2014 Congressional Elections Elections Matter Booklet | Page 18

Get Your Concerns Before the Media Another way to get your information out to a targeted audience is through your local media. Your hard work can be multiplied if it is brought to the attention of the media (newspaper, radio, television, and blogs). Articles or reports about your work are an essential way of getting and keeping public awareness. In reaching out to reporters and bloggers, do your best to • • • • be persistent build relationships bring reporters and bloggers up to speed on the issues be sensitive to the demands on a reporter’s time Be sure to contact the media if you plan a voter registration effort or before a candidate forum. Even if the reporter does not cover your event, the contact you make will help you to build a relationship with him or her. This section does not cover social media (e.g., Facebook and Twitter). However, if you have accounts in these social networking platforms, you can use them to advertise the voter registration drive or engage your followers and friends in a civil conversation on the importance of elections in a democracy. 18 Photo by Bread for the World