Speak up!Need help to communicate it? These things might help
Communicate It Talk to strangers. From www.youthactionnet.org
Get a celebrity to support you. From www.youthactionnet.org
Speaking to the media. From www.youthactionnet.org
Preparing for a media interview. From www.youthactionnet.org
Writing an effective press release. From www.youthactionnet.org
How to give an interview, write a press release. From www.amnesty.ca
Raise awareness at your school. From www.amnesty.ca
Tabling – i.e. setting up an info table at O week. From www.amnesty.ca
How to give an in-class presentation. From www.amnesty.ca
How to give a before-lecture presentation.
Guide to letter writing. From www.amnesty.ca
Raise awareness
Be a good listener
Always struggling to find the right words to express your views on a topic? Want to interview a public figure about an issue but having trouble preparing? This is where the Speak Up toolkit can help. It’s jam-packed with info to help you use a very powerful tool more effectively, your voice.
Top ten reasons to use your voice:Need some motivation to help you speak up, check out Youth Noise’s top ten at
http://www.youthnoise.com/page.php?page_id=2062Talk to strangers:Talking to someone about a topic that you’ve never bit can be a scary experience. If you find yourself wanting to talk to an expert on the issue you should be prepare to feel a little anxiety before the meeting. It’s important to be calm. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed talking to an expert but just remember that most people will want to help you in any way they can and they really probably aren’t that scary.
When talking to strangers, such as at a booth on campus, it’s important to keep some things in mind to make the best of your brief chat with these people. Think of your talk with them as a sales pitch. It’s not like you literally wanted to sell them something but you want to sell them on the cause. Before the day, think about what you want the people you are talking to take away from the conversation. Remember you will only have a few minutes to “sell” your cause so make every word count. Use descriptive language and try to make the argument for the desired action as convincing as possible.
For a guide that helps you think about and clarify your purpose for a conversation with a stranger see this great resources from the Youth Action Net website.
http://www.youthactionnet.org/docUploads/cafetogo.pdfCelebrity support:Why do you think the Live 8 movement has been so successful? Getting a celebrity behind your cause can really help raise the profile of the issues and maybe even give you some free publicity. Finding a celebrity to endorse your cause may be harder than you think. The easiest way to get someone to come to your event is to first figure out your target for the type of celebrity you would like to get at your event. Think of someone that either has direct connection with the issue or direct contact with the people that the issue affects. Radio DJ’s and television presenters often make appearances at charity events. Athletes also make appearances at charity events however it may be difficult to secure an athlete when their sport is in season. The most important thing to remember when trying to book a celebrity for your event is to start early. They often have very busy schedules and being able to work in your event into their schedule will be easier if you start early and are perhaps flexible about the dates.
Speaking to the media:For most young Australia’s speaking to the media for the first time can be a frightening experience. To help assist in making your media appearance both more comfortable for you and more beneficial to your cause there are several things you should do in preparation.
- Get as much information about the interview as possible beforehand. This includes what types of interview (TV, radio, print) and what dress is acceptable. Try to set the location of the interview instead of the journalist choosing the location. This allows you to have the interview on your own turf, making you more comfortable.
- Brainstorm questions that the journalist may ask. Having some idea of possible questions will put your mind at ease. This being said however it’s a bad idea to have memorized answers for certain questions. It makes you seem stiff and may detract from the sincerity of your answers.
An excellent resource of looking or sounding the best for the media can be found on the Columbia University Teacher’s College website at
http://www.tc.columbia.edu/news/faculty.htm?id=Whe...For tips on being the speaking to the media for the first time check out the Youth Service America at
http://www.youthactionnet.org/docUploads/Youth%20S...How to interview:Most people have natural curiosity and like to ask and receive answers to questions. The anxiety you feel before an interview seems strange then because you are really just asking and getting answers to questions. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your interview for ActNow or your cause.
• Get all the information you can about your interview subject before you meet with them. If they are a high profile person, they will expect that you already know the information that is available to the public about them. You want to be able to dig deeper with your interview, find out something that a simple goggle search can’t tell you
• Have a list of questions written down in case you totally blank out during the interview, but don’t be tied to it.
• Always listen to what the interview subject answers to your questions. Sounds like funny advice but often the interviewer gets so caught up in what they want to ask next that they miss what the subject is saying. Better listening means you will be able to ask better follow-up questions that will most likely produce some of the best stuff from your interview.
• Have an idea about what you want to accomplish from the interview. It could just be to get more info on a topic or it could be to have something inspiring to bring others to the cause.
• Don’t get discouraged if the interview subject seems less than willing to talk about a subject. Think about what you would want to say if the positions were reversed.
