Lunch with ideas: Understanding media coverage of Muslim students blog

On the 18th March 2010, Campusalam held a luncheon with Hasan Patel, an experienced broadcaster and 8 university students from around the country. The discussion offered insights into the workings of print and broadcast media and the importance of new age media. Hasan highlighted the enormous pressure journalist’s work under and also offered advice on how to improve media relations within the Muslim community. He advised students that it is important to praise the media and politicians when they say something positive on Muslim social or political sensitivities and that too often there is not enough positive feedback from the Muslim community, resulting in the belief that their comments would not be appreciated nor would it relatively speaking ‘win votes’.

To build that crucial relationship with journalists be prepared to invite them for coffee, lunch or dinner. Don’t be disheartened if they don’t publish a story that you are keen on at that time but be aware that they value your contact details, and when they do contact you, you will be useful to them.

The discussion also highlighted scepticism of the way the media works and that though there was a need to work with the media, the media appeared to have its own ‘system’ or agenda. Hasan explained that it is wiser to focus on affecting change locally which would then feed into the national media market. He stated that the Muslim student community would benefit from a Media response team which would actively observe trends in the media and pro-actively go about in building positive relationships with journalists and thereby be in a position to put forward an accurate representation of Islam and Muslims.