Transcript Advocacy Writing - Physicians for Social Responsibility

Physicians for Social Responsibility
Advocacy Skills Training Series

Influence the
community and
policy makers

Influence the
newspaper (even
if it’s not printed)

LTE-short in
response to an
article

Opposite Editorial
500-750 word article
or viewpoint on a
timely news topic

About = refer to a recent article
 Best bets: editorial, op-ed, or front
page story
 Cite headline, date and author

Brief = keep it short
 Common limits are 100-250 words
 Check the paper’s policy

Concise = get to the point fast
 Just one point
 Can the reader draw a clear
conclusion



State your issue
Build your case
Call to Action

Refer to the issue as reported in the
newspaper, then say why you agree or
disagree
 OR:

Stating the situation as you see it
 “Climate change is happening, it’s
happening now, and it’s hurting our
community.”
 “Climate change is not just about polar
bears any more. It’s harming our children’s
health.”

2) Build your case
 Use your own
voice as a health
professional
 Connect to local
angle
 Use emotion
Photograph by: Spencer Platt, Getty
Images Files

What can the reader do?
 Be specific
 Legislation, coal plant closure, etc


Praise or call out a legislator, corporation
If published send to target




Don’t overstate/exaggerate
Don’t insult your opponents
Avoid jargon or acronyms
Never use all capital letters or bold text

Monday, October 7, 2013—Concord Monitor

“Shift from fossil fuels is under way” (Monitor editorial, Sept. 27):
The shift away from fossil fuels will occur at a much faster rate
once Congress finally overcomes its dysfunction and begins to
take climate change seriously. To that end, it’s great to see
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jim Rubens come out in favor of
a revenue-neutral carbon tax to limit carbon emissions and expand
clean energy. If Sen. Jeanne Shaheen does the same, then an
advocate of a wholly market-based solution to the climate crisis
will represent New Hampshire in the Senate in 2015.
That will be a win-win for New Hampshire, the country and
the planet.
 (Name, address, phone, title, email. 97 words)

Critics of the IPCC report focus on one uncertainty (constant
temperature) while ignoring other salient facts: The oceans have
become about 30% more acidic in the past century as they absorb
CO2. Plankton, the base of the ocean food chain, is 50% less than in
the 1950s.
Polar ice caps, which have an enormous influence on weather
patterns (via Hadley cells), have shrunk dramatically since NASA
started documenting them in 1979. In fact, polar temperatures have
warmed by about eight to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and ice continues
to thin and disappear.
These are megatrends that don't bode well for people who depend
on food from the oceans or live near the coast. The world's
deserts are also growing as polar-influenced weather patterns
shift rainfall away from the middle latitudes. I think we would
be prudent to remember that Mother Nature bats last.
Climate change is an issue that needs to be discussed thoughtfully and
objectively. Unfortunately, claims that distort the facts hinder the legitimate
evaluation of policy options. The rhetoric has driven some policymakers
toward costly regulations and policies that will harm hardworking American
families and do little to decrease global carbon emissions. The Obama
administration’s decision to delay, and possibly deny, the Keystone XL
pipeline is a prime example.
The State Department has found that the pipeline will have minimal impact
on the surrounding environment and no significant effect on the climate.
Recent expert testimony before the House Committee on Science, Space
and Technology confirms this finding. In fact, even if the pipeline is approved
and is used at maximum capacity, the resulting increase in carbon dioxide
emissions would be a mere 12 one-thousandths of 1 percent (0.012 percent).
There is scant scientific or environmental justification for refusing to
approve the pipeline, a project that the State Department has also
found would generate more than 40,000 U.S. jobs.

Lamar Smith, a Republican, represents Texas’s 21st District in the U.S.
House and is chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and
Technology.



IPCC came out with scientific statement that
there is no doubt about the fact of climate
change
LTE on recent flooding in Colorado
LTE on Obamacare
American Geophysical Union







Use the News
Tell a dramatic anecdote
Reference popular culture
Use wit and irony to point out a
contradiction
Use an anniversary
Cite a major new study
Get personal

Write a Lede and
news hook for a
submission on
climate change
using one of the
techniques we
discussed

Take a position
 Well-argued, original, new insight

Be persuasive
 Concrete examples, metaphors and stories with
emotion

Good hook
 Initial paragraph engages the reader

Good tone Persuasive without condemnation
 Acknowledges opposition while disagreeing
Make a single point
Use short paragraphs
 Avoid jargon
 "Humanize" your article
 Make a specific recommendation.
 Draw the reader in, but get to the point.
 End with a bang
 Provide your contact information
 Submit your op-ed via e-mail, as a rule.
 Follow up.


Submitting Online is EASY!




Prefer letters that are fewer than 200 words
and take as their starting point a Post article
Receive more than 1000/week
Edited for clarity and fact checked but
opinions are always the writer’s own
If you haven’t hear within 2 weeks it is safe to
assume the letter wont be published

The Courage to Act on Climate Change



Time sensitive -> submit by email
Use local connections!
Include:
 Full name, credentials, home address, email,
phone #, personal or financial interest



Subject to editing
Not more than one in 60 days
Unique submissions (not elsewhere)


44% of Facebook users “like” content posted
by their friends at least once a day, with 29%
doing so several times per day.
31% comment on other people’s photos on a
daily basis, with 15% doing so several times
per day.
Post things that are credible and interesting.
Don’t always post about your issue.
Vary the message between serious and
inspiring
4. Follow ‘pages’ or groups/organization that you
trust
5. Visuals are better than text
6. Ask for people to ‘like’ or ‘share’ your
message/photo/video
7. Be concise
8. https://www.thunderclap.it/en
1.
2.
3.