News For A Change: An Advocate's Guide To Working With The Media

"News for a Change: An Advocate??'s Guide to Working with the Media gives you many ways of reaching people through the media. Practical, specific, seasonal, proven pathways to get your message, your urgency, your objective for change moving toward greater justice and deeper democracy. You are a citizen advocate, who, with others, is advancing an important cause. You wish to save many hours of futility and avoid hundreds of mistakes in trying to persuade editors and reporters to convey your concerns and recommendations to the people and to the decision-makers in official positions. You read this Guide and possibilities replace frustrations, strategies displace handwriting, successes take off. This Guide takes your First Amendment right and gives it an engine going your way."

--Ralph Nader, Public Citizen

Federal courts order tobacco companies to pay millions of dollars in damages to victims of smoking-related diseases. Liquor advertisements are banned from television and from billboards in school areas. Ten years ago, such legislation would never have passed. What caused the political sentiment to change so quickly?

In this media-driven age, strategic media approaches are vital to achieving visibility, gathering support, and challenging those in positions of power. As News for a Change details, media advocacy is the strategic use of news media, advertising, and community organizing to advance a public policy initiative. This book serves as a blueprint for those wanting to increase the power and effectiveness of their social change efforts.

Here is a guidebook for developing a strategy that combines key elements of social change--research, community organizing, policydevelopment, advocacy, and politics--with the news media. The authors are seasoned activists and not only provide step-by-step instructions for working with media to promote social change, they share their own valuable insights and experiences. News for a Change is a must read for individuals and organizations who want to participate in the public debate and get their message across.