Media Handbook for National Human Rights Institutions Chapter 3: Media advocacy IN THIS CHAPTER: 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Setting goals and objectives 3.3. Identifying target audiences 3.4. Developing the right messages 3.5. Selecting the right messengers 3.6. Selecting the right media 3.7. Developing campaign resources 3.8. Launching the campaign 3.9. Monitoring your coverage 3.10. Monitoring and evaluating the campaign 3.1. INTRODUCTION NHRIs play a critical role in identifying the “gap” between the human rights standards that governments have agreed to uphold and the human rights reality that different groups of people, especially marginalized groups, can experience. Just as importantly, if not more so, NHRIs can use their unique position as independent and credible human rights experts to advocate for changes in laws, policies and practices that will have genuine and lasting impact on the lives of vulnerable individuals and groups. Bringing about positive change on complex issues, such as tackling violence against women or improving access to education for children with disabilities, takes time and effort. It requires sustained and concerted advocacy. Developing a campaign strategy to guide the media advocacy of the NHRI is essential. A campaign strategy provides the roadmap that sets out where you are now and where you would like to go. It explains the environment you have to navigate and identifies organizations and individuals who can help you reach your end goal. A campaign strategy can be simple or complex, based on the issue at hand and the advocacy goal of the NHRI. The Democracy Centre14 has developed a useful set of questions to guide the preparation of a campaign strategy: • What do we want? (goals and objectives) • Who can give it to us? (audiences) • What do they need to hear? (messages) • Who do they need to hear it from? (messengers) • How do we get them to hear it? (delivery) 14 Jim Schultz; The Democracy Owners’ Manual: A Practical Guide to Changing the World; 2002; available at http://democracyctr. org/citizenadvocacy/thinking-strategically/. Chapter 3: Media advocacy | 39