment law and environmental law. Most recently, Peters served as grants management consultant to MAG America.

Hal Straus, Interactivity and Community Editor
WashingtonPost.com
Hal Straus directs development and production of community-driven and interactive features on washingtonpost.com, including PostGlobal and On Faith, where experts and readers from around the world discuss international affairs and religious issues. Before becoming the site’s first interactivity and communities editor in 2007, he launched washingtonpost.com’s opinions and commentary area, its first blogging platform and a number of data-based features, including Home Sales and Federal Worker lookups and a Best Bets local entertainment contest. Straus worked for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution before joining washingtonpost.com, and helped launch that paper's web site after covering health, science, state government, the Olympics and national politics as a reporter.