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Before you try to reinvent the
wheel, check out your community.
There may be a group already
organized that may carry your cause
or already be in gear to champion the
same cause as you. There are some
terrific groups out there that you
may be an asset to. If you want to
change the system you must be inside
the system to do it. As much as you
hate to be a joiner - you need
people and people need you so pick
it, believe in it. join it and do
it.
be prepared and BEGIN...
WHO ARE YOU? Give
your group a name.
Make your group an
entity. Depending on your
area and regulations you may want to
become a nonprofit organization
which may include registering with
the local authorities or becoming
incorporated. You may want to form a
board with executive offices. You
may want to set up a bank account.
Do the paperwork.
1.
Listen
to your local radio talk shows,
television talk shows, newspaper
columnists, local politicians and
high profile community members.
Become familiar with these
personalities and their point of
views. How do they feel about your
issues? Who are the personalities
listeners? Is it their audience who
you want to reach? How do your local
politicians stand on your issues?
READ. read magazines, books, watch
the news and become informed.
2.
Record
in a booklet or computer database
program, each personality, their
points of views on different issues,
their target audience and all the
quotes you can possibly record.
Document what a personality
says...exactly word for word on
different issues. Record
the shows or speeches if you can, and be sure to label and
date your tapes. Exact quotes with
dates and places is very important.
Document. Document!
3.
Categorize
what the personalities says. Transcribe the most
offensive comments [if possible].
Transcripts are easier and cheaper
to distribute than audio tapes.
Be FAIR and also state positive
quotes. This is not about enemies
and the them and us camps. Having a one-page list of quotes
educates people and motivates them
to action quickly. Highlight issues
of importance. A "worst of" tape
can also be very valuable.
4.
Create
ad gather your group of supporters.
DELEGATE. If you want people to get
involved or want your issues to be
taken seriously don't try to be a
lone Ranger. Involve others. You do
not have to be 'the Hero' . The
ISSUE is what is important. Give
your people jobs to do to leverage
your own time. Change and circulate
the jobs as to not burnout your
people. Praise them and recognize
them for their work no matter how
small of a job. Give names to jobs
and refer to people with jobs (any
jobs) as Media responders, mail out
technician, Campaign hosts, Campaign
Runner, Database Entry Specialists,
Proof Readers, Researchers (you get
the idea) If you have money in the
coffers print up some cheap name
tags with their 'handle' on it.
After a successful run recognize
these people with certificates.
Delegate. Delegate.
GET
INFORMATION ....the backbone
of your cause...
If you have anyone interested in
setting up a data base and more
people to gather information for
your database on the computer (or
booklet) you may want to collect:
*email lists for fast mail-outs
-NOTE when sending out bulk emails
use the BBC
(blind copy) as to not show everyone
your entire mail-out lists.
* a quick response phone or fax tree
lists with a roster list of people
willing to do phoning. Have a
'canned announcement' for phoners to
read so everyone is consistent and
misunderstandings in your campaign
do not arise.
*list of fax numbers for Press
releases
*names and addresses, phone numbers
and faxes of politicians and people
of influence for letter writing
campaigns
*Issue lists, contacts, details,
incidences
*list of people willing to car pool
or give rides to people during
elections or special events
*List of individuals or companies
willing to donate money or resources
to your campaign
*members, supporters, affiliates,
groups and resources
*all media, local or federal - mail,
phone, email, and their affiliations
*list of possible places to meet
(community halls etc) the costs,
caterers, telephone companies for
phone system setup, local
regulations re street meets,
*a variety of TO DO lists that can
be quickly revised printed and
distributed
*list of all available members,
affiliates and supporters that own
movie cameras, digital cameras, tape
recorders etc and can be located at
the drop of a hat
*list of all websites, their
webmasters that would be willing to
post an immediate bulletin
*list of a variety of letters on
your issues that may be sent to
supporters for their signatures and
then sent out during a letter
writing campaign
*list of people or organizations
that would be willing and ready to
post flyers and posters
*list of people that would be ready
and willing to make signs, also list
a place for materials and resources
*List all service groups ad Unions
in your area - Royal purple,
Kinsman, Lions Club, Toastmasters,
church groups, sports groups
*collection of Press Releases on
your issues and a list of people
with fax machines
*list of books, materials, reports
and resources on your issues.
