Formosa Foundation

Media Workshop:
Bring Taiwan to Main Street USA

Many people think of Thai food when they hear the word “Taiwan.”  The fact is, “Thai” food actually comes from Thailand.  This is just one of many misconceptions that Americans have towards Taiwan. This type of misunderstanding is the driving force behind the Formosa Foundation’s campaign to bring the island nation to the forefront of American consciousness by using the media.

To help Taiwan gain visibility with mainstream America, the Formosa Foundation sponsored a workshop that focused on ways that supporters of Taiwan can better utilize conventional media.  More than forty representatives from various Taiwanese organizations in the greater Los Angeles area attended the three-hour training session on August 10th.  Basic tools of communication and news coverage were discussed along with tips on how to deliver messages that resonate with the American public. 

The workshop was run by Sydney Weisman and David Hamlin of Weisman Hamlin Public Relations.  They advised the attendees on how to consume media differently in order to understand how to better use it.  Hamlin suggested that participants of the workshop read the by-lines of news articles to understand each reporter’s coverage area and interest. 

One of the difficulties in drawing attention to the issue of Taiwan is the economic incentives that China purportedly presents, which are beginning to overwhelm the moral principles that Americans have always represented. “It is a battle for hearts and minds,” explained Hamlin, “The only way to change people’s minds is to use media effectively.”

The seminar taught participants the fundamentals of attracting the media’s attention by using press releases.  To distinguish your article from the rest, it is important to remember to frame the story in an interesting way, incorporate a visual component, create a catchy sound byte, and always include a boilerplate description of your organization at the end of the release.

Making Taiwan visible in the mainstream media can also be accomplished by writing letters to the editor in response to relevant reports or articles on Taiwan.

The workshop received positive feedback from participants. The attendees considered the lecture to be helpful and many stated that they would recommend someone from their organization to attend similar meetings. 

A top priority for the Formosa Foundation is to educate the public and grassroots political organizations in the United States about Taiwan. The better people are informed, the more they are able to influence policymakers. The August training seminar stressed that the media is key to reaching and influencing Americans.  Click here for a set of lecture notes taken during the workshop.