Talk to the Press

There are many journalists and outlets that are interested in shedding light on racist practices, but it comes with many risks.

Telling your story in the press can put a lot of pressure on those who committed the racist action to address or fix it.
Telling your story publicly might be a way of alerting those who employ or partner with the offender, or put pressure on them to address the situation.
Telling your story in the press can raise larger issues beyond your particular case. It can put others who act similarly on notice, and help pressure on an industry to change racist practices.
It may be possible to tell your story anonymously
It can help alert others in the community about a bad actor, or encourage others to come forward
Speaking about the incident publicly can be therapeutic.

As with social media, you could be sued for defamation. This could set you back financially and emotionally.
You might be attacked for coming forward, either by the offender or others who feel attacked by someone speaking out about racism. That can include people who are close to both you and the offender.
You could potentially lose work if others in the industry worry that you might speak to press again about them.
As a sex worker, you could potentially face discrimination in housing, banking, employment, or other areas of your life as a result of public attention.
You have no guarantee that the journalist will present your story as you want it told. A journalist might frame your story in a way you didn’t intend, or mischaracterize you.
If you chose to bring a legal case later, your story in the press may work against you, depending on what you say and how you’re quoted.
You have no control over the life of your article. In some cases, it could go viral and reach family or others who may not know about your work. Your real name legal name might be included without your consent.

Most journalists are active on Twitter, and will frequently have open DMs or provide a confidential way to reach them.
There are no guarantees that a journalist will be interested in writing a story, or may not respond at all. A journalist might be interested, but their editor could refuse the story.
If you’re interested in talking with the press, review a journalist’s previous work, especially as it relates to race and sex.
Everything you say or write to the journalist is on-the-record, from your initial email or DM to text messages and phone calls, and can appear as a quote in the finished article — unless they formally agree otherwise before you start talking.

Free Speech Coalition offers free media training for performers who are interested in, or concerned about talking with press. Please contact [email protected] for more information.