Past Action Alerts:

Kansas City Area News Organizations

Kansas City Star -- E-mail: letters@kcstar.com / Phone: (816) 234-4636 / Fax: (816) 234-4926 / Address: 1729 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108-1458 / Readers' Representative - 816-234-4636 or readerrep@kcstar.com

Pitch Weekly -- E-mail: feedback@pitch.com / Phone: (816) 561-6061 / Fax: (816) 756-0502 / Address: 1701 Main St Kansas City, MO 64108

Independence Examiner -- E-mail: dbrendel@examiner.net / Phone: (816) 254-8600 / Fax: (816) 254-0211 / Address: 410 S Liberty St, Independence, MO 64050

Lee's Summit Journal -- E-mail: editor@lsjournal.com / Phone: (816) 524-2345 / Fax: (816) 524-5136 / Address: 415 SE Douglas St Lee's Summit, MO 64063

Olathe Daily News -- E-mail: odn@olathedailynews.com / Phone: (913) 764-2211 Fax: (913) 764-3672 / Address: 514 S Kansas Ave Olathe, KS 66061

How to Communicate with Journalists

There are 101 excuses for not writing or calling the media when you see unfair, biased or inaccurate news coverage: "I don't know enough"; "I'm too busy"; "My computer crashed."

Communicating with journalists makes a difference. It does not have to be perfect; not all letters to journalists need to be for publication. Even a one-sentence, handwritten note to a reporter can be helpful. If you take the time to type a substantive letter, send copies of it to two or three places within the media outlet-perhaps to the reporter, his or her editor, as well as to the letters-to-the-editor department.

If media outlets get letters from a dozen people raising the same issue, they will most likely publish one or two of them. So even if your letter doesn't get into print, it may help another one with a similar point of view get published. Surveys of newspaper readers show that the letters page is among the most closely read parts of the paper. It's also the page policy-makers look to as a barometer of public opinion.

When you write to journalists, be factual, not rhetorical. Do not personally attack them; that's more likely to convince them that they're in the right. Address them in the language that most journalists are trained to understand: Call on them to be responsible, professional, balanced and inclusive of diverse sources and viewpoints

How to Write a Letter to the Editor

Letters that are intended for publication should usually be drafted more carefully. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Make one point (or at most two) in your letter or fax. State the point clearly, ideally in the first sentence.

Make your letter timely. If you are not addressing a specific article, editorial or letter that recently appeared in the paper you are writing to, then try to tie the issue you want to write about to a recent event.

Familiarize yourself with the coverage and editorial position of the paper to which you are writing. Refute or support specific statements, address relevant facts that are ignored, but do avoid blanket attacks on the media in general or the newspaper in particular.

Check the letter specifications of the newspaper to which you are writing. Length and format requirements vary from paper to paper. (Generally, roughly two short paragraphs are ideal.) You also must include your name, signature, address and phone number.

Look at the letters that appear in your paper. Is a certain type of letter usually printed?

Support your facts. If the topic you address is controversial, consider sending documentation along with your letter. But don't overload the editors with too much info.

Keep your letter brief. Type it whenever possible.

Find others to write letters when possible. This will show that other individuals in the community are concerned about the issue. If your letter doesn't get published, perhaps someone else's on the same topic will.

Monitor the paper for your letter. If your letter has not appeared within a week or two, follow up with a call to the editorial department of the newspaper.

Write to different sections of the paper when appropriate. Sometimes the issue you want to address is relevant to the lifestyle, book review or other section of the paper.

An increasing number of broadcast news programs (60 Minutes, All Things Considered, etc.) also solicit and broadcast "letters to the editor." Don't forget these outlets.

Please sign your letters as an individual or representative of a community group, not as a member of FAIR.

Please send us a copy of your letters (published and unpublished) to FAIR. Address them to the attention of the activist coordinator.

