Talking to the Media; Avoiding Pitfalls, Advancing Policy
Dr. Lawrence Wallack

Media advocacy focuses primarily on the news media but also makes use of paid advertising when necessary. In terms of the news media, media advocacy is concerned with framing for access” and ‘ the debate.” Framing for access means understanding what news is and how journalists do their job. For example, media advocacy capitalizes on various elements of newsworthiness such as conflict, controversy, and. timeliness to increase the prospects for gaining coverage. Shaping the debate to focus on social accountability involves developing story elements so that our story is told to reflect our policy perspectives. This is difficult because the news media tend to emphasize the personal rather than the policy. Thus, shaping the debate requires a sophisticated understanding of how public discussion evolves. Media advocacy works to shape the debate by translating what are frequently seen as individual problems to social issues, assigning primary responsibility for these issues to social institutions, presenting clear policy approaches, and making a practical appeal.