==========================
******* ORIGINAL MESSAGE FOLLOWS *******
==========================
V. Facts on Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action
13 Myths Promoted by the Right
Myth #1. Affirmative action is no longer needed because gender and
race inequalities are nonexistent in America.
The statistics prove otherwise. White men are 33% of the population,
yet:
88% of tenured professors. 95% of Fortune 500 CEO's.
85% of partners in major law firms. 97% of school superintendents.
80% of House of Representatives. 99.9% of professional athletic
team owners.
90% of U.S. Senate. 100% of U.S. presidents.
White women earn 71 cents, African-American women 64 cents, and
Hispanic women 54 cents, to every dollar earned by white men. We do
not live in a race/gender blind society.
Myth #2. Affirmative action are quotas where preference is given to
white women and people of color.
Quotas are illegal and unconstitutional. Affirmative action permits
the consideration of race, provided it is only one of many
contributing factors considered (US Supreme Court ruling Bakke,
1978). Gender, race, and socio-economic levels are viewed as
supplemental criteria- just as state residency, extracurricular
activities, family ties, and athletic ability are also considered.
This benefits everyone. "Consent decrees," which are court-mandated
hiring goals and timetables imposed by judges towards specific
institutions after decades of proven failure to end discrimination,
are the only government policies involving quotas. Ending
affirmative action would not affect "consent decrees."
Myth #3. Affirmative action fuels reverse discrimination.
Affirmative action does not impose the hiring or admittance of
unqualified applicants. Furthermore, of the 91,183 discrimination
complaints filed in 1994, only 1.5% alleged that white men had been
discriminated against (National Organization for Women).
Myth #4. Affirmative action prevents admissions based on merit only.
Merit is not as simple as SAT or GPA scores. As long as there exists
a disparity of resources and opportunities, there will never exist an
objective SAT or GPA which tells us who is the most talented, who has
the most potential, who has worked the hardest, or who has more of a
right to education (even in a perfectly just and equitable society
these factors could never describe the talent or potential of an
individual). SAT and GPA scores are closely correlated with socio-
economic backgrounds, and not related to success in college (Linda
Clement, U of Maryland Admissions Director).
Myth #5. Affirmative action puts white women and people of color in
positions where they are predisposed to fail.
Some claim that affirmative action is the cause of high drop-out
rates for African-American students. The truth is that affirmative
action creates a more level playing field for qualified white women
and people of color, who would otherwise have been institutionally
discriminated against- regardless of achievement. As a direct result
of affirmative action, the number of women physicians has doubled in
the last 25 years from 7.6% to 16.9%, and black professional women
has increased 125%. The fact that the gaps still exist is an
indication that affirmative action is still desperately needed.
Myth #6. Affirmative action has gone too far.
Affirmative action is working but there is more to be done. As the
statistics above show, discrimination by race and gender still
exists. Studies show that 86% of available jobs are not presently
listed in classified ads but are filled by word-of-mouth. Since
neighborhoods and social networks tend to be segregated, word-of-
mouth leads to the perpetuation of discrimination, intentionally or
not (American Jewish Congress). Of the 4,200 contracts reviewed, the
U.S. Labor Department found that 50% were in violation of the Civil
Rights Act, resulting in $39.6 million in back wages.
Myth #7. Affirmative action results in mediocrity.
The University of California system, which (used to) implement
aggressive affirmative action policies, has raised its standards 5
times in the last 12 years, becoming one of the most prestigious
public universities in the world (UC, Office of the Vice-President,
5/95). Diversity in the work force improves creativity, enhances
performance, and improves productivity (USA Today, 3/24/1992;
Fortune, 8/8/1994). A recent ACLU poll shows that 68% of CEO's find
affirmative action programs "good, very good, or outstanding." Only
2% of those polled rated them "poor."
Myth #8. Asian Americans are harmed by affirmative action programs.
Affirmative action policies have historically assisted Asian
Americans, who have been and continue to be discriminated against.
Pacific Islanders and Southeast Asians have poverty rates 3 times
greater than white Americans (UCLA School of Urban Planning). In
1992, the admissions rate of Filipino students to the UC system
decreased from 32% to 18% when they were dropped from the affirmative
action list.
Myth #9. Affirmative action is a gesture to repay black people for
past suffering.
Even conservative Shelby Steele acknowledges, "It is impossible to
repay blacks living today for the historic suffering of the
race....Suffering can be endured and overcome, it cannot be repaid."
