The media can set the
agenda, raise awareness on an issue and is used by the public to know complex
issues. This piece will try to explain
why civil society (CS) should involve the media in the light of the
aforementioned media functions.
Firstly, since the media
have the power to set the agenda for the populace, the CS can take advantage
and use the media to champion their issues.
CSs are usually not
popular with some governments or sectors. They can be arrested or harmed. If
the media is in good relations with the activists, it can provide some security
as governments fear bad publicity reaching donors, UN and regional partners.
It is cheaper for CS to
deliver content to the public as news than via advertising. Adverts are easily
ignored while news items are believed to a larger extent. Only a good relationship between CS and media
will see CS campaigns being reported as news.
Some research indicates
that the populace relies on the media to understand complex issues, the CS
stands to gain if they use the media to explain issues and raise awareness to
the public which is already looking up to the media.
Finally, Media sometimes promotes
ills like genocide, violence, adultery and sustaining hegemony to name but a
few. It would thus be very crucial that CS, which is usually fighting these
ills, engages the very media to curb them.
CS, it can be concluded then, should
engage the media as intensively as possible. (250)
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