Thread by @randallbreanna

On speaking to journalists - a thread 🧵🧵🧵

“Everyone is so pushy”
“I wish journalists would treat us as experts in our own lived experiences.”

- Myanmar friends speaking about recent interactions with journalists. 1/

This thread is inspired by stories from friends who have had some negative experiences lately.

I want to stress, first off, that I have great respect for the profession of journalism. Good storytelling is honorable work.
2/

But I also have so much respect for my Myanmar friends who are fighting for freedom and working to share their experiences and thoughts with journalists. 3/

So—when I hear stories of certain journalists who do not interact respectfully with Myanmar contacts, who are, as some put it, “greedy for the story,” my mind gets all scissored up.
4/

goals for this 🧵
1) a reminder—you don’t need to pay the price of being disrespected in order to tell the world your stories.

2) perhaps some of these journalists who are causing your brains to get hot will feel a pang in their consciences for treating you like objects. 5/

I spoke with a friend who is a journalist.

I told this person about my Myanmar friends’ frustrations of feeling like they are being treated as if they are not credible, while simultaneously being squeezed for a story.

They gave some insights, and I’m passing them along: 6/

”Some journalists can be pretty hard-nosed and aggressive, are motivated by their ego and don’t care intrinsically about the subject, the person, so long as they ‘get the story’.

The good ones will respect the person they are interviewing and consider their safety."
7/

Journalists *do* ask lots of questions because they need to verify the story. But they can do it respectfully:


“Interviewees sometimes give very general information and I need to keep digging and asking lots of questions to get as much clarity and as many facts as possible, 8/

..even if it seems insignificant to the interviewee. The journo isn't trying to be rude by asking lots of questions. But they can ask those questions politely. I often apologize and explain I’m not trying to be picky or fussy, but that I need as much info/context as possible." 9/

On pressure:

“There are hard-nosed editors who want the story asap. Deadlines can be very tight. Journalists are under a lot of stress to find an angle, interviewees, info, and then to compose an article, or put together a ‘package’ for TV/radio." 10/

Advice if you speak with a journalist:
“[You] should not be afraid to ask as many questions as you need answered. You have every right to ask them what the story is about, what’s the main angle, and roughly when the story will be published." 11/

"While you are on the receiving end of the questions, you should not give in to pressure to reveal your name, age, location or job if it compromises your safety. 12/

Myanmar people should get to call the shots about what they want to say and do to protect themselves. If you are happy to use your real name, fine. But if your instincts tell you, ‘I’m not sure,’ don’t do it--no matter what the journalist says to you." 13/

"You are always allowed to follow up after an interview.
Ask them to send you a link to the story when it’s published. Ask for a clip of your interview if it was for radio or tv so you can post it on social media, spread the word etc - just make sure you add an attribution.”14/

If you find a good journalist, feed them info and stories.
If another journalist approaches you, but you don’t like their attitude/don’t trust them, just feel free to say no.
You have the right to talk exclusively to one media outlet if you trust them and their storytelling. 15/

On respect:

“The onus is on the journalist to get the information they want in a respectful way. Journalists are not the story, the people are. We (journalists) are conduits for their stories.”
16/

⬆️ So those are some thoughts from a seasoned journalist who wanted to encourage you all.

If you want to do right by the revolution, it might feel like it is hard to say “no.” But you can say “no” to pushy journalists and take care to protect yourself, too. 17/

You deserve better than to be hounded by journalists who are rude. You can have respectful dialogue with a journalist who will not objectify you and/or be pushy. 18/

There are plenty of great journalists out there, working in many different outlets both inside and outside the country. Cheers to them because they are ceaselessly doing hard work right now.

Also, please comment below with stories of journalists you like and why! 19/

You can win the revolution without being obligated to disrespectful journalists.

Remember, you can keep your good stories for the good journalists.
And if you do, the disrespectful ones will be forced to reconsider their behavior. /end/
#WhatsHapppeningInMyanmar

also, if anyone would like to anonymously share their perspectives of what it's like to be a Myanmar interviewee, how journalists can work better with Myanmar sources, etc., please feel free to DM me. I will curate responses to share in another thread.