• Think carefully about location when scheduling an interview. Try to do it somewhere that the subject feels comfortable, they will be more willing to talk. Be sure the space is suitable and is mostly free of distraction that can up an otherwise interview off-track.
• Make sure you tell the subject exact ally what the interview will be used for, to be published on the ActNow website. Be sure to fully explain ActNow. Just remember that you are the only representative that the subject may ever see from ActNow, so make us proud!
• Try to avoid yes/no questions. Ask open ended questions that allow the subject some freedom in answering. These types of questions usually provide the best responses.
• Warm your interview subject up by asking background questions and attempting to make a connection early on. It’s important to have this connection before you ask the questions that may be harder for the interview subject to answer.
• Always end the interview with a question that allows the subject to add whatever they would like. Something like “Is there anything else I should know?” always works well.
Journalism.org has list that provides great tips to making the most of your interview, check out
http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/reportin...Writers Resources has a Top Ten ways to make your interviews better at
http://www.poewar.com/archives/2004/10/23/ten-tips...Loosing Lips: The Art of the Interview was written by an American journalist and has some good tips to make you make the most of that interview
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~jcsouth/library/trad/na...Writer’s Block also has some good tips
http://www.writersblock.ca/summer1997/feature2.htmRaise awareness at your school:Raising awareness can be very simple. Simply talking to other students and teachers at your school will raise awareness
For ideas on how to reach out in your school check out Amnesty’s Canada website at
http://www.amnesty.ca/youth/youth_action_toolkit/r...These ideas mainly discuss working for Amnesty’s cause but they are good suggestions that could be applied to any cause.
Tabling:Tabling means setting up a table or booth to promote a cause. This can happen at anytime however it is common during O-week and can be a good way to attract lots of new people to your group or cause.
Many of the sites listed talk about tabling for their specific cause but their tips and hints can be used and applied to any cause. Don’t limit your table to just your school or uni. Many public libraries also have space for displays. Always be sure to contact them in advance to find out the rules on such displays.
The Physicians for Human Rights website has lots of great tips for making an effective table. It gives hints for what to try where to locate and how to best convey your cause.
http://www.phrusa.org/students/campus_action.html#1The PETA India site has lots of great questions to ask yourself to make sure your table is both allowed and successful
http://www.petaindia.com/tabling.htmlHow to give an in class presentation:If the thought of standing up for something you believe in for a class presentation makes you sick, check out some of the helpful tips in this section. Once you are adequately prepared and ready to go, impressing the crowd and winning a few more people for your cause will be no problem.
Amnesty Canada gives some good advice including top 5 things to keep in mind when giving a speech, check it out.
http://www.amnesty.ca/youth/youth_action_toolkit/h...University of Wisconsin-Madison gives some good pointers for oral presentations.
http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~markhill/conference-talk.htmlThe Yale Cognition Lab has some tips for effective presentations
http://pantheon.yale.edu/~bs265/misc/musings/bjs-p...Presentation Helper UK has an excellent set of tools to help you write and give a great speech for your cause.
http://www.presentationhelper.co.uk/Essential_Pres...Check out How to give better presentations at
http://webhost.bridgew.edu/jhayesboh/NOT13TH/prese...Effective Meetings.com has a whole section of articles dedicated to help you give better presentations, check it out at
http://www.effectivemeetings.com/presenting/index.aspHow to write an effective letter:The pen is a mighty weapon and a weapon that can help affect change if used properly. Check out this website to make your next letter for a cause pack the punch you had hoped for.
If you need to write for fundraising purposes check out the 14 steps as written by
Writers Express
http://www.writeexpress.com/effective-fundraising-...Be a good listener:The most important thing to remember when having a conversation with someone is to pay attention. It sounds simple but how many times have you been talking to someone when they are looking all over and not being engaged in what you are saying at all.
• Look the person in the eyes when they are speaking being mindful not to move around too much or appear that you aren’t interested.
• Give people time to think before you answer them or give them advice. Most times in an interview the best material comes when the interview subject is allowed to breathe and is more willing to open up.
• According to Communicationmatters.org.uk communication is a two way activities and it’s important to remember that the listener is just as important as the speaker.
• Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that one of you has to be speaking at every second during the interview. They didn’t invent the saying “Silence is golden” for nothing.
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Check out effective meetings 6 tips for being a good listener at
http://www.effectivemeetings.com/productivity/comm...Texas Women’s University Counselling Centre has some good tips to help get a better conversation going
http://www.twu.edu/o-sl/counseling/SelfHelp026.htmlDo something creative:
A great way to bring about discussion on a topic is through art. Artwork can convey emotion and help lend to the promotion of a certain point of view. Your creation could be a drawing, painting, speech or film. Try to get your ideas out there in as many ways as possible. A great place to start would be to enter your art into shows or exhibitions around your campus.
