There are also risks associated with engaging media, including:
- misinformation if media use factually incorrect information and stats
- stigmatisation if media use the wrong language
- incorrect reporting/taking your words or issue out of context.
- journalism bias – the journalist might have their own views that they wish to get across in the article.
These can be mitigated by:
- building personal relationships with journalists and editors of news outlets, including understanding their personal views on the topic
- ongoing engagement with selected media outlets
- running sensitisation/advocacy capacity building sessions with journalists
- providing journalists with facts, statistics, and key messages
- being very clear about your objectives
- sticking to your agreed key messages in interviews
- providing strong personal stories of women (only if appropriate consent is gathered, and risks have been assessed to be low).