Affirmative action is a vehicle to end discrimination by ensuring
that the net of opportunity is cast widely enough to ensure equal
opportunities for everyone. It redefines merit, acknowledging the
totality of a person's experience.
Myth #10. Affirmative action benefits only black people.
More than 50% of affirmative action policies are directed at white
women, making them the primary focus of affirmative action.
Hispanics, Asians and other people of color are also beneficiaries of
affirmative action. Affirmative action makes the United States a more
just and equitable society, benefiting all who live here.
Myth #11. Affirmative action promotes racial tension and "black
inferiority" complexes.
To blame affirmative action for racial tension is double-speak. With
or without affirmative action, racism and racial tension has been and
is present.The truth behind affirmative action is that it brings more
equity to U.S. institutions by guiding hiring/acceptance practices to
include individual struggles against racism, sexism, and poverty.
Myth #12. Affirmative action should be based solely on socio-
economic factors.
White women and people of color have been victims of discrimination
for hundreds of years. Policies addressing discrimination must
address all spectrums of discrimination at school and work. The
least progress has been made in the upper level salary positions. We
need programs based on economic need in addition to, but not instead
of, affirmative action.
Myth #13. Affirmative action is to blame for lower income among
white males.
Average real wages have fallen 19% and 26% for young families with
children since 1973. But affirmative action is not the problem.
Everyone is losing jobs as corporations move overseas, downsize, hire
part-time workers, automate and computerize. The real travesty is
when any student- male or female, white or of color- is denied access
to education- not because of affirmative action, but because society
has devalued and divested money away from education. According to
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Affirmative Action is
considered essential to insuring that jobs are genuinely and equally
accessible to qualified persons, without regard to sex, race, or
ethnicity.
[Prepared by Jesse Hahnel and David Pai for Center for Campus
Organizing. Tel. 617-354-9363. Email: cco@igc.apc.org. For the
Organizing Guide for Peace and Justice Groups, send $1 to CCO, Box
748, Cambridge, MA 02142.]
VI. Financial Aid Cuts: Facts
[information under preparation]
VII. Facts on the Presidential Candidates
[information under preparation]
VIII. Bibliography
Background Reading for a Day of Action/ Teachin
1. Materials focusing on attacks on Higher Ed/ RW on Campus
Messer-Davidow, Ellen. "Manufacturing the Attack on Liberalized
Higher Education," Social Text, 36 Fall 1993, p.40-80. Covers the
think-tank network, the youth training, the "PC" debates, etc.
_Guide to Uncovering the Right on Campus_, edited by Dalya Massachi
and Rich Cowan. For the full 52-page guidebook which includes 38
graphics and 8 charts, please send $6 plus $1 postage to Center for
Campus Organizing, Box 748, Cambridge, MA 02142. Outside the USA the
cost is $10.
Weisberg, Jacob. "NAS: Who Are These Guys Anyway?" Lingua Franca,
4/1991.
Wiener, John. "Campus Voices Right and Left," The Nation, December
12, 1988 and "Money for Neo-Conservative Scholars," The Nation, Jan
1, 1990.
Williams, Patricia J., "Blockbusting the Canon." Ms. Sept.- Oct.
1991. This article by an African-American law professor at the Univ.
of Wisconsin looks at the PC war on campus, in her classes, and
against her.
3. Materials on the attack on women's rights
Faludi, Susan. Backlash. New York: Crown Pub, 1991. A definitive
book on antifeminism.
The Right to Lifers: Who They Are, How They Operate and How They Get
Their Money. Paige, Connie (New York: Summit Books, 1983).
A Lesser Life: The Myth of Women's Liberation in America. Hewlett,
Sylvia Ann (New York: William Morrow and Company, 1986).
4. Materials on the attacks on poor people's programs
"Aid For Dependent Corporations, Federal Estimates of Corporate
Welfare for 1994, January, 1994, Essential Information, Inc., P.O.
Box 19405, Washington, D.C. 20036) - compares AFDC payments to the
huge subsides given to corporations
Piven, Frances Fox and Richard Cloward, Poor People's Movements. see
also Regulating the Poor: the Functions of Public Welfare.
5. Materials on the attacks on immigrants
The Party of Fear: From Nativist Movements to the New Right in
American History. Bennett, David H. (New York, NY: Vintage Books
[Random House], 1990).
