CALCASA is committed to working with media in order to represent California rape crisis centers and survivors. It is our goal to not only communicate directly with local, statewide and national media, but to also build the capacity of our membership to advocate on local issues by reaching out to reporters in their community.
CALCASA has create a Media Advocacy Guide, which details how rape crisis centers and individuals can use media to advocate for survivors in California. For some, this guide will be an introduction to working with the media. For others, you may find that this is a simple text for sharing the activities you’re already doing in your agency with new staff, leadership or allies.
The guide includes some lessons CALCASA has learned and some nice tips for working with the media. This is an ongoing document, so please provide us with your experiences and feedback that we can include in future versions.
Click Here to Download the Media Advocacy Guide
Additionally, given the way in which sexual assault is often portrayed in media, it is important for individuals who may be interviewed to provide information in way that deconstructs rape myths, supports survivors and educates the community about local services.
CALCASA is a resource that members can use when preparing for interviews with media. Our staff can help you develop talking points, prepare questions for the interviewee and learn how to create a proactive — rather than reactive — policy for engaging with reporters.
Another important consideration for your agency is the use of social media. CALCASA is committed to using social media in order to further its mission and messaging. For assistance in establishing the use of social media or expanding the ways in which it is used, CALCASA can share policies, best practices and ideas for your social media process.
Click Here to Download the Social Media Policy Framework and CALCASA Social Media Policies.
