Pursuing the Press
Tips on How to Use the Media Effectively

      Featured at the U.S. News and World Report's U.S. News Online
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   This document holds the 20/20 Vision Education Fund Pursuing the Press
           series for grassroots activists. The series includes:

     Writing Effective Letters to the Editor

     Writing and Publishing an Op-Ed

     Taking Action to the Airwaves
       Including Reviews of Talk Radio Shows!

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   Writing Effective Letters to the Editor
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     "Letters to the editor are impossible to overuse. We clip them and
     circulate them through the office like gossip sheets of what's
     going on. The press represents an overall buzz in the community."
     -Congressional Aide

   Letters to the editor are an easy way for you to voice your opinion to
   your policy makers, and to educate people in your community about the
   issues 20/20 Vision addresses. You can use letters to correct or
   interpret facts in response to an inaccurate or biased article which
   has appeared, to explain the connection between a news item and 20/20
   Vision's priority issues, or to praise or criticize a recent article
   or editorial. Whatever your purpose, your letter will reach many
   people in your community - without exception, the letters section is
   one of the most highly read segments of newspapers (and magazines -
   don't forget magazines!).

   Writing a letter to the editor is not much different from the letters
   you write each month as a 20/20 Vision subscriber. The following tips
   will help you fine tune your letter writing skills, and will increase
   your chances of getting published.

   Steps to Success
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   Know Your Paper's Policy
   Find out the newspaper's (or magazine's) policy for printing letters.
   Some have requirements for length of letters, some want letters to be
   typewritten, and almost all require that you include your name,
   address and phone number. (Of course your address and phone number
   would never be printed - most publications will want to call you
   before they print your letter to confirm that you really did write the
   letter and that you want to have it published.)

   If the paper doesn't publish their letters requirements next to the
   letters they print, don't be afraid to call. Ask to whom you should
   address your letter, if they have any length restrictions, and in what
   format they would like the letter.

   Be Timely
   Responding to a recent article, editorial or op-ed is one of the best
   ways to increase your chances of getting published. (Be sure to
   mention the name of the article and the date it was written in the
   beginning of your letter.) You can also capitalize on recent news,
   events, or anniversaries. For example, 20/20 Vision subscribers can
   use the anniversary of Earth Day to write about the importance of
   environmental regulations. Or, after a vote on the military budget,
   20/20 Vision subscribers can write to inform citizens how their member
   of Congress voted.

   Keep it Simple
   20/20 Vision subscribers know how to write letters to policy makers
   that are concise, informative and personal at the same time. The same
   should be true with letters to the editor. Keep your points short and
   clear, stick to one subject, and as a general rule, try to keep your
   letters to under three to four paragraphs in length. Make your first
   sentence short, compelling and catchy. Don't be afraid to be direct,
   engaging, and even controversial.

   Get Personal
   Newspapers, at their core, are community entities. Editors will be
   much more likely to publish a letter, and the letter will have much
   more impact, if it demonstrates local relevance.

     * Use local statistics. For example, a letter focusing on a vote on
       the Clean Water Act should point out how many rivers and lakes are
       unsafe for swimming in your community or state.
     * Use personal stories. For example, if you or someone in your
       family has become ill because of contaminated drinking water, you
       should talk about your experience in a letter to the editor
       addressing the Safe Drinking Water Act.
     * Use names. As congressional aides have repeatedly told us, if a
       letter to the editor mentions a Representative or Senator's name,
       they will see it. They care about how they are being perceived in
       the district, and they will pay attention to a letter which asks
       them to co-sponsor legislation, or to take a specific action in
       Congress. You should also urge your readers to support your
       position and to let their elected officials know their views.
     * Use your credentials. If you have expertise in the area you are
       writing about, say it!

   Increase 20/20 Vision's Name Recognition
   Letters to the editor are an excellent opportunity to let more people
   know about 20/20 Vision. As a general rule, you should sign your
   letter to the editor with your affiliation to 20/20 Vision (i.e.,
   subscriber, Core Group member, Board member) if the letter is the only
   one (or one of a few) being sent. On the other hand, if you and many
   other 20/20 Vision subscribers are writing letters to the editor as
   part of a targeted campaign, you should not include your affiliation
   with 20/20 Vision. Publications will not print letters which they
   think are part of a manufactured campaign.

   In the cases when you are the only one writing to the editor, you may
   also want to work 20/20 Vision's name into the text of your letter.
   For example, in a letter about the Comprehensive Test Ban you could
   say that "20/20 Vision, a national organization of citizen advocates,
   has made adopting a CTB one of its top priorities for this year."

