KAL Advocacy Initiative

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KAL Advocacy Initiative

• Working Together Over the Coming Weeks
• August, 2006

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Why KAL Advocacy Initiative?

• Organic momentum for change
• Help knock perception being peddled that people
  dont want civil marriage
• Support the issues being raised within the KAL
  case as an independent platform of ally
  organisations
• Raise awareness of the issues being raised by the
  KAL case among members and associated groups
• Work individually and collectively in a creative
  way to raise awareness of the issues being raised
  by the KAL case among the general public
• Add depth, strength, and diversity to the case
  for legal change.

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Key Contacts

• Joan OConnell
• kal_at_glen.ie
• jmcoconnell_at_yahoo.co.uk
• 087-6922677
• Edel Hackett (away from Sept. 10-17)
• ehackett_at_eircom.net
• 087-2935207
• www.kalcase.org
• Vital to exchange initiative emails and phone
  numbers

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Where Things Are At

• 8 Weeks to go
• October 3rd, 2006 in the High Court - case could
  take 2-3 weeks
• Comprehensive list of witnesses confirmed
• UK High Court ruled that Canadian marriage of
  Celia Kitzinger and Sue Wilkinson could not be
  recognised as a civil marriage KAL response
  issued
• Media interest expected to hot-up
• Katherine and Ann Louise will be giving selective
  interviews only
• Rachel Matthews McKay will be general
  spokesperson others?
• But need for cacophony of support voices
  representative of diverse Irish society over the
  coming weeks

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Media/Events

• DLGFF Partnership Discussion
• Range of interesting issues raised
• Guardian G2 Features August 11th
• World Changing Women
• First Day of Court October 3rd
• Town Hall Meeting October 10th, Trinity College

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Communications Plan

• Selective Interviews
• Proactive rather than reactive approach
• Releases around issues to be raised by witnesses
  in advance
• Networking and group communication
• Implications, benefits, potential for Irish
  society at large
• Ally statements
• Membership information and involvement

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Key Messages

• Drs Zappone and Gilligan are already married. As
  Irish citizens they are asking the courts to
  recognize that their marriage should be legally
  recognized in Ireland.
• They are asking for equality and fairness and to
  be treated the same as other married couples in
  Ireland. Other married couples, including those
  married abroad, enjoy tax and benefits related to
  pension, property and succession among other
  things.
• In failing to recognise their marriage, the State
  and the Revenue Commissioners are not recognising
  their right to equality before the law as
  guaranteed in the Irish Constitution. They are
  also failing to recognise their right to privacy
  and family life as guaranteed in the European
  Convention on Human Rights.
• If successful, this case will create a positive
  climate for a new legal
• framework that provides the potential for legal
  recognition for all co-habiting couples and the
  many different types of family in Ireland today.

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Adding Value

• Relate the key messages to your work and your
  organisations messages
• Know Your Audiences who do you want to reach,
  how do they get their information
• Strengthening the case
• Case Studies human interest if possible
• Put message on One Page
• Feed off national stories
• Develop your own creative strategies and
  programmes
• Focus on difference it will make to your members,
  society

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What Difference Does It Make?

• What difference will KAL make to peoples lives?
• Relate research, case studies, statistics,
  recommendations to everyday examples related to
  your members.
• Use examples to explain abstract/academic ideas.
• Forget about your peers think about explaining
  your messages to your next door neighbour what
  would make sense?

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Some Communications Tools

• Letterhead or slogan e.g. supporting KAL for
  equal marriage
• Newsletters, information materials
• Poster campaign
• Meetings/policy briefings letters, visit to
  politicians clinics
• Awareness Events e.g. town hall meeting
• Information table (e.g. freshers week,
  networking meetings)
• Website
• Media a conduit to wider audiences
• releases, features, interviews, profiles,
  photographs, human interest.

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Getting Your Message Heard

• Number One Rule
• Understand the media and what makes news and
  youll have greater chance of success

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Know Your Media

• The most important audience
• Utilise all types of media
• just because your story doesnt appear in the
  Irish Times doesnt mean it isnt a success
• Media goes beyond national radio, tv and
  newspapers
• local media, magazines, free-sheets

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Shaping influences on media

• constraints of
• time
• resources
• staff, money, technologies
• availability of sources

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Press Releases

• Basic tool of media relations
• Core document
• Purpose to announce something
• Highlight newsworthy item
• Respond
• Explain

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Writing a Press Release

• Inverted pyramid
• Put main points in strong headline and opening
  paragraph
• Five Ws - who, what, where, when, why
• Follow key information at top with quotes and
  less important info at bottom
• List information and prioritise

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Writing a Release

• Keep reasonably short
• One or two pages
• Stimulate interest, dont kill it
• Need strong headline and opening paragraph

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Basic Rules

• Carry organisations name and address
• Date of issue
• Contact name/s and phone numbers
• Filed for five years
• Ensure has received proper approval

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What to do with your Release

• Issue it early (know deadlines)
• Send by fax to news editors and specific
  journalists
• Only e-mail reporters who are on-duty
• Make follow up calls to ensure receipt
• Dont harass