Research Done for
Gaining a Voice
Community Groups
The Media Resources Advisory Group that is sponsoring
this television series. It is the organization that created the book GAINING
A VOICE. It was formed because its members felt that community groups especially
minority ethnic communities were not being adequately reflected in the
media. The members recognized that participants in community groups did
not have the necessary skills, time or organizational structure needed
to communicate their communities' concerns, activities and/or stories to
the wider community.
The Media Resources Advisory Group (MRAG), in recognizing
the need for training in media relations, first developed a needs assessment
survey which was sent to minority ethnic communities in Ottawa. The survey
was used to determine the following:
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Current methods used by the mainstream media to obtain
information from minority ethnic communities.
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How community groups felt the mainstream media determine
which stories or issues are to be covered.
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The present methods and practices used by communities
to tell their stories to the mainstream media.
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Stories and issues that give an honest account of communities
and why they do so.
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Problems the mainstream media have in writing stories
about events within communities, especially, minority ethnic communities.
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Problems minority groups have in telling their stories
to the mainstream media.
The survey was sent to 300 community groups in the spring
of 1988. This questionnaire, the first of its kind, was to assess the relationship
between the media and minority ethnic
Canadians. The results of the survey confirmed the
original thinking in regards to media relations and minority ethnic organizations.
Most minority ethnic communities and racial groups in the Ottawa region
are small in numbers but extremely active in social, cultural and other
areas. Media relations are not properly handled by those organizations,
mostly because of insufficient training and lack of procedures. Practically
all groups and organizations are generally dissatisfied with the media,
but that dissatisfaction is often not justified. The groups seem to have
unrealistic expectations regarding coverage for relatively small groups.
They expected the media to make the effort to become aware of their existence
and activities. This is an apparent contradiction with their excellent
awareness concerning their own duties and activities. This expectation
becomes a major weak point in media relations for these groups. While the
survey was exclusively concerned with minority ethnic Canadians it is fair
to assume that the same findings would be obtained from most community
groups.
The results of this survey were used in developing
the media relations workshops which addressed these problems. In 1988 and
1989 MRAG sponsored five series of workshops.
More than 120 individuals from different organizations
attended these workshops. In the spring of 1989, the City of Ottawa sponsored
a day-long seminar on media relations which attracted over 100 participants.
Since then other organizations have sponsored media relations workshops
in the Ottawa area. This is evidence of widespread awareness of the need
for this type of training.
After each series of workshops the participants were
asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding these workshops. A copy of
this questionnaire and analysis of its result is appended.
MRAG published the book GAINING A VOICE in response
to the overwhelming requests by workshop participants and others in Canada
who were unable to attend. This book has been sold across Canada and the
United States and some inquiries for the book have come from the international
community. (Some as far as Australia).
It has become clear from the survey, the workshops,
and the book that there is a real need for media relations training for
community groups. Corporations, businesses, lobby groups and governments
spend thousands of dollars, time and human resources on media relations.
Community groups do not have the money, time or resources and therefore
are at a disadvantage when it comes to presenting their point of view to
the media.
GAINING A VOICE expands on the training provided
by the seminars and the book making it available to ever larger audiences.
This video series can be used for the on-going training which community
groups need when new volunteers/personnel are assigned to carry media relations
responsibilities.