NCADC Campaigning Toolkit
If you have decided that you want your campaign to go public, you will need to think about whether or not to engage the media. Like internet campaigning, there is no going back once your campaign has been put out in the media.
It’s a big decision, but using the media can be very effective if it goes well. Using the media means that your campaign reaches a far wider audience than through your network of supporters. You can reach people who might not normally care about immigration or human rights. This new audience might be moved to take action in support of your campaign. High-level media involvement means that the Home Office are more likely to know about your campaign – which can work to your advantage.
A campaign for a lesbian Jamaican woman in the detained fast track system was covered by ITV local news. Journalists/reporters began ringing up the Home Office about the case, and soon after the woman was released from the detained fast track. While it is always difficult to prove that campaigning had a direct effect, it’s likely that media attention put pressure on the Home Office to behave more responsibly.
The way the media works can put a lot of pressure on people. Journalists/reporters are working to tight deadlines and so rarely give you time to prepare yourself to give your story or give the answers you would like to their questions.
If you are supporting someone who is facing deportation, think about how you can support them if they decide to use the media. What can you do to prepare for an interview? Can you insist that you get chance to read the copy before it is published? If it’s a radio interview, can you ask that it’s pre-recorded rather than live? If it’s your campaign, think about protecting yourself. What tricky questions are likely to be asked? (The media likes controversy, and will usually try and ask difficult questions to get a more ‘interesting’ piece.) What are the key points you want to get across? Make sure you say them! Are there things you want to make sure you don’t say?
Even with all these precautions, there’s a chance you could be misrepresented in the media. Something you said could be taken out of context, shortened, or even completely changed. Your views may be accurately reported, but within a hostile story with negative commentary. There are actions you can take after the event if you feel you’ve been misrepresented (e.g. a complaints procedure, right to reply), but think first about who is covering the story and the political stance of the paper/broadcaster to assess how problems might occur.
Not everyone will sympathise with your campaign, and so media attention could also mean negative attention. This is especially the case with online media, where comments sections on stories can be hostile and distressing (despite the existence of a cursory moderating procedure).
Think about the information you are giving to the media – is there a risk it could be damaging to the case? Information that contradicts your legal case could be problematic.
One of the outcomes of the increased attention for a campaign resulting from using the media (which can be vital to making it a successful campaign), is too much attention. Going through the asylum or immigration system is very stressful, and you may feel that you do not want the extra burden of phonecalls, deadlines or increased awareness about your situation. This risk is an important consideration for all forms of public campaigning, and a campaign group is essential for supporting you through this.
Another view on the media is that it doesn’t make much difference to the outcome of a campaign. It can be beneficial, there are risks, but some of the time it’s of no consequence. There are certainly campaigns where media coverage has helped, but it is not the case every time. This is worth bearing in mind if you are worried about getting the media involved, or have limited time and resources.