Blood in the Face: The Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, Nazi Skinheads,
and the Rise of a New White Culture. Ridgeway, James. (New York, NY:
Thunder's Mouth Press, 1990).
Inequality at Work, Hispanics in the U.S. Labor Force. Gergory
DeFreitas, Oxford University Press, 1991. Hardback only. Refutes
point by point all the Pro 187 arguments. Must-have book, with
statistical analysis.
Striking Back at Bigotry: Remedies Under Federal and State Law for
Violence Motivated by Racial, Religious and Ethnic Prejudice.
(Baltimore, MD: Center for the Applied Study of Ethnoviolence
[formerly the National Institute Against Prejudice and Violence],
1986/Supplement 1988). (410) 706-5170.
When Hate Groups Come to Town: A Handbook of Effective Community
Responses. Center for Democratic Renewal. (Atlanta, GA: Center for
Democratic Renewal, 1992). (404) 221-0025.
Race File. Applied Research Center (a newsletter)
Center for Democratic Renewal Activist Update (a newsletter)
6. Materials on the attacks on gays, lesbians, bisexuals
American Civil Liberties Union, Anti-Gay Ballot Initiatives: An
Analysis of Colorado's Amendment 2--Strategies to Defeat Other
Initiatives (1993).
Fight the Right. Gregory, Sarah Crary, and Scot Nakagawa, eds.
(Washington, DC: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 1993).
Quarantines and Death: The Far Right's Homophobic Agenda. Segrest,
Mab & Zeskind, Leonard (Atlanta, GA: Center for Democratic Renewal,
1989).
"Marketing the Religious Right's Anti-Gay Agenda," by Chip Berlet, in
CovertAction Quarterly, Spring 1993.
"Reel Hate: A new video tries to drive a wedge between blacks and
gays," by Liz Galst, in The Boston Phoenix, Supplement, October 1993.
7. Key Right-wing Literature
Bloom, Allan. The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education
Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls, of Today's
Students.(New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987).
D'Souza, Dinesh. Illiberal Education and The End of Racism
Herrstein, The Bell Curve.
Kimball, Roger. Tenured Radicals. 1990.
NEA: Propaganda Front of the Radical Left. Reed, Sally D.
(Washington, D.C.: National Council for Better Education, 1984).
Reed, Ralph. Casting a Wider Net, Policy Review, Summer 1993.
Robertson, Pat. The New Millennium. (Irving, Texas: Word Publishing,
1990).
Simon, William. A Time for Truth.
Sykes, Charles J. PROFSCAM: Professors and the Demise of Higher
Education. Washington: Regnery Gateway, 1988.
Viguerie, Richard, "The New Right: We're Ready to Lead"
8. Other recommended bibliographies
Political Research Associates. Extensive bibliographies on
"Political Correctness" & Multiculturalism; Conservatism and the
Electoral Right Wing; Race, Ethnicity, Religion & Culture; Gender,
Sexuality & Sexual Preference; Authoritarianism, Fascism, Nazism &
Totalitarianism; Homophobia & the Religious & Political Right; the
Holocaust; Political Repression; Wise Use/Property Rights Movement;
and various individuals with histories of Right-wing involvement.;
telephone 617-661-9313.
IX. Online Sources of Information
a. WWW page on the March 14 Day of Action, the Right at:
http://envirolink.org/orgs/cco/march14.html
b. WWW pages on higher ed cuts:
The National Association of Graduate and Professional Students
has a web page at: http://access.digex.net/~rosati/student-aid.html
This page contains copies of the updates put out by NAGPS on
the threat to the proposal to end the Student Aid Interest Exemption.
The Alliance to Save Student Aid of the American Council on
Education has established an e-mail address on the Internet that
provides access to background information on student aid issues, a
sample letter to Congress with a list of congressional e-mail
addresses, and additional information on the 800 number. The
Internet resource addresses, which will be on-line beginning Feb. 6,
are as follows:
o e-mail: student-aid@nchemail.nche.edu
c. Information on Affirmative Action To subscribe to information
about the affirmative action debate, send email to:
listserv@cmsa.berkeley.edu In the body of the message, type:
sub affam-l YourFirstName YourLastName
d. Information on Immigration Issues: To subscribe to information
about the movement against 187, send email to:
listserv@cmsa.berkeley.edu In the body of the message, type:
sub 187-L YourFirstName YourLastName
e. general bibliography about the right wing: gopher address:
gopher://gopher.well.com/11/Politics/] includes the great
bibliography of Political Research Associates
X. Helpful Groups and Organizations
Organizations addressing issues related to the "Contract"
1. Organizations which address Access to Education
American Council on Education, Alliance to Save Student Aid, 202-939-
9365, Web-site: http://student-aid.nche.edu
US Student Ass'n - 815 15th St NW, Suite 838, Washington, DC 20005,
(202) 347-USSA. National association of student governments, working
for student rights.