   Don't Forget the Follow-up
   Don't be discouraged if your letter is not printed. Keep trying. You
   can even submit a revised letter with a different angle on the issue
   at a later date. And if your letter is published be sure to send it to
   your member of Congress and to the 20/20 Vision national office! While
   your Representative or Senator will probably have clipped your letter,
   it carries more weight if it comes from you with a personal note
   attached. 20/20 Vision will make sure other members of your
   congressional delegation see it, as well as other organizations,
   individuals, and decision makers.

   Think Strategically
   You should think about letters to the editor as a regular strategic
   campaign tool to increase the effectiveness of your monthly 20/20
   Vision actions. Try to target several different papers in your
   district at the same time and encourage people to explore different
   angles on the same issue.

     "It is especially good if the letters are geographically spread and
     the issue is repeated in a few areas. It creates a ripple effect.
     It shows that the issue has reached far into the congressional
     district which, in turn, gets noticed by the policy maker."
     - Congressional Aide
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   Writing and Publishing an Op-Ed
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     "Airing the plethora of viewpoints on a topic is essential to
     informed, thoughtful decision making. An informed citizen is the
     bedrock of our democracy and the guardian or our rights."
     -Peter Kent, editorial page editor, Atlanta Journal

   Op-eds, opinion/editorials, are articles which appear opposite the
   editorial page of local, state and national newspapers. They are
   written by local citizens, experts, leaders of organizations - people
   like you. And they are an extremely powerful and cost-effective way
   for 20/20 Vision Core Groups and subscribers to both educate a large
   number of people about our issues, and to influence policymakers.

   Steps to Success
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   Timing is Everything
   Timing is the most important factor in deciding to submit an op-ed. Is
   Congress or the state legislature about to cast a controversial vote?
   Is there an appropriate holiday or anniversary? Can you tie the op-ed
   to the release of a new report, a recent article, a popular movie, or
   event in your community?

   The Elements of Style
     * Writing, editing and distributing an op-ed is easier than you
       think. Keep your text to between 500 and 800 words (about 3 pages
       double-spaced). Stay focused on one issue. Think creatively and
       try to be original. (Tip: read op-eds before starting so you see
       how they are styled.)
     * Highlight the issue's relevance. Begin with a short vignette
       illustrating how the issue affects an individual or group of
       people to drive home why the newspaper's readers "need to know."
     * Use local statistics. For example, in an op-ed focusing on the
       Clean Water Act, you should mention the number of lakes, rivers or
       streams in your state which are unsafe for swimming.
     * Op-eds should, by their "biased" approach, provoke discussion,
       controversy and response. If you are trying to get your member of
       congress to cosponsor a particular piece of legislation, say so.
       Mentioning the member's name guarantees s/he sees it. In addition,
       op-eds should be informative and provide practical solutions for
       the problem you have presented.
     * Finally, through an op-ed you can spread the word about 20/20
       Vision. Try to incorporate the name and a brief sentence about
       20/20 in the text of your op-ed. For example, in an op-ed about
       fuel efficiency you could say that grassroots organizations such
       as 20/20 Vision - a national advocacy organization which
       encourages citizens to spend 20 minutes each month to protect the
       environment and promote peace - have made raising CAFE standards
       for automobiles a priority this year.

   It's the Messenger and the Message
   Finding the best author, or signer, of the op-ed is also critical in
   achieving the publication of the article in addition to maximizing its
   impact. Within your Core Groups you have numerous people with
   different expertise and experience. Choose from among yourselves, or
   ask a local doctor, business executive, local elected official to sign
   the op-ed - anyone who may be perceived as having an interesting
   perspective on the issues. For example, having someone who is a
   retired military official sign an op-ed on the importance of
   eliminating funding for the CVN-76 nuclear aircraft carrier would be a
   more effective way of getting the readers to think about the issue
   than an article written by a known peace activist.

   The Basic Questions
     * How do I format an op-ed?
       Double space your text. Provide a suggested title, the author's
       name and identification. Make sure to mention the author's
       connection to 20/20 Vision: subscriber, Core Group member, Board
       member, etc. You may want to include a short biographical
       paragraph about the author, including residence and experience
       relevant to the topic. You can include a short cover letter,
       highlighting the most important aspects of the op-ed, but it is
       not required.
     * When should I send the op-ed?
       You will need to allow some time for the media to review and edit
       the piece, usually about one to two weeks. You will also want to
       make sure that the ideas in the op-ed have time to resonate with
       policymakers once the piece is published - just enough time for
       you to clip the article and send it with a letter to your local
       politicians, U.S. Representative, Senator, Administration Official
       or Corporate CEO.
     * Where do I send my op-ed?
       Identify the largest newspaper in your state or area, for maximum
       exposure. Call the paper first to ask for the name of the op-ed
       page editor, or if it is a local paper with a circulation of less
       than 40,000, you may have to send it to the editorial page editor,
       or the chief editor. Get the correct spelling and address and send
       it off.
     * How should I follow-up?
       After 3-10 days, you should call the editor and ask if your op-ed
       is under consideration. Think of your follow-up call as an
       opportunity to educate the editor about the issue - even if your
       op-ed is not published. If your rapport is good, suggest a
       meeting, or ask if there is a reporter who should get a copy as
       background on the issue. The result could be a relationship with
       the editor, which will prove helpful for the future.
     * What can I do with the op-ed after it is published?
       Make sure to clip your published op-ed, make a copy of it,
       including the name of the paper and the date it was published, and
       send it to the policymaker you want to influence as soon as
       possible. Keep copies to use for your Core Group's promotion
       efforts, and be sure to send a copy to the 20/20 Vision national
       office.

     Adapted from "Op-Eds: A Cost-Effective Strategy for Advocacy," by
     Denice Zeck and Edmund Rennolds. This guide is part of the series,
     "Strategic Communication for Nonprofits" published by the Benton
     Foundation and the Center for Strategic Communications. For more
     information on the series contact the Benton Foundation, 1634 I
     Street, NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC, 20006, (202) 638-5770.
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   Taking Action to the Airwaves
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     Talk radio is the town meeting of our time. It is potentially the
     most democratic and interactive medium we have.
     - Mark Sommer, Journalist, Director, Mainstream Media Project

   According to the Radio Advertising Bureau, "Americans average about
   three hours of radio listening per day. Two out of three Americans are
   listening to the radio during prime time, and radio is the first
   morning news source for most people." Nearly half of all American
   adults now listen to talk radio for at least an hour a week and many
   name it as their principal source of political information ( Pew
   Center for Civic Jurnalism).

   Conservatives have long recognized radio as a powerful method of
   reaching Americans, and have developed targeted, strategic efforts to
   market their messages within this medium. For example, 20 million
   Americans listen to conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh daily
   (World Press Review, June 1995).

   Characteristically, talk radio as a news or research source is not as
   factual or informative as print media, but there is no better way for
   you to support particular policies, refute common fallacies, advance
   overall ideas, or, most importantly, educate and inspire citizens to
   take action. Research has shown that the listening audience for this
   medium is "remarkably nonideological," and in fact, tune in just to
   hear a diversity of opinion. Those who typically call in are ten times
   more likely to claim an (usually conservative) ideological identity.
   It is for this reason that your voices and new ideas are of such
   critical importance. Even more important, however, is the fact that
   every radio phone call increases the effectiveness of 20/20 Vision
   Core Groups' and subscribers' letters and phone calls to policy
   makers.

   Citizen activists can get involved in talk radio by calling in to talk
   programs, or appearing as guests. The beginner's tips below are
   designed specifically for call-ins, but will make any foray into talk
   radio as easy and as effective as your letters to policy makers.

   What Is This "Talk Radio Phenomenon?"

     "Since 1990, the number of stations that devote the bulk of their
     day to talk has almost tripled, to 1,130 from 405," (Business Week,
     May 22, 1995).

   Defining radio is no simple task. Most stations describe themselves as
   a particular format such as classical, oldies, rock, news, sports,
   Christian, talk or "other." Even with these definitions, just one
   station can have as many as 20 different programs at different times
   of the day and week that could run the gamut of these types.

     * FM radio, on average, attracts more listeners. Stations on the FM
       band are usually more mass market, and formats tend toward music
       due to the stereo sound quality capabilities of the band.
     * AM radio usually specializes more, and the majority of the talk,
       all-news, all-sports and evangelical stations are found here. The
       much talked about "talk radio phenomenon" is mostly occurring on
       the AM dial.
     * Some FM and AM stations are public, part of the
       federally-sponsored Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and rely
       upon government funding and listener donations for a substantial
       portion of operating costs. Commercial stations typically depend
       on advertising revenue for operating costs.
     * The different programs on a station are either nationally produced
       and syndicated by a radio network (similar in theory to a
       television network, but available on a show-by-show, paid basis)
       or produced locally.
     * In 1987, the Reagan Administration rescinded the fairness doctrine
       for radio and television broadcasters. In other words, this type
       of media is under no legal obligation to balance a political
       issue.

   When participating in talk radio, you will most frequently be working
   with talk programs on the AM dial that utilize guest speakers, and
   question and answer sessions. You will ideally be calling locally
   produced programs or national programs syndicated to your local
   stations.

   Study the Subject
   Knowing the ownership and format of the stations you listen to helps
   you target your actions to them for maximum effectiveness. Michael
   Harrison, editor and president of Talkers, the leading industry
   publication states, "Know your show, know your host, know your
   station. Not understanding where the listeners are coming from could
   actually hurt your cause."

     * Keep in mind, you don't have to call in to Rush Limbaugh your
       first time - or any time. Friendly and neutral forums need to hear
       from listeners who agree in order to prove to station managers and
       sponsors that they are wanted programs. Mobilizing call-ins to
       guests sympathetic to our causes is one important way to build
       support for our efforts.
     * Listen to as many programs as you can, on a number of your area
       stations.
     * Listen to the types of callers that make it onto the air. Note to
       yourself which callers grab your ear, and remember their positive
       qualities.
     * Keep in mind that local stations and programs will be easier to
       contact than large market or nationally syndicated programs like
       "Larry King" and "Rush Limbaugh," which have a person who screens
       calls for the host, in addition to a regular busy signal.
     * When you think you have decided on a station and particular show
       to target, listen at least three times in order to determine
       format, style, political leaning. Pay attention to announcements
       of upcoming guests that will address your priority issues.
     * In listening to your target, note any patterns the host seems to
       have. Listen for the length of the initial presentation from the
       guest, the types of statements and questions that the host views
       as good lead-ins for a caller.

   Define Your Goal
   If you concentrate on your goal the entire time you are on the phone,
   your radio call-in will be much more effective.

   You probably only have two minutes for your call. Jot down a quick
   cheat sheet with your most important fact or soundbite right at the
   top to remind you. Any call could focus on or include, "Your listeners
   may want to hear about 20/20 Vision, an advocacy organization that
   makes it easy for citizens to have input on policies that shape the
   future of our world." Some examples of calls follow:

     * Encourage Participation in our Democracy
       A guest is talking about the findings of a recent public opinion
       poll on citizen satisfaction with government. You call to relate
       your experiences writing to Congress on a regular basis, encourage
       all citizens to communicate with their policy makers and give the
       Congressional Switchboard phone number (202) 225-3121.
     * Inspire Action on an Upcoming Vote
       The guest is talking about the budget. You call to educate
       listeners about the bloated military budget and to inform them
       that a vote is upcoming on specific weapons systems that are
       unnecessary and could be eliminated to save taxpayers' money.
     * Educate Citizens or Clarify Popular Fallacies
       The guest is discussing federal regulations and the burden they
       impose on business and citizens. You call to point out a "good
       news" regulation, The Clean Water Act, and how it, like many other
       important protections for our health, is threatened by most
       proposed regulatory "reforms." Then ask the listeners to take
       action by calling or writing to their Representative or Senator to
       ask them to reconsider their stance on regulation.

   Pick Up The Phone
   Once you have decided that you have something to say, and you pick up
   the phone, be prepared for some potential delays. You may get through
   the first time to a small local radio station, but in most markets,
   and especially on nationally syndicated shows, be prepared to be kept
   on hold, or to reach a busy signal numerous times. Especially with the
   larger shows, you may want to begin calling 10-15 minutes prior to
   airtime in order to get through, but whatever happens, don't give up!

   When you get through, you may be questioned about what you are going
   to say. Offer your main point and identify yourself as a concerned
   citizen. Don't mention your 20/20 Vision affiliation; save it for your
   closing point on the air.

   With a particularly conservative host, try to agree at least nominally
   with a recent point when you are being questioned about what you are
   going to say. The listening audience will also be more receptive to
   ideas more directly related to the host's since they tune in for that
   host's program. Although some disagreement will gain the host's
   attention. Crafting your message in populist terms, keeping in mind
   compassion, common sense and understanding, will help your message be
   well-received.

                            Talk Radio Shows

   Interested in joining forces with others to be active for progressive
       issues on the radio? Check out Roots on the Radio for more
                               information!
     _________________________________________________________________


    20/20 Vision
    1828 Jefferson Place, NW
    Washington, DC 20036
    (202) 833-2020
    (202) 833-5307 (fax)
    (800) 669-1782 (info)
    vision@igc.apc.org

                               Last Updated:

   Sunday, March 17, 1996


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