Media + Correctional Programming = WIN!
“We’ve never been invited into a prison before.” Insert ‘jail’ or ‘DOC’ or ‘Disciplinary Campus,’ and I can honestly say I’ve heard this comment from reporters a gazillion times over the years (give or take a few billion). Why isn’t there more media coverage of positive programming going on inside correctional facilities and disciplinary education campuses? I think the answer is one of the following (or maybe a combo of both): 1) media isn’t invited to see the amazing work going on inside, or 2) there isn’t any amazing work going on inside.
If the former, I believe there are some legitimate reasons media isn’t invited into these alternative education settings. Correctional agencies are accustomed to being targeted by media in a not-so-flattering light. Let’s be honest here…we give them a lot of sensational material when we don’t manage our system well. But corrections is also a handy lightening rod for politicians running for office or journalists who want to cut their teeth on stirring up the masses. This can go one of two ways: either the correctional agency isn’t being hard enough on its current residents and therefore contributing to the massive crime wave going on at any given moment in any given city, OR they’re being too hard on their current residents and thereby contributing to the ugly state of inhumane treatment of US citizens…in other words, it’s hard to win for correctional institutions. Danged if you do and danged if you don’t. I understand that.
But when good work is happening, everyone, especially other institutions and education jurisdictions, should know about it. It not only raises the profile of the facility, agency, or campus, but it gives everyone else a roadmap, a blueprint, and fellow practitioners as resources for replication. If the second reason listed above is why there’s no media coverage of your organization, then it’s time to change that…now! (P.S. our team can definitely help you out here)
I know that correctional professionals and educators working in alternative settings are doing innovative and impactful work around the world, but the fear of institutional leadership that media guests will see something that they will then report as negative often outweighs the belief that they’ll report something positive. I get it. I think we can carefully curate the programs and events that should be highlighted, and then we must be intentional about how we get that word out and who’s invited in, and then we have to put on our ‘let the chips fall’ armor for the greater good. If you’ve prepared well, then you will minimize or eliminate the chances that a reporter’s going to go rogue and report something negative.
Reporters don’t always get the facts completely right, sometimes they slant what they’ve seen through the lens of their own or their boss’ POV, but mostly, when invited in for good reasons to see good work, they get it mostly right. The fear of ‘bad press’ shouldn’t outweigh the benefits of highlighting your team’s work or the impact they’re making on the individuals in their care and frankly on the community at-large. Every time I’ve invited media inside to talk about great work, the resulting stories have lead to an influx of people asking how they can be a part of that or other projects. Some of the best partners I’ve had over the years have come to me as a result of a story published about the work our team was doing. Funding too.
As with all things, positive, transformational media coverage starts with positive relationship-building and a reputation for doing work that changes lives. You can do that. Easy!
If you’d like assistance, or just to chat about your experiences (I love hearing media stories), contact me here. In the meantime, over your morning coffee (or whatever you’re drinking), contemplate how you can open the doors so that word of your great work can get out.
Tallyho!
