Media Handbook for National Human Rights Institutions Chapter 1: Working effectively with the media IN THIS CHAPTER: 1.1. Introduction 1.2. Understanding how news is selected 1.3. Working with different types of media outlets 1.4. Preparing and maintaining a contact list 1.5. Building good working relationships with journalists 1.6. Setting expectations for media engagement 1.7. Responding to a crisis 1.8. Developing a media policy 1.9. Monitoring the media 1.1. INTRODUCTION The Asia Pacific region encompasses a huge diversity of media environments. While some countries in the region rank highly in terms of press freedom, a large number feature at the bottom of the global list. In some countries, State control of media outlets, legal restrictions on publishers and broadcasters, harassment and intimidation of journalists and limited access to certain websites and social media platforms can severely limit public access to information and diversity of opinion on the issues that matter to people. Other Asia Pacific countries, however, have seen a rapid growth in the number of news media outlets over the past decade, with democratization allowing a greater range of voices to enter the media marketplace. Recent advances in technology are also transforming the way in which news is collected and presented, as well as reshaping the relationship between media outlets and their audiences. While television continues to be a key source of information for many people across the Asia Pacific region, the popularity of online news websites has grown strongly as access to the Internet, computers and handheld devices, such as smartphones, has become more widely available. One of the results is that the “news cycle” – the speed at which a story and reactions or developments to that story are reported – has become much faster, as people are no longer limited to reading the morning newspaper or watching the evening television news bulletin. With 24-hour access to online news sources and dedicated news channels on television and radio in many countries, audience demand for up-to-the-minute information is forcing media outlets to compete even more fiercely to be the first with “breaking” stories. The growing emphasis on immediacy means that television, radio and online news outlets often report on news stories in “real time”. As a result, “with less time and opportunity to explain the background to a news story, reporters tend to describe unfolding events in much the same way as a sports commentator reports a live match”.6 6 Owen Spencer Thomas; “What are news values”; available at www.owenspencer-thomas.com/journalism/newsvalues. Chapter 1: Working effectively with the media | 1