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Newspaper articles
Depending on the size of your local
paper, getting an article written about
the levy or bond may be very difficult.
You will need to create a news-worthy
event, send out press releases to the
local reporters, and follow-up with them
before the event to make sure they get
the information they need. Some ideas
for a news-worthy event include having a
local celebrity, like the mayor or a
sports figure, at your phone bank; a
children’s press conference with
children answering questions about how
the levy or bond will affect them- young
children can be especially good, but
prepare all the children and choose the
most confident to speak; a neighborhood
parade with children and parents near a
school that will benefit from the levy
or bond. Unfortunately, even with the
best prepared event, if something more
news-worthy happens that day, you may
not get the press you want.
Op-eds
Writing an editorial piece for the paper
is another way to get information
published. Call the editor of your
local paper and ask for the opportunity
to write an editorial. They may publish
your editorial alone or side-by-side an
opposing view. You will need to
consider this when deciding to do an
editorial. If you feel that it will
dredge up an opposition when there
hasn’t been one, it may do more harm
than good.
Newspaper ads are the easiest way to get
into the newspaper. If the campaign has
money available, this may be a good
option. Target your ad for the day of
the election and the day before the
election. Keep it simple to read and
understand, not overly crowded, and make
sure it is placed in a well-read section
of the paper.
Letters to the Editor
During the last few weeks of the
campaign, it is a good idea to have
volunteers write letters to the editor
of your local newspapers encouraging
people to vote for the levy and giving
information about the date of the
election. Since space will be limited,
only include the most persuasive, basic
facts about the levy- a good fact to
include is that seniors on fixed incomes
are exempt from the levy.
The
more letters are sent to the editor on
the subject of the levy, the more likely
one will be published. Ask a few phone
bank volunteers, including student
volunteers, to take a quick break from
phoning and ask them to write a letter
(making phone calls is still the
priority, however, so don’t take up too
many volunteer’s time). Prepare some
sample letters or an outline of key
points for a letter to guide the letter
writers. If possible, don’t have them
simply sign a prewritten letter. Ask
them to add something personal about
their child’s school or experience so
all the letters do not sound the same.
Remember, not all the letters will be
published, but the more the editor hears
about the levy from readers, the more
likely one or two will be printed. |
