Robert Bray
Photo: Alberto Dankberg
Struggling to be heard
Robert Bray, senior US communications strategist, helps Israeli Arabs access extensive media coverage; 'It's to be heard when you're a non-entity on both ends of the media,' he says
In contrast to more important news, such as the latest sports scores or celebrity scandals, Israeli Arabs find it extremely difficult to bring their concerns and struggles to national attention. Where as Israeli Arabs constitute 20% of Israel’s population, they only draw a meager 1% of media coverage – most of it negative in nature.
Several Arab organizations, however, are now fighting back. Aided by prominent US communications strategist, Robert Bray, Israeli Arab civil rights groups such as the Mossawa Centre and the Sikkuy association for advancement of civic equality in Israel, are holding a three-day marathon starting Wednesday in order to learn how to better make their voices heard in the often cacophonous Israeli media.
Along with various green groups and womens’ rights organizations, these Arab organizations are receiving a "crash course" in how to infiltrate the media. The three-day seminar is hosted by Agenda Israeli Center for Strategic Communication, which strives to aid various Israeli human rights groups.
And they also have a formidable ally indeed in Robert Bray. Bray is a senior US communications strategist and former consultant for IBM.
He decided to leave the business world in order to make a difference, and further social change via the media. His best advice to Israeli NGOs and other activist groups is to ensure that their message passes the “mother-in-law test”.
Drama makes for good TV. Bray (Photo: Alberto Dankberg)
Quite simply, this means that “when you speak about a topic that is close to your heart you must make sure that your mother-in law, and the average Joe down the block, can understand just what you are talking about and the actual words that you use,” said Bray.
As for common mistakes made by Israeli Arabs in approaching the media, Bray said that “It is hard to have your story heard when you are a non-entity on both ends of the media. Some of the skills that Arabs lneed to work on have to do with giving interviews and capturing reporters’ interest. I could literally see flashbulbs flashing over peoples’ heads in the audience as they realized they were doing PRECISELY what they were not supposed to.”
Bray also advises social organization to stress the values and principles that they are fighting for, rather than dry, objective, technical facts. “No one marches for justice based on a pie chart,” he said. “Values like peace, justice and equality draw people to you.”
Since everybody only gets fifteen minutes of fame, Bray also gives civil rights groups one final piece of advice: “Speak in slogans….when the camera is in your face you have seconds to connect with the audience and make your point….you can’t get into details.”
This might be difficult for the notoriously passionate Israeli and Arab crowd, but as Bray noted: “I am Mexican and Italian, so I am dramatic and passionate, too…Drama makes for good TV, though."
