It is desirable for the coordinating committee to give attention, from early in the process of developing the plan, to how best to approach making effective use of the media. It can consider recruiting relevant personnel or making optimum use of existing media promotion units, for example in the focal agency responsible for managing the plan. The committee should draw up a specific media strategy and implement and monitor it in the same way as it does for other areas of the plan. The media strategy will serve: • To inform sectoral groups and the general public about the national action plan and to encourage them, as appropriate, to implement it or to influence government and those with responsibility for implementing it; • To inform people about what their human rights are, what the government is doing to promote and protect their human rights and how they can take action themselves to advance human rights observance; • To inform people about institutions that exist to promote and protect human rights within the country; • To highlight important national human rights issues. 10.4.3 Target groups The media strategy should identify its target audiences. There are probably four target groups in relation to national action plans: • The potential beneficiaries of advances in human rights observance. While in a broad sense this will include the whole of society, the primary targets from the point of view of a media strategy comprise vulnerable groups and those whose rights are actually or potentially under threat; • Those who have a key role to play in protecting and promoting human rights – judicial and security officials, politicians, teachers and others; • The general public who, even if their rights are not immediately under threat, will draw satisfaction from the awareness that a national plan is in place that will enhance the security and well-being of all their fellow-citizens; • The international community, both as a potential source of technical cooperation and as part of the international environment that interacts with the country in question. 10.4.4 Media activities The media strategy may include: • • • • • • Establishing good relations with the media; Media backgrounding, through both print and other media; Media releases; Media conferences; Interviews; Media coverage of events associated with the plan; 91