Reclaiming the Message Workshop Series: Changing Public Perception Through Editorial Board Meetings
Chip Pitts, President, BORDC Board of Directors
Sarah Manno, Bill of Rights Supporters of Fort Collins, CO
May 21, 2006
Listen to MP3 audio of the workshop
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Before the meeting
Setting up the meeting
- Through personal contact (best case scenario is family or friend of publisher)
- Recruiting to obtain a personal contact (mining the community)
- Taking advantage of a guest expert in town
- Local experts who may not be visible on the issue (through universities or colleges -- vehicle to get issues to the table)
- Compelling and urgent topic (i.e. torture in the news, and a local group working on it)
- When editorial board is seeking balance because someone has written something inflammatory
- Change of staff at an editorial board (can offer opportunity to welcome them and brief them on local issues)
- Use right wing issues—give paper opportunity to provide balance (especially if a local group has been affected)
- In some cases, newspapers invite community to monthly editorial board or regular opportunities to meet with editorial board
Planning your pitch
- Know your stuff, do your homework
- Choose a theme—determine why this is of interest to the e.b. (need to convey the issue’s value to them).
- If it’s a well-covered issue, give them a new angle.
Create your team—3 max.
- Lead presenter
- Resource person
- Recruit key/influential people if necessary
Draft an editorial
- Have several prep. meetings (with larger group) to develop the statement/materials, determine talking points.
- Pick 2 or 3 key issues
- Use 1 of 3 models:
- draft editorial (sometimes they’ll use it verbatim)
- 500 word press release with essential points
- one page of essential facts—intro, several bullets, a quote from an expert
- Compelling, persuasive, not too emotional
- Don’t overwhelm them with paper
- Prepare simple and clear materials for the meeting – include copy of your resolution and main talking points
During the Meeting
- One person presents
- Dress/speak conservatively; control emotions, be respectful
- Use their rhetoric if possible (effective govt., competent law enforcement)
- Take the debate forward; don’t tell them what they already know.
- Be diplomatic, not confrontational
- Don’t take them too far afield (from their comfort zone)
- Demonstrate how your views are in line with their principles (know what their principles are)—they’re unlikely to change a position
- Include real stories/real people—get them to identify with innocent people
- Keep it concrete/avoid moral arguments—they’re looking for fact-based information.
After the Meeting
- Send thank you note immediately—clarify points made in mtg.
- Include any information they requested
- Indicate your willingness to be available
- Send information periodically
- May follow-up with letters to editor
- If you don’t get an editorial, keep working on leverage
Listen tos treaming audio from the workshop: