8. A few suggestions to take off ?

Here is a concrete suggestion to start communication. It is certainly not the only one but it can give you ideas.

The basic situation is supposed to be as follows : you are at present convinced your association should from now on communicate towards the media…

A team work : if not motivated abstain

Begin by gathering all the persons potentially concerned.

Explain the idea of including a "communication" dimension in the action, discuss it.

If the motivation of the troops is sufficient, go ahead (otherwise you will still have to work first on their motivation) and make a first assessment of how things stand :

- identify each one’s eventual capabilities (one likes writing, the other is good at photography, a good talker, …)

- identify each one’s contact network (one will sometimes be surprised) : who knows a journalist, an expert in communication, a sister association having experience in communication;

- identify potential sub-contractors : photographers, film makers, writers who might one day be mobilized;

- identify the actions, the present and future themes of your association that could interest the press, public opinion and seem to you as useful to be better known.

A communication cell for your association

Next, seeing it is not necessary to mobilize everybody each time you need a mainspring for every action, organize a communication cell. A team of three persons for instance, one of whom is in charge, who will conceive, coordinate, report and more often carry out by themselves communication actions.

A person in charge, only one

Whereas a cell of several persons allows for good group work, it is all the same necessary to appoint one single person as being the responsible coordinator, if one wishes to have thing progress in due time. Otherwise, the responsibility is too diluted and experience shows (with only a few exceptions) that the vagueness resulting from a co-responsibility lessens the efficiency. This does not prevent from consulting together and from co-operating closely.

Start at a small scale

Through a communication action on the action of the association. Give privilege to personal contact and in this way start to build a network of contacts.

Example : start with a journalist belonging to a local media

Method : ask a journalist from a local television, specialised in social matters (you only have to telephone and to ask who is responsible for social information if you don’t know the person) if he could see you for an hour, not longer, to give you some advice in communication. You tell him you think the action of street workers (namely in your association) is interesting, useful, important and that you would like to make it better known at local level. And that he, as journalist, could give you some useful tips. Try, the response is nearly always positive. You can get a lot of benefit from his advice, he will take the opportunity to find out more about a subject he is interested in and you will have a first name on your address book of press contacts.

And maybe a first sketch of action to be carried out, which would bring this particular journalist to cover the event.

The secret of success : a network of contacts

There is nothing like direct and personal contact. All the journalists say so. Resulting from a regular work of contact, a good network will enable you to mobilize persons already acquainted with your activities when you need them. In this way you will harvest what you have sown.

This network will probably correspond to your personality. You will hit it off more with one particular journalist, newspaper or radio. Certain persons will perhaps become friends but with others you will sometimes not get on the same wavelength.

Concerning the choice of your "responsible media contact", it is recommended that this person is fond of social contacts and feels at ease "in society". It is useless to send to the front the shyest person of your association. A minimum of diplomacy is also recommended.

The impression of co-operation and common interest must prevail in the relation with the media. Certainly you are the seekers, but the media need information. Somewhere you are on equal footing. Therefore avoid acting as if you had to make use of the journalist, to manipulate him for your profit. Put yourself in his place, put your trumps objectively in evidence and create a healthy relation between the two of you.

Learn thanks to the others

Why not co-operate with a sister association that already has more experience ? Suggest a common action and learn from this contact.

To accumulate experience, is also to accumulate support

Bit by bit, you will find out which are your strong points, you will learn from your successes and your failures, you will reinforce your internal capabilities, your exterior relations.

To communicate will progressively become a reflex inside your action, inside your association.

But at the same time a source of ideas and support. The more you will know people, the more you will be known and recognised, and it will be easier for you to obtain help and support.

Inasmuch, of course, that the quality of your work follows.

Don’t build on sand or on bluff if you want to last in time.

Next, look for something bigger : the communication plan

With some experience, you will be able to imagine more ambitious plans, better structures, with different actions completing each other, in short create a communication plan.

Head for communication on a regular basis: get into the swing of things

Once the "communication vessel" is launched, you can progressively count on the speed acquired to go further :

- new actions

- new tools and new targets

- enlarge the network of contacts

- enlarge the partnerships

Promoting a conference: make yourself heard and you’ll be visible

In the framework of the international conference on social street work organized at the Martinique in February 2004, each medium has had a role to play with the various targeted audiences.

First, we took part in a radio program broadcasted by RFO Martinique. The audience of this program was mainly made of elderly people, but also of a lot of younger adults. There, we used to talk about today’s social problems and to follow with a debate on the street "of the old days", the street of their youth.

Then we participated in a TV program on a local channel called Antilles Television, on a Saturday during lunch time, a moment in which television becomes the centre of indirect communication in most homes…

Finally, in order to reach a national audience, the public TV channel RFO Martinique broadcasted news about the conference during the 7 PM news bulletin, which is watched by a large majority of the population.

Our strategy has been successful, we benefited from quality media coverage and from a large participation of public authorities.

After our conference, IFMES (" Institute of training to educational, health and medical professions ") has become a reference for media in the field of social and health issues.

Marie-Claire Lavater, IFMES, Martinique