Parrish moderates media panel, messaging during Flinn-Brown Convention

MAP Strategies Group CEO Mi-Ai Parrish (far right) discusses media and diversity with distinguished guests (left to right) Fernanda Santos, contributing columnist, Washington Post, and a professor of practice at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU; Patty Talahongva, executive producer, Indian Country Today; Adrienne Fairwell, general manager of Arizona PBS; and Dianna Náñez, executive editor of Arizona Luminaria.

Attendees of the Flinn-Brown Convention themed “Media and the Message” last week saw MAP Strategies Group CEO Mi-Ai Parrish apply her skills first-hand, leading a panel on diverse media and introducing morning keynote speaker PBS NewsHour’s Stephanie Sy.

The all-day event Nov. 12 at the Heard Museum in Phoenix focused on the role of the media in communicating and influencing public policy; showcasing the inter-relationship between the media, the public, and policymakers; understanding diverse media platforms; and identifying opportunities to expand information access.

“Guests saw the true inner workings of messaging and influence that impacts public policy and perceptions for good,” says Parrish, who spoke at a peaceful march earlier this year in Mesa to protest a rash of hate crimes against Asian Americans amid the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter Movement. Numerous media outlets covered the event which clearly influenced public sentiment during a turbulent spring and summer.

“The words companies and public figures use matter. Storytelling matters,” Parrish says of the Flinn-Brown presentations. “I think we provided useful information, exercises and case studies that Convention-goers can take with them and apply with impact.”

The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation in Phoenix works to increase the number of Arizonans involved in civic life through a number of public programs.

The Center, which has provided nonpartisan and independent programming since 2011, views civic leadership as requiring clear vision, deep knowledge, hard work, and a willingness to bridge differences to build consensus on solutions that advance Arizona.

The Thomas R. Brown Foundations of Tucson partners with Flinn to support the Flinn-Brown Fellowship, which each year provides strong civic leaders with the knowledge, skills, and a commitment to address Arizona’s long-term challenges.