Engaging the media as an ally

In April 2017, a group of 30 participants from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) took part in one of our two-day training programs that sought to bolster their strategic engagement with the media.

Delivered for the Asia Pacific Forum and involving Commissioners, senior managers and staff, the sessions identified strategies that SUHAKAM could take to develop “media friendly” resources that present human rights issues in clear and compelling ways for journalists.

They also took part in a series of mock crisis scenarios, planning how they would respond to negative “front page” coverage.
Storytelling was another focus for the workshop, along with developing engaging content for SUHAKAM’s social media platforms.

The discussions helped contribute to the development of a social media strategy for SUHAKAM and build a growing base of human rights supporters in the country.