This down-to-earth presentation begins with an explanation of the nature of the media as we find it today, what is and isn’t considered “news,” how the media regards religion and the constraints journalists work under. The media, he will point out, isn’t likely to change, and it is up to religious organizations to learn how to work effectively within its parameters.
He will first discuss proactive interaction with the press, that is, the purposeful engagement of the media by religious organizations, all of which should be part of a broad public relations outreach. Generally, such outreach works best within the local community. Such engagement should include inviting journalists to attend festival days or religious functions such as weddings and coming-of-age ceremonies, holding open houses, contributing religious views to the media’s opinion columns, participating in the local interfaith movement and creating or joining a speaker’s bureau. This is all an application of the principle the environmentalists used, called “think globally and act locally,” for if religious organizations can create good media coverage community by community, then they will be in a better position to deal with a crisis when it comes.
Crisis management or “reactive interaction” is dealing with an event which has offended, misrepresented or somehow negatively impacted the religion. The keys to reactive interaction are swift and accurate reaction and polite persistence until a proper solution is reached. This will all be illustrated with recent events in which religion became a key issue.
The address will be given on September 15 from 1:30 to 2:30 pm at the main conference hall. For more information, visit the conference website here.