Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions 1.8. DEVELOPING A MEDIA POLICY Every NHRI will have contact with the media. Many engage with the media on a daily basis. It is therefore crucial that NHRIs develop a media policy to guide these interactions. A media policy sets out how the NHRI will communicate with the media. It should reflect the aims, objectives and vision of the NHRI. The main advantage of a media policy is that it helps ensure that each and every media enquiry is addressed consistently and professionally. It also reduces the likelihood that NHRI staff may unintentionally provide comments or information to journalists that should only come from an approved spokesperson. The NHRI media policy should clearly identify the: • Initial contact person for journalists seeking information and comment • Spokespeople who can provide formal comment and interviews • Process for responding to phone calls or emails from journalists. Following is a sample media policy9 that can be adapted for use by NHRIs. Key elements of a media policy Purpose This policy outlines how the NHRI will work with the media. It applies to all staff at all times. It is designed to ensure that, as an organization, our interaction with the media is professional and consistent and that all statements we make are considered and appropriate. For the purposes of this policy, “media contact” includes among other things: providing information via media releases, Letters to the Editor, Opinion Editorials and contributions to journals and online forums; responding to media enquiries over the phone and via email; providing interviews or briefings to journalists; contributing to talkback radio; addressing seminars or conferences where journalists are present; and holding media conferences and other media-related activities. Contents The media policy clearly defines: • Who has responsibility for public comment on behalf of the NHRI • The steps necessary before other staff can speak on behalf of the NHRI • The responsibility of all staff to consider any potentially positive or negative media implications of their work • The procedure that staff will follow to respond to enquiries from the media. Guiding principles The NHRI recognizes the vital role that the media can play to build community awareness of human rights issues, influence social and attitudinal change and counter negative stereotypes directed against different groups in our society. The goal of our media engagement is to promote accurate and informed reporting on the human rights issues that affect individuals and groups within our community, especially marginalized groups. 9 This sample media policy builds on resources developed previously by the Australian Human Rights Commission and Sane Australia. 14 | Chapter 1: Working effectively with the media