[Note: As always any sample messages, letters, etc. that we provide are just that, “samples.” The samples are just what we’re sending out from this end and you are strongly encouraged to use your own judgment, voice and perspectives. Our prose, tone and approach can always be improved upon and quite frankly a good mix of perspectives is better than following our samples verbatim. We don’t do messaging for the group (nor do we aspire to) or ever speak for the group, but instead merely facilitate our members’ ability to speak at once for more power and volume. If you’re a “professional communicator” or would like to help with recruiting, research, administration, etc. shoot us a note and we’ll be happy to get you involved. There is no lack of work to be done.]
Media Outreach
1) Create your own version of a short and a long media pitch to use for online and e-mail outlets. [See sample pitch below] Some online forms limit the number of words or characters and we on this end find out those limitations, if any, the same time you do.
2) Remember to save whatever you write somewhere on your computer so you don’t have to recreate the wheel over and over. (We'll probably use this pitch for weeks to come.)
3) Simply make media pitching a mindless simple for you repetitive exercise that you can do almost with your eyes closed. While what you say is important, at the end of the day it’s a numbers game. Just make this effort a paste in your message, fill in the blanks (or e-mail address) and send exercise that you do over and over and over.
VERY VERY IMPORTANT! Don't stop with just the media lists we provide. Every exposure is important, but it's especially important to hit ALL YOUR LOCAL media outlets such as newspapers, talk radio, etc. Before you send your letters, check the link below to see if YOUR representative is on our dirty money list. If they are be sure to revise your letter and name them along with how much money they took. Your role is critical if you have a representative on the list . . . the rest of us are depending on YOU!
http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2010/03/democracy-and-money-why-hr3149-is.html
[Sample Letter]
Where is the Media as Your Fellow Americans Starve?
Political pundits and both parties along with the American media talk 24/7 about “corporate money and lobbyists” running Washington, yet for either party it seems to only be about the ulterior motive of control of power and never about “the people.” When millions of Americans are suffering and even dying because of the “corporate money and lobbyists” isn’t it time for the media to expose it and stop it? When you are handed the clear and undeniable money trail and the motivation for vote buying couldn’t be any more clear . . . the suffering and potential loss of life is upon your hands if your fail to report it.
In just the 2010 cycle alone, members of Congress have accepted $258,000+ in PAC money from the big three credit bureaus in exchange for trying to kill HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act. The legislation, that would make it illegal for employers to use the personal credit reports of Americans to hire and fire, has been stalled in the House Committee on Financial Services since July. Just in this committee alone during the 2010 cycle, almost half of it members (38+ %) stuffed their wallets with a total of $104,000+ in credit bureau PAC money. At the top of the money list, during the past two cycles, is Committee Chair Barney Frank who took $25,000 during in the 2008 cycle. This quid pro quo money for killing the legislation deal, not to mention the millions from corporations in general that oppose the legislation, is NOT DEMOCRACY! With that said, the death of democracy pales in comparison to the suffering of the American people caught in a catch 22 of bad credit = no job and no job = bad credit.
In survey after survey, including a recent MSNBC survey, more than 90 percent of the American people say that workplace discrimination based upon someone’s personal credit report is wrong and should be illegal. The practice was always wrong and from the start has always been a gross invasion of Americans’ privacy. The information has always been used by employers to low ball wages and intimidate employees based upon the level of desperation depicted in their credit report – while employers use the smoke screen of saying the information is used to protect them from fraud and theft. It’s “the people” that need protection from corrupt politicians and dirty corporate money . . . not the other way around!
NOT ONE SINGLE study or shred of evidence exists to demonstrate that Americans with damaged credit reports steal or commit fraud at a higher percentage than other Americans. If there were any correlation between a credit report and theft, then American CEOs such as Bernie Madoff, Ken Lewis, Kenneth Lay, Dennis Kozlowski, Bernard Ebbers and Richard Fuld wouldn’t be either already convicted or under investigation for “stealing” millions and millions from their companies. The American elite, Wall Street and Congress operate by different rules when it comes to credit reports, corruption and stealing. The more corrupt they become, the better their credit reports get while “the peoples” credit reports suffer to a point of never being allowed to work again.
Without the media and real journalists reporting the truth, there is and can be no democracy, but again, democracy is the lesser victim here. The American people have been pummeled as the result of Wall Street’s greed facilitated by Congress, yet Congress is getting a free pass from the media when it comes to the corruption killing HR3149. As the American people lose their homes to foreclosure, starve by the millions and yes, we can safely assume commit suicide – where are the American journalists exposing the corruption and defending the people? As a loyal reader, I ask that you stand up for the people in their hour of great need by telling the truth to your readers and supporting passage of HR3149 NOW!
Sources for the 2010 Money Cycle:House Committee on Financial Services (only)http://hr3149.blogspot.com/2010/03/democracy-and-money-why-hr3149-is.html
Equifax: http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00143867&cycle=2010
Trans Union: http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00313700&cycle=2010
Experian: http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00379768&cycle=2010
[End Sample Letter]
Media Outlets for Monday:
Salon
readermail@salon.com
jwalsh@salon.com
klauerman@salon.com
Ebony/Jet
tglover@ebony.com
Washington Monthly
editors@washingtonmonthly.com
Democracy Now
http://www.democracynow.org/about/contact
PDA
tim@pdamerica.org
Stltoday.com
siteeditor@stltoday.com
Café Sentido
sentido@casavaria.com
Cleveland.com/Plain Dealer
sgoldberg@plaind.com
Truthdig
feedback@truthdig.com
Free Speech TV
viewercomments@freespeech.org
Coast to Coast AM
george@coasttocoastam.com
ian@coasttocoastam.com
georgeknapp@coasttocoastam.com
lisa@coasttocoastam.com
tom@coasttocoastam.com
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