Speak Out: Working with the Media
Advocacy can take a lot of different forms. For some, it’s talking with family at the dinner table. For others, it might include handing out flyers on street corners or tabling at resource fairs.
One important type of advocacy is talking with the media. Newspapers, radios, blogs, podcasts, shows, and other forms of press are critical partners in the work to create change and raise awareness for the issues surrounding LGBTQ+ families.
Review the resource below to better understand the impact that working with the media can have on advocacy work, learn the basic steps for preparing for interviews, and practice navigating challenging questions.
The content below has been adapted in part from the New Jersey Library Association, ZenMedia, and Throughline.
Why should you share your story with the media?
Talking to journalists about the issues impacting your community might not immediately sound like advocacy — at least, not in the same way as testifying at a statehouse or holding up signs at a protest.
However, taking a call with a journalist or writing an opinion piece for your local newspaper is a key opportunity to influence public opinion. This is because the media have access to a built-in audience of viewers, listeners, and readers who trust them to provide accurate information and engaging stories.
Further, while many reporters can use statistics or background information to illustrate various stories, putting a name and face to the issues our community faces helps readers empathize with the subject and feel more inclined to take action.
This work is especially important in today’s information landscape, where many political pundits are spreading misinformation about LGBTQ+ families, community members, educators, and more.
Steps for working with the media
Do your research
Imagine: You’ve received a call from a reporter looking to interview you for a piece they have coming up. What do you do first?
Perhaps the easiest mistake to make when jumping into media advocacy is saying yes to every opportunity that arises. But each request you get should be carefully considered first! Before you respond to the journalist find out:
- The interviewer’s background. Search the interviewer’s name and read or watch 2-3 recent stories they’ve done, especially those covering similar topics (LGBTQ+ issues, family stories, or human-interested pieces). Review their social media for any red flags. Ask yourself: Do they treat their subjects with respect? Is their tone balanced, compassionate, or sensational? Do they seem to have an agenda or angle that doesn’t align with your experiences?
- The scope and focus of the interview. Why do they want to speak with you specifically, and who else are they speaking to for this piece? What’s the angle? The context?
- The outlet’s reputation and audience. Consider the platform you’re working with. Is it a national news outlet, a local station, a podcast, a blog, or an advocacy group? Ask yourself: Does the outlet align with your values or mission? Who is their audience — and will they be respectful? Do they have a history of fair, accurate reporting?
- The interview format. Are you comfortable with the way that the interview will be hosted? Do you have the proper technology, and is the reporter eager to help accommodate your needs? Ask how your comments will be used and whether the interview will be live, recorded or edited. Will you be quoted directly or paraphrased? Will you be able to review your quotes or see a draft before it goes live?
- The publication date. Do you have the time you need to prepare before the article is published?
Importantly, you can and should also ask for questions in advance. As a practice, not every journalist will share their questions ahead of your interview. But it’s always worth asking so you can be as prepared as possible!
| Say yes when… | Say no when… |
| ✅ The interview topic aligns with your expertise and advocacy goals. ✅ The outlet has a good reputation and will portray you well. ✅ You feel well-prepared to answer the questions. ✅ You feel like you’re being set up for success with questions in advance or the opportunity to review the article before it goes live. | ⛔ The outlet or reporter has a history of writing about anti-LGBTQ+ topics. ⛔ The topic of the article feels sensitive or potential harmful to your reputation. ⛔ You aren’t given the time or information needed to prepare. ⛔ You’re worried that your words might be taken out of context. |
Craft your message
Once you’ve done your research and agreed to an interview, the next and most important step is to determine what you’re going to say. Importantly, you do not need to know the questions in advance in order to prepare! In addition to compiling general notes about the article topic, create three clear, concise, and consistent messages that capture what you want to communicate in your interview. Preparing these messages in advance will allow you to ensure that you’re getting your points across no matter what questions are asked or how you feel in the moment.
A message should be no more than one sentence and contain your main idea as well as an inclusion of the audience’s shared values. Why should a reader or listener care about what you’re saying?
For example: We must end discrimination in adoption and foster care because every child deserves a family.
If you find yourself struggling to come up with a short message, consider using one of the following basic formats:
- Fact and result. Ex: In 13 states, it’s legal to turn away LGBTQ+ parents from fostering or adopting, decreasing the number of homes available to children in care.
- Problem and solution. Ex: If we ended discrimination in child welfare, there would be more homes available to youth in care.
- Call to action: Ex: Call your Senators and urge them to pass the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act so that every child can find a safe and affirming home.
Keep it simple!
To make sure that you can remember your message — even without notes — you want them to be as short and simple as possible without too many facts or hard-to-understand language. Boil your main ideas down to their plainest form. Then, take notes on additional details you might want to mention, including personal anecdotes that might spark empathy or statistics that might illustrate your point. Remember: You are the expert of your own lived experience.
In the interview
Many people feel nervous going into an interview. They’re concerned about saying the wrong thing or being asked a hard question. The important thing to remember is that you are the expert of your own experience. You are in control!
As you move through the interview, try to…
- Lead with your core message. Starting every response with your core message is a good way to ensure that your main ideas are communicated even if you get cut off or run out of time.
- Return to your core message. If you or the reporter gets distracted, that’s okay! Try to steer the discussion back to the messaging that you’ve worked on in advance.
- Repeat your core message. Don’t worry about sounding too repetitive or needing to be unique with every response — the reporter will take aspects of your interview but will likely not copy and paste the entirety of it into their story.
Navigating tough questions
So long as you have your core messages drafted, you can handle whatever is thrown at you! If you vet the outlet properly before the interview, it’s unlikely you’ll be caught on the receiving end of too many challenging questions. But just in case, remember to remain calm and pivot to your core messages.
Pause, first. Allow for moments of silence if necessary. Then, use phrases like “That’s an interesting point, but what’s really important here is…” or “I think what we really need to remember is…” to steer the conversation back into familiar territory.
Similarly, don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” It’s better to admit to not knowing the answer than to get defensive, speculate on hypotheticals, or make something up on the spot.
Finally, protect your peace. If something feels off, you can pause the interview, ask for support, or decline participation altogether.
Practice!
Take the time to reflect on your own stories. Start with a notebook and your story of self. Think about your childhood, your past, moments in life where you felt you needed to act, instances where you learned something important, or some other story that might allow you to speak to something happening in the world right now. Then, expand. Consider the experiences of the audience that you’re hoping to address. Think about what you have in common with them — do you have the same values? Goals? Visions? What makes your community a community, and how can those details shape how you decide to tell your story? Finally, add in your call to action. What do you hope your audience will do as a result of listening to your story, and why should they do it?
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