Workshops

This year's ADC's Alex Odeh Conference will feature a set of advocacy communications trainings led by ReThink Media. These highly interactive sessions are designed to fill areas of critical need in media engagement for our chapters and partners. Participants will leave the conference with the technical skills and knowledge to more effectively tell the stories of their work. They’ll learn how to craft powerful news pitches so that journalists focus on the issues that matter, learn the mechanics of responding to a crisis with confidence, and develop a strategic communications plan that clearly articulates the unique value of their organization.

ReThink Media is a non-profit organization funded by foundations to build the communications capacity of groups working to protect human and civil rights, primarily for Black, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian communities in the U.S. Here’s a short video about what they do.

ReThink has trained hundreds of spokespeople of color in over 15 cities around the country. Here is some of what their previous participants have shared:

"It was a very positive and informative in addition to a very intensive learning experience. I realized many skills that I had and skills I lacked where I need to focus in on."
It was excellent! I’m an educator, so I am very critical of trainings. This was the perfect balance between theory and practice."
"Amazing! Eye-opening, educational and informative. I love opportunities where I can not only network with like-minded people, but also connect through our differences and find ways to communicate more effectively."

SESSION 1

Crafting Story Pitches

A walkthrough of what is newsworthy and all the ingredients of a great pitch and practice in crafting pitches, this session is designed to help spokespeople and communications staff understand the basics of pitching and offering resources to journalists.

SESSION 2

Crisis Communications

Even for an experienced communications staffer, responding to a major crisis can be trying. How do you ensure you can not only respond to the crisis, but shape the media narrative productively? Advocates and community leaders should prepare to encounter unexpected situations that necessitate engaging in public conversation and change how people approach their issues. This is an experiential workshop: we’ll guide participants through a step-by-step simulation of a crisis. Participants will walk away with a practical understanding of how they can plan their own responses to crises and answer their ED’s question “what do we say?”

SESSION 3

Strategic Communications

This hands-on workshop will establish prerequisites for a strategic communications plan, by clarifying your organization’s identity and begin honing the audiences you intend to reach in order for your mission to be successful. We will explore questions like: What makes your organization unique? What are you seeking to accomplish? Who are you trying to impact, engage, or influence?