Source: Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR)

Area U.S. Legislators and U.S. Officials

Writing to your legislators

Letters and e-mails can be particularly effective in influencing legislators' views. Writing to legislators also offers an opportunity to maintain contact and keep your issues on the front burner even when you cannot meet personally.

> Writing an effective letter

Keep it brief — Keep letters to one page. Try to discuss only one bill or issue in a letter.

Identify yourself — Begin with an introduction of yourself or the organization on whose behalf you are writing. Use a simple statement, such as "I am a third-grade teacher at _______ elementary school" or "On behalf of the members of the ________…."

Get to the point — Follow your introduction with a brief statement of your issue or concern, such as "We urge your support for H.R. _____, which will ________." If you are writing in reference to a specific bill, include the bill number. Follow your opening paragraph with a concise explanation of why you support or oppose the particular bill or issue. A few strong, well-thought-out arguments are much more effective than a laundry list of reasons to support or oppose a bill. Whenever possible, use bullet points to outline your arguments.

Relate it to home — Help the legislator understand why your position is important to his or her constituents. Include specific facts about how a bill will impact educators, students or schools in the legislator's district. If possible, include a local anecdote illustrating the problem you are seeking to address. Avoid the use of form letters or generic postcards — use your own knowledge and experience to inform the legislator.

Allow for follow-up — Include specific contact information and offer to act as a resource should the legislator or staff have questions or need additional information. Where appropriate, state in the letter that you will follow up with a telephone call.

Address your letter correctly — See the details on addressing your letter below.

> Using e-mail

E-mail can be an easy and effective tool for communicating with legislators. The tips outlined above for writing letters to legislators also apply to e-mails: keep them brief and to the point, with facts and anecdotes relevant to the legislator's district.

Avoid informal language — E-mail to a legislator should be treated as seriously as a written letter. Resist the temptation to use the informal language and symbols often associated with e-mail communications. Never use impolite language or make "demands."

Include your full address and zip code — Make sure the text of your e-mail includes your full name and street address, including zip code. Many legislative offices screen e-mails for address information identifying the sender as a constituent. E-mails that appear to come from outside the district are unlikely to be read and may be blocked by filtering programs.

> Addressing written correspondence

United States Senators

The Honorable (full name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator (last name)

For Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable (full name)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative (last name)

TEN GOLDEN RULES OF LOBBYING

1. Politics Is Consumer-Driven
Help your legislator understand why your position is important to his or her constituents. Fight where the legislator lives through grassroots organizations at home.

2. Do Your Homework
Know your stuff. Understand your issue, the bill you support or oppose, and the legislative process before you approach your legislator. Know who the players are, who decides what, and which issues are hot at the moment.

3. Information Is Power
The secret is the distribution of information to legislators and their constituents. Be prepared to give the legislator information he or she can use, including what you are hearing from other legislators and from people back home.

4. A Little Professionalism Goes a Long Way
Be credible, honest and trustworthy. Never threaten, lie or conceal facts. Stay calm — if you lose your cool, you lose the case.

5. Be Positive
Always make your case without being critical of others' personalities or motives.

6. There Are No Permanent Friends and No Permanent Enemies
Don't take your traditional friends for granted. Never write off a legislator just because of party affiliation. Don't make enemies of legislators — you may need them as friends in the future.

7. Build a Bond, Not a Gap
Research things you might have in common with the legislator. Use shared values to create easy, friendly, frequent communication with legislators.

8. Be a Partner
Build coalitions and look for allies among other organizations. Be accessible to legislators and other lobbyists if they have questions or need follow-up information. Become known as a reliable resource.

9. Rome Wasn't Built in a Day
Aim for consensus rather than for a "victory." Be willing to settle for making progress toward your goal, getting the bill passed, and fine-tuning it in future sessions.

10. Stay Committed
Remember — you are the expert!! You have a compelling, energizing reason to keep fighting until you get what you need.

• No meetings with elected officials are scheduled at this time.