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Contacting and Dealing with the Media
- It may become necessary to involve the media to put the pressure on a business or
organization who is not taking a situation seriously or is not responding at all. It is also
possible that the media will cover your incident without first being contacted by you. It is
your choice on whether or not you speak to anyone in the media. While it can be a
highly effective tool for getting out the word on a situation, it can also have serious
consequences. Media coverage opens you up to the public eye, which can be both good
and bad. This is not a decision to be made lightly. REMEMBER, Fight OUT Loud will be
there to help counsel you on your options and what to expect if you do find media
contact necessary.
If the media comes to you...
- As stated before, it is completely your choice on whether to talk to the media or not.
Carefully consider if you are comfortable speaking publicly about GLBT issues (are you out
to your family, work, friends, etc and will there be negative consequences for you if you
speak out). The media can be very pushy, but it is your right to not say anything to them if
you do not feel comfortable.
- If you choose not to speak to the media, be prepared for media reports and stories that
may not include your input or your point of view. They may even misrepresent your point
of view.
- If you are uncomfortable speaking to the media for any reason, but still want your point of
view presented, you can always issue statements through a third-party (like Fight OUT
Loud) and ask not be identified by name.
If you go to the media...
- If you are comfortable talking to the media and feel it is necessary to apply pressure to
get the results you want, here a few tips. As stated before, Fight OUT Loud will always be
there to guide and assist you in every way. We will help you find the contacts you need to
get your story out and be heard.
- A great place to start is your local news stations. It can be as easy as sending an email
or contacting them directly by phone to get a reporter on the story.
- Other good resources include your local gay media (newspapers, radio, etc.), who will
most likely be more than happy to help you and get the story out into the public.
- You might also find it helpful to go to GLBT-friendly and progressive blogs and websites
to help tell your story. A few great sites are:
The Daily Kos (Progressive)
Towleroad.com (GLBT)
Pam's House Blend (GLBT)
- Remember, once you start with the media, it can quickly balloon out of control as
different stations and papers vie to get "the scoop". Make sure you have a set of
talking points and a clear and concise message you want to get across before
you start talking to the media. You have to frame the story how you want it told. It
cannot be stressed enough how important it is that you know exactly what you want to say
and get across to the public.
- Another important note: When you are thinking of doing an interview with a particular
tv station, radio show, or paper, ALWAYS look into that station to see what their motives
might be. Some Networks (FOXNews, for example) and conservative radio shows have
only one goal: to get you on their show to discredit, ambush, and humiliate you. Fight
OUT Loud will again help in researching the outlets that you are thinking of speaking to.
Control how your story is told...
- If you are at all unhappy with how a particular news outlet is reporting your story, tell
them! Call the editors, producers, etc. and tell them exactly what you think is wrong with
their story and how best to fix it. Remember, media coverage can have good and bad
consequences, so it is very important to hold news outlets accountable for their reporting.
As with any problem you face, Fight OUT Loud will be there to assist you. We will also
contact our members and issue EMAIL ACTION ALERTS if we feel more pressure is
necessary. If dealing with the media, move on to the next step of dealing with negative
backlash and personal security.
- It may become necessary to involve the media to put the pressure on a business or
organization who is not taking a situation seriously or is not responding at all. It is also
possible that the media will cover your incident without first being contacted by you. It is
your choice on whether or not you speak to anyone in the media. While it can be a
highly effective tool for getting out the word on a situation, it can also have serious
consequences. Media coverage opens you up to the public eye, which can be both good
and bad. This is not a decision to be made lightly. REMEMBER, Fight OUT Loud will be
there to help counsel you on your options and what to expect if you do find media
contact necessary.
If the media comes to you...
- As stated before, it is completely your choice on whether to talk to the media or not.
Carefully consider if you are comfortable speaking publicly about GLBT issues (are you out
to your family, work, friends, etc and will there be negative consequences for you if you
speak out). The media can be very pushy, but it is your right to not say anything to them if
you do not feel comfortable.
- If you choose not to speak to the media, be prepared for media reports and stories that
may not include your input or your point of view. They may even misrepresent your point
of view.
- If you are uncomfortable speaking to the media for any reason, but still want your point of
view presented, you can always issue statements through a third-party (like Fight OUT
Loud) and ask not be identified by name.
If you go to the media...
- If you are comfortable talking to the media and feel it is necessary to apply pressure to
get the results you want, here a few tips. As stated before, Fight OUT Loud will always be
there to guide and assist you in every way. We will help you find the contacts you need to
get your story out and be heard.
- A great place to start is your local news stations. It can be as easy as sending an email
or contacting them directly by phone to get a reporter on the story.
- Other good resources include your local gay media (newspapers, radio, etc.), who will
most likely be more than happy to help you and get the story out into the public.
- You might also find it helpful to go to GLBT-friendly and progressive blogs and websites
to help tell your story. A few great sites are:
The Daily Kos (Progressive)
Towleroad.com (GLBT)
Pam's House Blend (GLBT)
- Remember, once you start with the media, it can quickly balloon out of control as
different stations and papers vie to get "the scoop". Make sure you have a set of
talking points and a clear and concise message you want to get across before
you start talking to the media. You have to frame the story how you want it told. It
cannot be stressed enough how important it is that you know exactly what you want to say
and get across to the public.
- Another important note: When you are thinking of doing an interview with a particular
tv station, radio show, or paper, ALWAYS look into that station to see what their motives
might be. Some Networks (FOXNews, for example) and conservative radio shows have
only one goal: to get you on their show to discredit, ambush, and humiliate you. Fight
OUT Loud will again help in researching the outlets that you are thinking of speaking to.
Control how your story is told...
- If you are at all unhappy with how a particular news outlet is reporting your story, tell
them! Call the editors, producers, etc. and tell them exactly what you think is wrong with
their story and how best to fix it. Remember, media coverage can have good and bad
consequences, so it is very important to hold news outlets accountable for their reporting.
As with any problem you face, Fight OUT Loud will be there to assist you. We will also
contact our members and issue EMAIL ACTION ALERTS if we feel more pressure is
necessary. If dealing with the media, move on to the next step of dealing with negative
backlash and personal security.
| Dealing with the Media |