Introduction to the Media Engagement Strategy Copy

Welcome to our training on how to work with the media for social change. During this training, we present 5 models for media engagement strategies, tools for conducting a media landscape analysis, and three possible paths for making that collaboration happen. This will allow you to draft an outline of a strategy for collaboration with the media sector.

To begin, let’s introduce you to the steps we will take to draft this strategy outline.  

This step is about understanding the different reasons that an organization working in the development sector can have when seeking to work with media organizations. It is imperative that we depart having clarity about what we are looking to achieve by working with the media. In this step of the training, we go for the model for Media Engagement Goals and explore the potential of this collaboration. KPIs are defined in this section. The 5 models for MEGs we present are communication, fundraising, accountability, media development, and common development.

This step is about understanding the media landscape of the context we want to operate in. A holistic approach to understanding the media landscape is provided.  Conducting a full-scope media analysis takes time so this approach is aimed at providing an overview of different aspects to consider. We start by outlining the laws, regulations, and institutions relevant to review. After providing a base to understand what ‘media’ means, we will focus on identifying the media actors of our context and conducting a power/interest analysis to define which of the media organizations is best to work with depending on our MEG (Media Engagement Goals). The steps we will go through for this step are: understand the media landscape from a holistic perspective, identify the media actors in the context, and select the right media to work with (power/interest grid).

This step is about grounding our strategy, we provide three options for selecting the best strategic paths. The three options outlined here are in line with the MEGs in the hopes of allowing clarity and direction in the collaboration. We will also share some tips & best practices for each. The three options are dissemination and reach, content co-creation, and partnerships: mutual capacity development.

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Similarly, we have created a canvas with a breakdown of the steps and questions you need to fill out/answer. During the training, we will discuss case studies, analyze examples, and work on assignments to fill out the canvas: