Working with the Media
Working with Media is one of the best ways to amplify your message. It allows you to educate your community about the issue of money in politics corruption as well as advertise upcoming opportunities for community members to get involved. Representatives often look to the opinion pieces in their state and local papers to find out what issues their constituents care about.
You should think about developing relationships with news reporters, just like you would with volunteers in the chapter – this will make them more likely to come and cover your events. With that said, you should always talk to RepresentUs staff before speaking to any media outlets, and send drafts of any communications pieces to RepresentUs staff for review before you send them out. These drafts include: Letter-to-the-Editors, Press Releases, Op-Eds, and Guest Editorials.
Before You Start: Build Your Media List
Building your media list – Whether it is a call to recruit more activists, or a scathing op-ed calling out your legislator for corruption, a tool that will help you save time and track relationships is your media list. This list is a spreadsheet that tracks the following things: Name of Media outlet, Contact person, Phone Number and Email Address (you will need both!), website, and any other contact information you think will be helpful. In your last column you want to keep an ongoing comments section where you can track what issues they typically cover and any correspondence you’ve had with them in the past.
Sample:
| News Outlet | Type of Outlet | Contact Person | Phone Number | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Daily Gazette | Daily Local | Billy Idol – Editor, Joe Strummer – Gazette Political Reporter | 1234567890X234 | [email protected] | Joe Strummer came to press conference on 11/15 and covered it. Gazette published op-ed on representative Johnson’s stance on the Anti-Corruption Act |
| The DC Beat | Blog | Michael Jackson | 2345678901 X345 | [email protected] | MJ reblogged 10/13 blog post about Chapter meeting. |
How to Write An Opinion Piece
Writing an opinion-editorial (Op-Ed) piece is a great way to talk about our issue and tell the public how to get involved. First, check the newspaper’s website for guidelines on length, topics, and submission process for Op-Eds. In general, they provide an e-mail address or form where you can submit the article electronically.
When writing an Op-Ed it is best to use a current news story that relates to the general point you are trying to make. For example, using a local, current story about your elected official taking money from an industry they regulate would be a great way to introduce the campaign and the American Anti-Corruption Act, showing is always better than telling. Make sure to keep it short (stick to the word limit!) and stay focused on a single point. Lastly, make it personal. People want to hear how the issue affects them and their community, so be sure to talk about how it affects you. See the sample below.
How to Write a Letter to the Editor
Letters to the Editor (LTEs) are generally shorter opinion pieces and tend to be easier to get printed. Again, check the guidelines for publishing an LTE on their website. It’s helpful to have LTEs ready and lined up for publication in support of an Op-Ed. When your team publishes an Op-Ed or LTE, be sure to mail a copy to your lawmakers so they know this conversation is happening publicly.
Start with a salutation: ‘Dear Editor’ is fine, but it is even better if you know the editor’s name. Use the opportunity to introduce the idea of corruption. Include a few statistics that demonstrate the issue of corruption. If you need any ideas, check our facebook page. State your opinion about what should be done to solve the problem. Remember throughout the letter to be concise. Sign the letter with your name and contact information.
Sample
Here is a sample Op-Ed written by a RepresentUs Chapter Leader from New Jersey.
By David M. Goodman
“Whatever your politics – Democratic, Republican or independent – most people have at least one issue they see as most important.
For some it’s climate change. The need for national policies that align with global realities in areas such as rising sea levels and the melting Arctic ice cap is paramount. Do we seek, as a nation, remedies to include a carbon tax?
Others want action on income inequality. The disparity between the top 1 percent and everyone else is growing and mind-numbing. If income redistribution is unacceptable, what policies do we pursue as a nation to ameliorate this widening gap, to get an economy going again for a besieged middle class, and to restore hope for the chronically unemployed and underemployed? Do we need greater regulation of financial markets – or less?
Still others insist that our top priority is immigration, health care or the rights of the unborn. Each is an issue that burns brightly and evokes great passion.
Then, there are many for whom government has simply become too big and too intrusive, jeopardizing our freedom and liberties as Americans. They call for smaller government and the systematic defunding of programs and social entitlements.
All of these issues – and many others – are of greatest importance and deserve fair and open debate. None is receiving it. The system is broken. The dysfunction and gridlock played out in the Congress reflect a yawning partisan divide within the U.S., or so the story goes. While few would deny this perception, the fuel driving this partisanship is less obvious: Big Money is distorting the operation of government and corrupting our representative democracy.
We cannot expect any action on the issues important to us, pro or con, until we end the corruption. That is the first problem.
This corruption is deep and pernicious. It is not the corruption of people in dark alleys with suitcases full of cash. It is a corruption resulting from a concentration of wealth and the power and influence this exerts over our government and politics. As James Madison warned in The Federalist Papers, this corruption threatens our representative government. Today, many members of the House and Senate spend more time meeting with lobbyists and special interest groups and fundraising for their next campaign than they do on legislation and representing the broad electorate that sent them to Washington, D.C.
How do we stop the avalanche of cash and corruption of government? Some favor a constitutional amendment to restore balance and rein in the excesses that are a consequence of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision on campaign spending. This is worthy but, realistically, amending the Constitution is difficult. The founders meant it to be so. An amendment requires the approval of three- quarters of the states and two-thirds of both houses of Congress. This makes it a long process too, possibly stretching over a decade. The recent history of amendments such as the Equal Rights Amendment, which floundered over time and eventually died, is not encouraging. Do we have that kind of time to root out the causes of corruption?
Another approach is to pass a law so carefully designed and vetted that it removes the cancer of the money flow without violating the Supreme Court’s test of free speech. It is a law that wells up from grassroots action throughout the United States, where eventually millions of ordinary citizens will demand that Congress pass it. Such a campaign has been launched nationally by a nonpartisan group, RepresentUs. The law its citizen volunteers support is the American Anti-Corruption Act.
Here is what the Anti-Corruption Act would do:
- Prohibit members of Congress from soliciting or receiving contributions from the interests they regulate, as well as fundraising during congressional working hours;
- Limit super PAC contributions and coordination with political campaigns and political parties;
- Expand the legal definition of lobbyists to prevent anyone from trying to influence our lawmakers from skirting the rules;
- Close the “revolving door” through which elected representatives and their staff sell off their legislative power in exchange for high-paying jobs when they leave office;
- Limit the amount that lobbyists and their clients can contribute to federal candidates, political parties and political committees to $500 per year;
- Mandate full transparency of $10,000 or more on political advertising to be disclosed to the Federal Election Commission;
- Require federal candidates to disclose the names of individuals who gather together multiple contributions for the member or candidate;
- Build voter influence by creating a biennial $100 tax rebate that registered voters may contribute to federal candidates, political parties and political committees; and
- Strengthen the Federal Election Commission’s independence and the House and Senate ethics enforcement processes.
For full provisions of the AACA, I encourage voters to go to (anticorruptionact.org) and consider supporting it by becoming a citizen co-sponsor.”
David M. Goodman, Ph.D., has worked for government and nonprofits in Trenton, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. He is a team leader for the Central New Jersey RepresentUs Chapter.
How to Write A Press Advisory
Press Advisories inform the media of the details of an upcoming meeting, event or news conference. A press advisory to local media is a great way to announce the formation of a chapter. Think of a press advisory like an invitation to a party – be sure to tell the media, who what where when and why the event is happening.
Social Media The Internet has a really great ability to amplify the work of you and your chapter. It can also help you identify new potential volunteers. The first step is to choose the right platform for your message; here are a few of the social media networks you may use
Facebook – You should “Like” RepresentUs on Facebook. Our Facebook page is a great resource for you and your committee to find great graphics and compelling facts about corruption that you can share with your friends.
Additionally, if your chapter gains a ton of traction in your community, you can ask a RepresentUs campaign staffer to create a page dedicated to your local chapter. Once we’ve created a Facebook page for your chapter, make sure to invite all of your local friends and share the link on your wall. Ask everyone in your chapter to share the page with their friends as well.
Twitter – Twitter is great because a lot of local elected officials and political pundits use this platform. You can only use 140 characters – so make sure you get key words about “corruption” in there. Make sure to use hashtags(#), use the Represent.us twitter handle and tweet @ your friends to let them know about your upcoming meetings.
Other Social Media you may consider using are YouTube, Google+, community calendars and websites, and Newsletters. Ask your friends and members of your chapter which social media networks they use.
Other ways to use the Internet to recruit include sending personal emails to friends, family and important community members announcing that you’re forming a local chapter and asking them to join. Just like with reporters, you may want to build a list first so that you can keep track of who responded and what they said.