State-by-State NPR Media Outreach - Ongoing

[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.]

NPR Media Outreach

Building upon our existing state-by-state newspaper outreach, we’re launching an outreach to all National Public Radio (NPR) stations. In most states, the list is short enough that with 30 minutes to an hour of research you’ll have an e-mail contact list for every single station. In the larger states such as CA, please hit at least 25 or so in your geographic area (we need overlap). If you’re in a small state such as DE or RI, for instance, don’t be a “slacker.” Please help our members in bigger states of your choice to get the word out. Everyone needs to hit the NPR mother ship in Washington, DC.

NPR listeners, even if you never listen, are “politically attuned” and “activist oriented” so reaching them with the HR3149 message and mobilizing them is mission critical. In addition, because they are not corporate owned the likelihood they will run with the story is much higher. Unfortunately, as with almost everything we do, it requires a little “work” on your part. That’s the nature of citizen activism . . . there is no party or organization to do the job for you. If you don’t do it, it doesn’t get done and we don’t win. Please make sure your state is covered and we’ll cover ours . . . together we’ll win! So let’s get started . . .

Step-by-Step How To:

Station Finder Link
http://www.npr.org/stations/pdf/nprstations.pdf

1) Find your state via the link above

2) Copy the call letters of each station and paste them one by one into Google (or some search engine)

3) Search for “contact” info. (news, news tips, story ideas, talk shows, etc.) and copy the e-mail address(s) into MS Word, Excel, notepad, etc.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU MAINTAIN A COPY OF YOUR LIST FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, WE WILL USE IT AGAIN.

4) Copy and paste the sample letter below (or edited version to suit your perspective) into your e-mail program and then send, send, send!

[Sample Letter]

FICO Scores Drop to New Lows
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/12/credit-scores-sink-to-new_n_642616.html

Bankruptcy Filings Highest Since 2005
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38744083/from/toolbar

Fidelity Sees Record Number Raid their IRS http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38783832/ns/business-your_retirement/

What does all the above news really mean? One simple thing: half of America can’t get hired or change jobs for better pay. Please connect the dots and report the story that until HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act is passed by Congress, the American people will needlessly lose their homes and their cars while their children slowly starve to death. When you include the direct impact on families and potential impact on extended families; no single issue in America cries out more for a solution than workplace discrimination based on credit reports. FICO estimates that 35 percent of Americans have a credit score below 650 which they estimate that is 70+ million Americans, but anything under a score of 700 is considered “bad credit.” The real number of Americans with bad credit is closer to 100 million who are now second class citizens without the right to work. If these people don’t have a job, they don’t get one and if they have a job it not only jeopardizes them losing it, but it also means that they can’t change jobs for better pay to fix their credit report.

George Orwell’s world of big brother has arrived but it’s not the government that took over, instead a secret FICO software program now literally determines whether you live of die. Who benefits from the practice? The big three credit bureaus, their employees, their stockholders and them alone. Who loses? Everyone else . . . starting with the employers who purchase the worthless measurement tools because millions spent by the credit bureau on marketing materials have convinced them that a credit report indicates theft and fraud potential. They believe this lie even though, under oath during sworn testimony in Oregon where the practice is now illegal, a VP from TransUnion stated they have zero statistical evidence to validate that someone with bad credit is more prone to steal or commit fraud than anyone else. The one and only piece of documentation to back up their marketing claims is a study that indicates that people who “live beyond their means” are more prone to steal from their employer. Guess who that includes? At least 86 percent of the entire U.S. population . . .

This is about submission to the almighty corporation and handing total control over every aspect of someone’s life just for the right to work. Once they have your credit report the employer knows just how little they can get away with paying (in the rare event someone with bad credit is ever hired). With the worst economy since the Great Depression and more jobs moving to third world countries every day, the corporations are now in the driver’s seat like never before. Through PAC money, corporations now own Congress 100 percent and they are daring them to pass HR3149. The bribes are working for one reason and one reason only, because of you, the American media, the so called free press now controlled by the corporations as well. The people have no money to bribe anyone in Congress, Wall Street greed saw to that. All we have is you and you alone. You’re our one and only hope. If you don’t cover the story and get the word out to the American people they can’t support the legislation in large numbers simply because they don’t know it exists. The practice of locking people out of the workplace based upon their credit report during this economy is wrong, it’s sick, it’s inhuman and amounts to class genocide albeit more slow than a bullet . . . America needs you to stand up for the people like we’ve never needed you before in our history. If not for the people with ruined credit, do it for their children, their spouses, their extended families and all generations of Americans that follow. If rumors are correct, a mark-up hearing on the bill (the first sign of any movement to date) is coming in just a few short weeks when Congress returns from recess so your coverage of HR3149 in a timely manner is critical.

[End Sample Letter]