*list of people willing to be
researchers (lots of people who are
bed ridden, home ridden enjoy this
important job) Ask for CLIPPERS
willing to read a few newspapers
everyday and clip relevant issues
and keep them in a book, or scan
them into your computer database and
record the details (subject, date,
personality, details) for ease of
reference. These people would inform
their Clipper Team Leader.
If you keep well organized and are
willing to delegate you can mobilize
your cause and your people in very
short order.
Keep your data base or note book
backed up - make copies!!!!! and
keep in different safe places. Back
up in hard copy.
5.
Identify people in your
group with special talents. If you
have people who are comfortable
speaking and are well informed of
the issues ask them to be media
respondents for call in talk
shows.
Call the on-air line during the show
and try to challenge them on the
issues. Be calm, articulate,
professional, intelligent and
pleasant. When you challenge the
issues with quotes and reliable
credible information you can make an
impact.
other areas may be float, placard,
poster makers, printers, writers,
computer specialist, researchers,
community leaders, office managers,
book keepers,
event planners, constituency tour
planners, security, communications
specialists etc
6. Write letters
to:
*people of influence in your
community
*politicians
*large corporations
*media
*letters to the editor
*Station managers of radio and
television
*other groups with similar goals
7.
MAKE
AN ANNOUNCEMENT
Free classifieds, flyers,
community announcements in newspapers, non-commercial radio
stations, bulletin boards, local
theatre programs, newsletters,
handouts, concerts, local movie
theatres, sports events, websites or other media.
Some media may be interested in
interviews or covering your event.
Announce all your meetings and
events. Make everything an event. Send a
press release of
your event or simply of your issues
via FAX to all media fax numbers
and ALL fax numbers you can find in
your local yellow pages. If you have
Polling on your fax machine
categorize and program these numbers
into your machine for quick faxing.
Or make a list of all numbers split
into A<B<C< etc (or numbers) and
distribute to a few different people
with fax machines. Including a few of the worst quotes
from people opposing your issues
(include the dates and place they
happened). Be prepared to offer a
tape for documentation of any quotes
you may state.
8.
Build a
Coalition.
again...this is not about you. The
issue is the thing that must be
center stage.
*list, contact and meet with
similar groups
Join groups, have your people join
group. Infiltrate.
Join Toastmasters, Kiwanis, Royal
Purple, community groups - get
involved with the community if you
want them to get involved with you
and your issues.
Include young People in your
organization and contact your local
high school groups, and debate
teams, host an event that will
include these young people
Include all supporters and groups
your meetings and keep them informed
of your actions. Support them in
their endeavors as well.
Have social meets (picnics,
barbecues etc) together with other
groups to socialize, network and
become united.
9.
STAGE EVENTS
- demonstrations, debates (invite
both sides) sit-ins, fundraisers,
presentations, filming tours,
parades, mock catastrophes, Awards,
banquets, Workshops, seminars,
Soapbox street lectures, art shows
(pictures depicting your issues),
contests (written, painted
depictions of your issue) book
signing, street interviews, media
interviews. Let everyone know about
your event no matter how
small....and don't forget to inform
your own people, even the mailers.
don't let your supporters be the
last to hear of your event.
10.
Don't stop.
Keep the momentum. Record all that
you have, contacts, media clips,
newspapers clippings, speeches etc.
When you get tired don't wait till
you are too burnt to carry the flag.
Train your people to replace you.
Rotate your people. Each job should
have a few different people that can
rotate off every few months to keep
everyone fresh - even you. .
If you are organizing in a
foreign country.....
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The
Care and Feeding of The Press
A guide for press relations staff (or those who play them on TV)
If we could
shrink the earth's population
to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human
ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the
following:
There would be:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere,
both north and south
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non-white
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual
6 people would possess 59% of the
entire world's wealth and all would be from the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education
1 would own a computer
When one considers our world from
such a compressed perspective, the need for acceptance,
understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent.
The following is also something
to ponder...
If you woke up this morning with
more health than illness...you are more blessed than the
million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the
danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony
of torture, or the pangs of starvation.. you are ahead of 500
million people in the world.
If you can attend a church
meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death...you are more blessed than
three billion people in the world.
If you have food in the
refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are
richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in
your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8%
of the world's wealthy.
If your parents are still alive
and still married ... you are very rare, even in the United States and
Canada.
If you can read this message, you
just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and
furthermore, you`` are more blessed than over two billion
people in the world that cannot read at all.
Someone once said: What goes
around comes around.
Work like you don't need the
money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
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