Media Awareness Project

Urge Media To Expand Coverage Of Shadow Convention


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DrugSense FOCUS Alert #180 August 9, 2000

The Shadow Convention held alongside the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia last week addressed issues, like drug policy reform, that are generally ignored among the major parties. While participants could see the value of the event, those of us who weren't there didn't have many chances to see what was happening at all. Broadcast media coverage of the Shadow Convention was quite limited.

The public at large will have another opportunity to hear what's being said about the drug war as the Shadow Convention reconvenes in Los Angeles, along with the Democratic National Convention. Please write to the media contacts below to urge them to spend more time covering the Shadow Convention, and also to suggest the Shadow Convention's issues be raised by journalists during the other political convention in LA.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

It's not what others do it's what YOU do




PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter, Phone, fax etc.)

Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the sent letter list () if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our impact and effectiveness.




CONTACT INFO:

C-Span http://www.c-span.org/ Questions about Program Air Times and Video Tapes, as well as comments about C-SPAN programming. () Suggestions ( ) Pone Numbers Front Desk (202) 737-3220 Viewer Services: (765) 464 3080 - 0 Washington Journal: FAX (202) 393-3346 Alternate Fax Numbers 202 737 6226 737 3323

ABC News mailform http://abcnews.go.com/onair/email.html Peter Jennings is the Senior Editor for World News Tonight, the daily program. Address things to him.

CBS News Mailform. http://cbsnews.cbs.com/feedback/frameset/0,1712,412,00.html Dan Rather is the Senior Editor of the Evening and other news programming, address things to him. Contact page for Rather. http://cbsnews.cbs.com/now/story/0,1597,15218-412,00.shtml

NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw This page today has some of their gop convention coverage. http://www.msnbc.com/news/NIGHTLYTB_Front.asp

"EXTRA CREDIT"

This is a National Issue. We need LOTS of media coverage.

Do a ZIP Code search for ZIP Codes in your area (or the Los Angeles Area 90012 thru 90089) Send a notice to ALL of your local newspapers, radio and TV stations encouraging coverage on the LA Shadow Convention. This is an easy fun and very productive way of increasing media exposure. See: http://congress.nw.dc.us/wnd/

-OR-

Send your letter to any and all media contacts you have. See http://www.mapinc.org/resource/email.htm to find Email contacts for your local papers.




SAMPLE LETTER

Dear C-Span,

I was disappointed the by the sparse coverage provided during the Shadow Convention held simultaneously with the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. I watched some of the RNC on TV, but as hundreds of reporters who were actually there noted, it was both predictable and repetitive. Instead of rehashing that basic observation again and again, couldn't a few more of those reporters and camera crews have been sent over to the Shadow Conventions, where some controversial issues were actually being discussed?

I hope there will be more coverage from the Shadow Convention in Los Angeles. It will make for a better informed public, but it will also make for more interesting programming.

Please get the Shadow Conventions on the air. The American public deserves the truth about the horrendous damage being caused to our nation by the "war on drugs"

Stephen Young

IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone number

Please note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.


ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts

3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm




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Prepared by Stephen Young - http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus Alert Specialist

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