2. Organizations addressing Women's Issues
National Organization for Women -1000 M St. NW, Washington, DC;
planning HUGE march on DC on April 9!
National Council for Research on Women - 530 Broadway at Spring St,
10th floor, New York, NY 10012, (212) 274-0730; fax: (212) 274-0821.
A working alliance of organizations that provides resources for
feminist research, policy analysis and educational programs.
Center for Women Policy Studies - 2000 P St, NW, Suite 508,
Washington, DC 20036, (202) 872-1770. Among other programs, runs a
project entitled Violence Against Women as Gender Bias-motivated Hate
Crime, including 2 policy papers on the issue.
American Association of University Women -
4. Organizations addressing attacks on social programs
Welfare Warriors in the fight for a Guaranteed Annual Income, call
414-444-0220 or write to 4504 N. 47, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53218
National Welfare Rights Union and National Up & Out of Poverty Now!
13220 Woodward, Highland Park, MI 48203, 313-868-3660
5. Organizations addressing attacks on immigrants
Applied Research Center, Oakland, CA
Center for Constitutional Rights has several projects including:
Latino Rights Project (Proyecto Pro-Derechos Latinos) - 666 Broadway,
Suite 625, New York, NY 10012, (212) 722-1645.
Center for Democratic Renewal -- Atlanta, GA, 404-221-0025
Four Winds Student Movement, 909-625-7645, Angel Cervantes,
CERVANTA@CGSVAX.CGS.EDU -- Coal. of Latino stud. groups.
MALDEF -- Mexican-American Legal Defense & Education Fund, offices in
LA and DC.
National Immigration Forum -- Washington, DC (202) 544-0004
[also see list of youth organizations below]
6. Organizations addressing attacks on people of color
7. Organizations addressing attacks on gays, lesbians, bisexuals
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Campus Project - (Curt Shepard)
6030 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90036, (213) 934-9030;
fax: 213/937-0601; E-mail: cxsngltf@aol.com. Among other programs,
its Fight The Right campaign looks at ways to counteract the assault
on gay and lesbian communities.
8. Background on the Right in General -- Critiques
People for the American Way - 2000 M St NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC
20036, (202) 467-4999; fax: (202) 293-2672. Has a project monitoring
attacks on American gays and lesbians.
Political Research Associates - 678 Massachusetts Ave, Suite 205,
Cambridge, MA 02139-3355, (617) 661-9313. Research institute on
Right-wing organizations and activities nationwide, including those
on campuses. The insitute houses extensive written materials, as
well as provides reports, publications, bibliographies, speakers and
classes.
Women's Project -- Little Rock, Arkansas. Addresses sexism and
Homophobia...
Anti-Defamation League of B'nai Brith. Regional offices; DC office
is..
Center for Democratic Renewal - (Lawrence Jeffries) PO Box 50469,
Atlanta, GA 30302, (404) 221-0025; fax: (404) 221- 0045. Monitors
Ku Klux Klan, hate crimes; how Klan is attempting to "mainstream"
racism.
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting - (Jim Naureckas) 130 W 25th St,
New York, NY 10001, (212) 633-6700 . Publishes the magazine EXTRA!
which has a whole issue on Rush Limbaugh.
Institute for First Amendment Studies, Inc., P.O. Box 589, Great
Barrington, MA 01230, (413) 274-3786. Publishes $25 activist's
handbook on "Challenging the Christian Right."
9. Progressive Student Networks with 500+ campuses
MECHA - Box 4 Student Union Bldg. Albuquerque, NM 87131, (505) 277-
0975. Union of Latino students around the country.
Student Environmental Action Coalition - PO Box 1168, Chapel Hill, NC
27514, (919) 967-4600. Coordinates student action on environmental
issues nationwide.
(see also ngltf and naral, above)
XI. LIST OF UNHELPFUL ORGANIZATIONS
1. Organizations which formulate the Right's campus strategies
Center for Study of Popular Culture / Individual Rights Foundation -
Protects offensive expression; helps fraternities charged with
harrassment
Madison Center for Educational Affairs - Washington DC group which
funds campus papers.
