Media for Advocacy
Build the skills you need to use the media as a tool for advocacy.
Media for Advocacy: Youth Media Training Program
Join us for a weekend of in-person workshops in Naarm on 10 – 11 August, 2024, to build the skills you need to use the media as a tool for advocacy – safely, effectively, and confidently!
It is critical that young people’s voices are heard in the media – that their views on issues which affect them are reflected in stories about them, and shape public perceptions about the transformative change young people want to see. And yet, so often, young people are ignored, stereotyped, or sidelined in media reporting. It can also be hard to know where to start, or how to engage with the media to advocate for change. This is why Media for Advocacy: Youth Media Training Program is here to help you build the skills you need to engage with the media and advocate for change.
When and where is the program taking place?
In-person Workshops
Saturday 10 August and Sunday 11 August, in Melbourne’s CBD, 9:30am-5pm.
Online Support sessions
Three monthly online support sessions following the workshop to continue to develop your media skills, workshop pitches or story ideas, and connect with fellow workshop participants with support from FYA staff.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Free to participate in, with covered expenses for food and travel.
- Hands-on skill-building sessions on how to write a media release, craft key messages, and pitch to journalists.
- Practical sessions on preparing for and conducting interviews, speaking from lived experience, protecting your story, your legal rights and power dynamics.
- Hear directly from:
- Experts working in or engaging with the media, including journalists and media advisors for Federal politicians
- Young campaigners on their experience with successfully using the media as a tool for advocacy
- A diverse range of professionals and young advocates on sharing and honouring lived experience
- Connect with like-minded young activists and youth-led campaigns.
- Information on how FYA can further support your own community campaign.
Ready to apply? Great decision!
Media for Advocacy: Youth Media Training Program is open to anyone 15-28 years old based in Victoria.
Applications will close on 25 July. Successful applicants will be notified on 26 July.
Frequently Asked Questions
The organisers and workshop facilitators for Media for Advocacy are:
Foundation for Young Australians:
- Heather McNab (she/her), Youth Media Lead
Heather leads FYA’s Youth Media Centre where she supports and trains up young people and partner campaigns to use the media as a tool for advocacy. Heather worked as a journalist at the Australian Associated Press and NewsCorp before moving into government communications, particularly in strategic communications for the Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore. Heather acted as media advisor for the inaugural Youth Voice to Parliament campaign in 2021 and was campaign media advisor for a Teal Independent during the 2022 Federal election. - Pablo Brait (he/him), Campaigns Director
As Campaigns Director at FYA, Pablo works to support youth-led organisations fight for and win the change they want to see in the world. An experienced campaigner and community organiser, Pablo has previously focused on stopping the expansion of the destructive coal and gas industries, working for over 15 years with organisations including Market Forces, The Nature Conservation Council of NSW and Beyond Zero Emissions. - Liyan Gao (she/her), Campaigns Manager
As the Campaign Manager at FYA, Liyan’s role is to support young people and youth-led organisations to run campaigns to create change, from campaign planning to communication strategy. Previously, Liyan has worked as a youth and community organiser at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, and as an organiser at United Voice. Liyan has a Masters in Arts in political theory at Monash University.
FYA staff will select participants. We are looking for a diverse group of young people with a range of lived experience of injustice who want to use the media as a tool to advocate for change. No prior media understanding or experience is needed.
Commitment to attend the two days Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 August from 9.30am until 5.00pm.
There is no cost to participants. FYA will provide lunch and a travel allowance to all participants including regional applicants (including accommodation costs where needed).
We will have a wellbeing plan and ensure to make the event as inclusive and accessible as possible. The meeting spaces are all wheelchair accessible and have accessible bathrooms. Auslan interpreters can be provided. All participants will be given a participant form that will inform how we best support participants.
We will be following the FYA Covid policy and have a Covid plan. We will supply rapid antigen tests (RATs), hand sanitiser and N-95 face masks. There will be an air filter running at the venue.
To attend the Media for Advocacy workshops, you need to:
- It is recommended that you are vaccinated against COVID-19
- Do a RAT the day before or morning of the workshop, with a negative result
- Not have cold or flu-like symptoms or be waiting on COVID-19 test results
- Not have recently been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
For more information get in contact with Heather at heather.mcnab@fya.org.au