media

There are only so many people you can speak to personally, so many Congressional offices you can visit, only so many parades you can host (especially on stilts.) THANKFULLY there is the media; an accessible way for you to inspire, educate and engage THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of people. No joke. Here are a few recipes to make getting up on the public soap-box easier.

Writing a engaging letter to the editor (LTE) or a guest opinion (op-ed):

• General Rule of Thumb: There’s a subtle line between being inspirational and pompously proselytizing: Find it.
• Write something passionate, personal, positive & persuasive (pithy is also good).
• Ask your friend, mate or sister to EDIT.
• Check word limits in your local paper, e.g.: 150-300 words for a letter to the editor (LTE). 800 for a guest opinion editorial (Op-ed) or article.
• Include a SIMPLE action for your community to take. Be sure to list the necessary information, such as telephone numbers for your Members of Congress.
• Follow up: A few days after sending your letter to your local editor, call or send another email asking if she/he got your piece. TENACITY is the #1 quality in a published activist. When you do get published, after you’ve burst into tears and read it to the mailman and your mother, thank the editor. Relationships with journalists are very, very useful in acting up!
• Send a copy of your printed letter (make sure the date & name of the newspaper is evident) to MAU, your congressional leaders, MP, CEO of XYZ Company and mayor of your town. They will be thrilled to know who’s “acting up” in their neighborhood! Trust us, THRILLED!
• Make more news by copying your letter and sending it to multiple newspapers (your hometown gazette always is good). If you’ve spent the time to write a coherent piece, take time to get it published far and wide. Send an original piece to either USA Today or the New York Times.
• Media Contacts: Written media=www.refdesk.com; Radio=pacificanetwork.org; Public Access TV=www.videouniversity.com; Written media=www.refdesk.com

Press Releases

Press Releases are like holiday cards; make one, duplicate it and send it to every media outlet in your town, the next town and the town after that. This is the most effective tool for announcing events, parades, monthly gatherings or the release of an important report. It also reinforces that your activities are NEWS.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Mothers Acting Up
<contact name>
<email>
<telephone>

Announcing <event>

Brief, catchy, description of your event like:
Reclaiming Mother’s Day
UNITING OUR COMMUNITY TO PROTECT CHILDREN
Web-based Grassroots Movement Mobilizes Thousands of Mothers* To Move From Concern To Action

<Date>: Local organizers with Mothers Acting Up (MAU), a movement of mothers (and others), passionately and publicly advocating on behalf of the world’s children, announced today EVENT, PURPOSE, GOALS.

QUOTE FROM LOCAL ORGANIZER AND/OR QUOTES FROM MAU MATERIALS.

THE LOGISTICS: WHEN, WHERE, HOW, WHY:  PITHY QUOTE FROM LOCAL ORGANIZER

For more information, contact: NAME, EMAIL, TELEPHONE, and for additional information about MAU contact Juliana Forbes at 303-474-1286, or juliana@mothersactingup.org.

About Mothers Acting Up: Mothers Acting Up (MAU) is A Web based international movement of mothers, publicly and passionately advocating for the world’s children. MAU was started in Boulder, CO.

* mothers and others, on stilts or off, who exercise protective care over someone smaller