National Ass'n of Scholars (pub. Academic Questions) - Faculty
Network
Intercollegiate Studies Institute - publishes a quarterly newspaper
distributed to hundreds of campus arguing against multiculturalism
Young America's Foundation/ Young Americans for Freedom - publishes
an issue brief arguing against affirmative action, available by
calling 1-800-292-9231
2. Organizations addressing attack on women's rights
Concerned Women of America - Conservative women's reaction to
National Organization for Women
Eagle Forum Collegians - Phyllis Schafly's antifeminist spinoff group
agitates for family values & strong military
Center for Individual Rights - Provides pro bono legal defense;
frequently involved in cases involving charges of sexism.
3. Ideological critics of social programs, big government
Center for Constructive Alternative - Policy arm of Hillsdale College
Foundation for Economic Education - Battles against socialism in the
tradition of Ludwig von Mises; holds student seminars
Future of Freedom Foundation - Libertarian thinktank which advocates
the end of the social welfare state
Institute for Humane Studies - Runs classes on "individual rights,
free trade, peace, the rule of law, the free market, personal
liberty"
Ludwig Von Mises Institute - Auburn U Right-wing think-tank
4. Working for a Whiter America
Federation of American Immigration Reform (FAIR) - anti-immigrant,
pro-racist group.
National Association for the Advancement of White People - David
Duke's organization
Pioneer Fund - Sponsors eugenics research on genetic differences
between whites and blacks
National Alliance - Racist group, posts flyers to recruit on campus
for a "future for white Americans"
5. Generation X Please Cut the Deficit Groups
Third Millenium - New attempt to organize "Generation X" into a
conservative vanguard; favors more police on streets, deficit
slashing, says little about military spending
6. Organizations critical of gays, lesbians, bisexuals
Accuracy in Academia - (pub. Campus Report) - published an article,
"Hooray for Homophobia" in the summer of 1994.
Eagle Forum
7. New Right Thinktanks with a General Slant
Free Congress Foundation - A central New Right thinktank; just
started a project called "National Empowerment Television"
Heritage Foundation - Conservative think tank with $25 million
budget, professors serving as "adjunct scholars"
Hoover Institution - Right-wing think tank at Stanford University;
promoted Reagan policies
XII. MEDIA CONTACTS (Last Updated September 1995)
Below is a national list of education reporters with phone and fax
numbers. This is the first time this list has been posted to the
internet, to our knowedge. It is in "comma format" which means that
it is possible to convert if for use in a fax-modem. If you have any
inaccuracies in or additions to this list, please send e-mail to
We recommend that you be spend 99% of your energy in calling local
reporters, and only call a few of the people below, namely those
outlets where you have personal connection to a reporter. National
media won't write about your local action alone. In any case, be
sure to let local press know about an action several days ahead of
time, in the morning hours for best results, before they get busy
working on their daily story.
After the media list is an exceprt of an article "How to Use the
Media," the (much longer) text of which is available within a 32-page
CCO newsletter from Dec.1991, available for $3 (covers our cost).
