League of Education Voters School Levy and Bond Library

Because the newspaper reaches many people who are likely to vote, if you are able to get information about the levy or bond published, it may be worth your effort.  Three ways to get your issue into the newspaper are articles, op-eds, and letters to the editor.

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.