2.7 Threshold forum/Publication

The second step of the narrative change campaign planning process – Build out the elements - consists of eight elements that guide you through the development of the campaign tools and approach. On this page, we focus on the seventh element - Threshold forum/publication.
 

1. Messages
2. Stories
3. Slogans & hashtags
4. Evidence
5. Visuals
6. Messengers & supporters
7. Threshold forum/publication
8. Action plan

While the elements in the table above are presented in a series, the reality of this step is that you need to iterate back and forth among the different tools through the campaign build out process. 

The minimum communication target (or threshold) in these campaigns is to reach as many people in the middle segments as possible and so, campaigners should aim to get positive coverage of messages in the trusted newspapers, blogs and forums that serve the middle. In these campaigns, it is not enough to get coverage in the media that are naturally your allies and are supportive of diversity and inclusion; you are looking to get coverage in those that are normally sceptical, i.e. meaning your campaign elements also have to convince the opinion leaders of your target groups of the positivity of migration. 

You may wonder why we have included this in the campaign build out process, and assume that such outreach comes after the planning. But in fact, it makes a lot of sense to map out and understand the coverage of the threshold forum during the build out, so you can consider tailoring the overall approach to maximise the chances of getting the coverage you need. These practical planning considerations are key to a campaign and we break down what needs to be done in the two points below.

Map out and make the threshold Publication/Forum a target throughout your build out process 

From a practical campaign planning perspective, getting coverage in the trusted publications of the middle is the route to wide reach to the target group. So, the challenge is to ensure your messages and campaign material (stories, visuals) have a value appeal for their audiences and that you have something newsworthy to offer them. 

Therefore, in practical terms, there is a need to understand and map out what the threshold newspapers or blogs cover and how, i.e. to understand their “tidy media narrative”1  on the migration issue, and see how you can fit, connect or contrast to that in your campaigns. In practice, this involves looking at a media analysis of your target publication or forum on the migration issue2 and so, understanding what gets coverage and what doesn’t. Another route and one that we are using in the Narrative Change Lab is to have media resource people who are knowledgeable about these outlets giving you advice in this direction. 
 

Start building relationships with journalists in the target forum and publication.

Another reason to incorporate this element into the build out process is that campaigners need to invest time in building relationships with journalists, writers, and opinion leaders from the target publications. Not surprisingly, journalists need to build up some trust with partners/sources before they are willing to run any story. Through this process, you can also test some of the messaging and learn more about what they are willing and interested to cover. Campaigners we spoke to advised starting with focusing on the specific journalists or writers who seem a bit more open. 

• What are the valued online or newspaper forums of the target segment? See if you can access a media mapping or conduct one yourself.
• Which journalists/writers/spokespeople are the most valued? Which may be open to discussing a more positive view of migration?
• What kinds of frames and arguments do they use in the discussion of migration? Are there studies available on this? Or people who could advise you in this area?
• Are there any examples of more positive coverage of migration in the publication/forum? What was the message there?
• Who can you begin talking to on this issue in the forum? Do you have connections in your network to begin this conversation?

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• 1Lakoff, George (2014). Don't think of an elephant!: know your values and frame the debate : the essential guide for progressives. 2nd Edition. White River Junction, Vt, Chelsea Green Pub. Co.
• 2Crawley, H., McMahon, S. & Jones, K. (2016) Victims and Villains: Migrant Voices in the British Media. Coventry: Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University.