Newspapers
Bill,Gillan,Associated Press Nat'l,1-212 621-1621,1-212 621-7520
Dembicki,Matt,Education Daily,1-703 739-6491,1-703 739-6517
Del Rado,Alicia,Los Angeles Times,800-LA-TIMES x65981,1-714-966-7711
Sharkey,Nancy,New York Times,1-516 556-3699,1-212-556-7615
Pam,Noel,New York Times Education Editor,212-556-1234,
Desk,Assignment,United Press International,202-898-8000,1-202-898-8057
Reyes,Yvette,US News & World Report,1-212-830-1500,1-212-830-1720
Kelley,Dennis,USA Today,703-276-6536,1-703-276-6580
Rochelle,Sharp,Wall St. Journal,1-202 862-9220,1-202 862-9266
Kurtz,Howard,Washington Post,1-202 334-7410,1-202 334-6192
Monthly Magazines
Jonathan,Knight,Academe AAUP,202-737-5900,
Brodie,Michael,Academe AAUP,202-737-5900 x3012,3
Laurie,Denton,APA Monitor,1-202 336-5500,1-202-336-5549
Jack,Beatty,Atlantic Monthly ,536-9500,
Ed,Wiley,Black Issues in Higher Ed.,703 385-2981,1-703-385-1839
Gonella,Annette,Blacks in Higher Education,212-399-1084,1-212-245-1973
Cooper,Gloria,Columbia Journalism Review,212-854-1881,1-212-854-8580
John,Wasik,Consumers Digest,312-275-3590 x7111,312-275-7273
Henwood,Doug,Left Business Observer,212-874-4020,1-212-874-3137
Ty,Wenger,Link Magazine,212-966-1100,212-966-1380
Weekly Magazines
Zook,Jim,Chronicle of Higher Ed,1-202-466-1000,1-202-296-2691
Buscaglia,Marco,College Press Service ,1-312-222-3169,1-312-222-4328
Monaghan,Carol,College Press Svc.,1-312-222-3169,1-312-222-3459
Debra,Viadero,Education Week,1-202 364-4114,1-202 364-1039
J.,Bonasia,National Student News Service,1-415 543-2089,1-415 543-1480
Tanaka,Jennifer,Newsweek Magazine,1-212-445-4412,1-212-445-5327
Tom,Toch,U.S. News & World Report,1-202 955-2706,1-202 955-2049
Jenn,Gonnerman,Village Voice,,1-212-598-4730
Radio/TV
Claudio,Sanchez,Nat'l Public Radio,1-202 414-2768,1-202 414-3329
Richard,Harris,ABC Nightline,202-882-7777,1-202 887-7680
Bill,Blakemore,ABC TV News,1-212 456-7777,1-212 456-2795
National,Desk,ABC World News Tonight,212-887-4040,
Craig,Brownstein,C-SPAN,1-202 626-4845,1-202 737-6226
Wallace,Kelly,Cable News Network,404-827-1500,1-202-898-7923
David,Gelber,CBS 60 Minutes,1-212 975-2831,1-212 757-6975
Baker,Marjorie,CBS TV News,1-212 975-3693,1-212 975-1893
John,Holliman,CNN News,1-202 898-7545,1-202 898-7923
(assignment,desk),Fox News,1-202 895-3131,1-202 895-3008
Dawn ,Mendez,MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour,212-560-3103,
Michael,Shore,MTV News,212 258-8826,1-212 258-8844
Chidea, Farai,MTV News,1-212-258-8910,1-212-258-8844
Media Dos and Don'ts [excerpted from How to Use the Media, by Rochell
Lefkowitz and Bob Shaeffer, from Grassroots Fundraising Journal.
Used with permission.]
1. Always tell the truth. It's often easy to stretch, shade, or
sidestep the truth. But resist the temptation - you're only a good
source as long as you're reliable. Know your facts and check
details before you talk to reporters or issue a release. If you
don't know something, admit it; don't fudge. Then, find out and
phone in the facts.
2. Be accessible. Reporters have deadlines. Return their calls
promptly. Offer your home phone number. And volunteer story leads.
3. Know the rules. Get to know the conventions, requirements, and
deadlines of your local outlets. Make sure you understand terms
like "off the record" and "not for attribution." If you don't
recognize these phrases, ask a friendly reporter.
4. Be aggressive. This is no time to be polite. Don't sit by your
phone - call in your group's response to important events. Issue
timely releases: a late story is no story. And contacty reporters
to point out inaccuracies - oir to praise a job well done.
5. Think before you speak. The media have their agenda. Be sure
yours is equally well-defined. Before you mail a press release or
call reporters, have a plan. You can't stop the presses. Plot
youro campaign carefully, assess your options and make sure your
media strategy reflects your group's priorities and resources.
6. Don't Cry Wolf. We've said it before, but it's worth repeating.
Don't exaggerate - and that means don't create a crisis or inflate a
victory.
7. Don't assume Reporters Understand Your Issue. Even if your
group was just in the news, there's no guarantee the reporter will
even remember your name. Never count on reporters to know your
history, agenda or point of view - not even the ones who cover your
issue regularly. Always say what you represent.
8. Don't just criticize. Everyone adores praise. Let reporters -
and their bosses - know when you like a story. Then watch what
happens next time you call.
9. Don't let the media intimidate you. It's easy to panic at
bright lights and cameras. But don't let the press push you around.
10. Don't give up. Reporters get nearly 200 press releases a day.
Even the slickest PR firm sends many releases that end up in the
trashbasket. A plan crash can always preempt the press conference
you planned for weeks. Don't despair if you don't get coverage.
Ask reporters for pointers. Then, try again - and again.