Sometimes, just sometimes, the Western media can do the dirty on you. It may be that they've arranged for your chief critic to be in the wings as you go live on talkback radio. It may be that the newspaper has cropped an image to give a false perception to the readers. Or it might be a TV current affairs program that has lied to you to get your involvement in a story.



If you've ever had dealings with the Western media than you will know that (sometimes) it's just like swimming in shark infested waters.

I've trained globally and nowhere is the experience of dealing with the Western media potentially more frightening than in my own backyard, Asia. Cultural differences mean many non-western people find it hard to stand up for themselves when facing Western journalists and crews, yet stand up for themselves they must.

In early 2007 I was on a media training assignment in Asia. The gentle nature and cultural upbringing of these particular Asian people meant that they were not naturally suited to standing up to intrusive questioning by Western journalists.

I heard of one example while there that involved a Western TV news crew trying to link militarism to this Western mining company. They hounded this particular manager, initially accusing her company of being in cahoots with communist rebels who were some 500 kilometres away. They kept asking if the company talked to the rebels; Would it talk to the rebels? Is it possible it would talk to the rebels? Finally, mainly for peace, she gave in and agreed with the journalist that it was possible her company could talk to the rebels, even though that particular admission was wrong and detrimental to her

company.

She should not have given in like that.

As a former Western journalist, I always tell our workshop participants that not all journalists are out to trap them but some are and you need to know how to handle Western media before you go anywhere near them.

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