The South Bay Islamic Association Media Committee was formed in November of 2001 to promote our community’s participation and interaction with the media. We are involved in working with local television, radio, newspaper and other communication vehicles to help educate the public about Islam and to assist in portraying Islam and Muslims in a more fair and balanced manner.

Our charter is to train and empower our community to deal positively with the various media forms (i.e. television, radio, print, etc.) and to become active participants in the media process. We are cognizant of the need to shape public opinion, especially in these difficult times. Instead of being passive onlookers, we need to do our part in clearing misconceptions and promoting the truth about Islam and our community.

Our projects have included:

- The SBIA Mosque Open House in February 2002
- A formal Media Training Seminar in October 2002 with presentations introducing TV, Film, Internet, and Print media
- A second Media Training Seminar in 2003 which was much more workshop and discussion oriented
- A formal course in 2004 focusing on how to effectively use Language and Psychology when working with the Media.
- In 2005 a six-week course on How to conduct On-camera TV Interview Techniques and Public Speaking was done.

This committee has also been very active during the past Eid events, and invited a large number of non-Muslim guests (i.e. political figures and community leaders of various faiths) to our celebrations. The media gave us substantial positive coverage at these events.

Being a member entails attending meetings roughly once a month in San Jose, interacting in online discussions, and coming up with strategy for the near future. While a background in media or a related field is helpful, no prior experience is necessary.

For more information, you may contact: mediarelations@sbia.info