By Nadrat Siddique
How to manipulate media when you’re doing an
event
1)
Cultivate current email/ twitter/ text message lists and phone numbers of
journalists.
2) Time
is off the essence. Conduct actions such as protests, street theatre, press
conferences, etc. when an action is in the limelight, and the time is ripe.
What to do if approached by a non-Muslim
media representative at or after a public event, or in relation to world events
1) Differentiate
between types of media if they approach you.
a) National media. If a journalist is with
a national media outlet, for example, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal,
Fox News, etc, be very careful. They may be trying to trap you into saying
something which can be used against you. This can have serious consequences, from
causing you to lose your job, to placing you in physical danger (for example,
by displaying your picture with words attributed to you, which may have been
taken out of context); to prosecution and even incarceration. Therefore, if the
journalist is national, be wary, and consider not returning the call. Do not
let your ego and the desire to be seen or heard on national television allow
you to be trapped.
b) Local media. If he or she is with a local
newspaper, radio station, etc, consider talking to them.
c) In
either case (a) or (b) above, it may be helpful to do a brief Google search on
the person contacting you, to see what else they have written, and whether or
not they are overt enemies of Islam. This should help you decide whether you
wish to speak to them, and what tact to take if you do.
d) If you
do talk, be very disciplined and clear in what you communicate. Don’t show off,
use rhetoric, or issue threats. Be particularly careful not to get trapped into
admiring violent action, whether or not you feel it is appropriate under the
circumstances. Instead simply state the facts of the situation about which you
are being interviewed. If you must speak to them, insist on recording the
complete meeting for yourself.
4) Follow up. If the journalist fairly
reports what you say, write him or her a note of thanks. If the journalists
reports on your action or words erroneously, send a written correction and
insist it be published/aired for the sake of fairness and accuracy.
Always
personally thank the journalists who do show up for your actions. Keep in touch
with them to make sure you have updated contact information for them.
How to answer media when they attack Islam,
overtly or subtly
1) Note
the source, news segment, etc carefully so you can go back to it later when
you’re ready to write.
2) Do
your research. Use facts—not rhetoric, and not emotion.
3) Start
with a general premise, but be sure to provide details to back up that premise.
4) Be
succinct, follow editorial roles, and respond in a timely fashion.
5) Use
spell check! If it can be done in a
timely fashion, have a friend edit your writing for spelling and grammar. The
letter or email doesn’t have to be perfect, but glaring errors can make you
appear inept, uninformed, or dishonest when your letter is published or read on
air, and should be minimized.
6) If
you don’t get published or otherwise recognized, don’t get discouraged. You’re
adding to the litany of voices which tell the self-proclaimed media moguls that
they are not fooling everyone. Eventually they will be forced to report at
least a modicum of the truth.
7) If
you don’t get published in one news source, try another, but don’t give up.
This report was originally presented before the Jamaat al-Muslimeen National Majlis-e-Shura on May 3, 2014.
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