GW Associates Public Media

The material below was part of a packet of material I designed for individuals involved in a 40 hour fast designed to bring attention to conditions affecting farm workers in New York State Ex. This project was organized by Rural and Migrant Ministry.

Cover letter

Dear Fast Participant,

Thank you for your interest in the 40 Hour Fast and Farm Worker Advocacy Day (FAD). On March 24, 1998 you will join thousands of individuals across New York State who will be fasting to bring attention to farm workers. These hard working men and women are excluded from the basic protection afforded many other workers in New York state.

Farm workers in New York state are excluded from:

• access to portable toilets in the fields
• a day of rest
• disability insurance
• overtime pay
• and most importantly the right to collective bargaining

To change public policy we must affect public opinion. Our goal is to educate the 17 million people in NY state about the conditions under which farm workers labor. Your role is critical in helping us achieve this goal.

Your fast, while a personal act, can be a vehicle to draw public attention to these abuses. We are asking fasters in every community to use their fast as a tool that will reveal the lack of rights under which farm workers labor. To do this means making your personal act public. It means talking with editors, reporters, and radio and television talk show hosts. It means telling others of your concern through the use of the media.

Further, we hope you and/or your group will participate in Farm worker Advocacy Day (FAD) in Albany, on April 28 and let the media know you are doing so. Generating media coverage is crucial to our efforts to affect legislation regarding farm workers.

Enclosed is material to help you get your message before tens of thousands of people in your community.

Please fill out and return the media summary sheet after you have completed your fast and after FAD. This will help us evaluate how effective we were and help us establish our plans for next year.

If you have any questions feel free to call.

Sincerely yours,

Media Suggestions

Accessing the media is easier than most people realize. The most important thing is that you do something. If you haven't worked with your local media now is the time to begin. The following is a list of suggestions on how to get the 40 Hour Fast and Farm worker Advocacy Day (FAD) into your local media.

• Write a Letter to the Editor - Call your local newspaper first; ask for the editor in charge of the letters to the editor section and inquire what the guidelines are for submitting a letter. If your letter does not appear in a few weeks it is appropriate to call to make sure they received it. At that time you can ask if they intend to run it. The editorial page is highly read.
• Submit an Op-ed - Call your local newspaper and ask for the editor in charge of the op-ed section. Ask what the guidelines are and what they look for in an op-ed piece. It helps to have some expertise in the issue or first hand experience.
• Arrange an Editorial Board Meeting - An editorial board meeting is simply a meeting with the editors who write editorials. Call up your paper and contact the person who is in charge of arranging editorial board meetings. If they agree to meet with you send them a brief packet of material in advance of the meeting and be prepared to present your position.
• Radio & TV Talk Shows - Many stations have talk show programs. If you are not familiar with them call and ask what topics are covered. If you find a show that sounds like it might cover your issue you ultimately need to speak to the producer to make your "pitch." Don't be intimated. The producers are always looking for interesting material.
• Send Out a Press Release - A press release is simply an announcement of some event or activity. It is designed to inform the media of something that is happening that is news worthy. Your participation in the Fast and Farm worker Advocacy Day are potential news stories.

Ideally, you send the release to a specific reporter. If you do not know the name of the reporter send it to Att. Assignment Editor for radio and TV stations, and Att. Metro Desk Editor for newspapers.

Depending how you cast your release you might also want to send it to a religion editor if there is a social justice angle or involvement with a local religious denomination. If there is a reporter who covers farm related news stories or an Albany based reporter for your paper send a release to them.

If you are trying to get TV coverage or a photo think visually. Maybe you will kick off your fast with a ceremony at a church or a local farm that uses migrant workers or have a send "off " for a bus to Albany.

It is absolutely necessary to follow up every release with a phone call to make sure they received it and see if they have any questions.

It is not under your control whether the media will cover your story. What you do control is whether you will make the effort to contact them. For the sake of the farm workers please "pick up the phone."

If you have questions or concerns please use us as a resource -- we want you to succeed.

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