{"id":662,"date":"2015-05-08T20:18:54","date_gmt":"2015-05-08T20:18:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/?p=662"},"modified":"2016-01-15T00:24:03","modified_gmt":"2016-01-15T00:24:03","slug":"thinking-strategically-to-catch-the-medias-attention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/articles\/thinking-strategically-to-catch-the-medias-attention\/","title":{"rendered":"Thinking strategically to \u2018Catch\u2019 the Media\u2019s Attention"},"content":{"rendered":"
[Editor\u2019s note: This post was written by Arushi Sen, \u00a0Media Coordinator with the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP<\/a>). CSTEP publishes\u00a0Aditi<\/a>, a digital newsletter focusing on issues faced by the Think Tank ecosystem.<\/em>]<\/p>\n \u201cHello, may I speak with the Editor please? I am calling from a Think Tank. We would like to submit an Op-ed for publication in your newspaper.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry. We already have a long back log of Op-eds. I\u2019m afraid we won\u2019t be able to accept anything right now.\u201d<\/p>\n This is a conversation with a media house that occurs ever-so often. How does one \u2018catch\u2019 the attention of the news media? And why is it so important for a Think Tank to publish with the news media?<\/p>\n The word \u2018media\u2019 is the plural of medium, implying a conduit of transportation. However, from a Think Tank\u2019s perspective, the news media plays two roles, that of an audience and a medium of communication. It is important to keep both in mind when planning media strategies for research communication.<\/p>\n Often, in the whirlwind of activities to successfully connect with the news media, one forgets that the news media is also a business venture \u2013and often a political one, too. And like all business ventures, they have their profits to think of, and corporate heads to answer to. This aspect brings in an element of politics that is beyond any outsider\u2019s control. In this context, some important considerations to keep in mind would be that the news media:<\/p>\n Therefore, even if one dutifully meets all the demands of the news media, there is still a possibility of not being successful in \u2018catch\u2019ing their attention. In a situation like this, it is unwise to lose heart and give up. The engagement with the news media must continue. And when an article is rejected by one media house, there is always \u2018Plan B\u2019 \u2013 send the article to another editor, for there are so many other options to choose from.<\/p>\n It may be, too, that the Think Tank dutifully meets the demands of the news media only to see their research and ideas used to forward a cause they themselves oppose. Their data could be\u00a0misused and their statements misquoted<\/a>.<\/p>\n In fact, as shown in the figure below, the news media, first and foremost, plays the role of an audience for a Think Tank, and they form a very important audience group. That is because they play the role of a vehicle that further disseminates a piece of research communication they receive from a Think Tank to a wider audience. In addition, they wield the power to influence public debate through the messages they construct before dissemination. \u00a0This message is intrinsically political as it has the power (and the intention) of affecting the public agenda.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n In answering the question: why is it important for a Think Tank to\u00a0publish with the news media<\/a>, what evolves is a \u2018researcher-media nexus\u2019. This is a relationship between researchers and journalists that can yield benefits for both parties. By cultivating such a nexus, a Think Tank can become the news media\u2019s partner in knowledge generation. The various activities and outcomes of such a relationship are shown in the figure below. In the long run, if Think Tanks are able to establish a working relationship with the news media in ensuring that credible information is disseminated to the wider public, then the quality of public debate improves, which in turn enhances the quality of public policy.<\/p>\nWord of Caution: politics matter, too<\/h2>\n
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Researcher-Media Nexus<\/h2>\n