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Our American Story: Influencing Media and Policymakers Through Personal Stories

Our American Story: Influencing Media and Policymakers Through Personal Stories. Erik Stegman and Katie Peters Half in Ten Campaign CAP Action Fund. Introductions.

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Our American Story: Influencing Media and Policymakers Through Personal Stories

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  1. Our American Story: Influencing Media and Policymakers Through Personal Stories Erik Stegman and Katie Peters Half in Ten Campaign CAP Action Fund

  2. Introductions The Half in Ten Campaign is dedicated to building the political and public will to cut the U.S. poverty rate in half in 10 years. KATIE ERIK

  3. Today’s Agenda • Harnessing the Power of Personal Stories • Tactics for Using Stories • Working with Reporters • Writing OpEds • Creative Action • Brainstorming Local Action • How to Stay Engaged

  4. Power of Personal Stories Stories bring public policy to life. They show how policy impacts real families and communities around the country

  5. Our American Story • Our American Story is a storyteller action network! • Low-income families, service providers, and community leaders working to expand economic opportunity for all through the power of their personal stories. • Too often, low-income families do not have a seat at the table for the debates that have direct implications for their lives, Our American Story amplifies the voices of low-income Americans in the policy debates of our time.

  6. How We Use Stories • We use stories in advocacy efforts to connect storytellers to action opportunities with policymakers and the media in order to change the conversation on poverty in America. • We use our stories to respond and combat misinformation and policy proposals that are harmful to families.

  7. How We Use Stories

  8. How We Use Stories

  9. How We Use Stories

  10. How We Use Stories

  11. Traditional Tactics For Using Stories • Work With Reporters • Pitch, Write, and Place OpEds • Share on Social Media • Get Creative! BUT FIRST…

  12. Before you share your story… Develop Your Message: • Work to combine your key lines with stats, research, policy solutions, and anecdotes. Tip! Check in with Half in Ten for the most recent talking points! • Know your core message and be ready to work it into any answer to any question. Tip! The media team at Half in Ten can help you identify and develop your core message. • Use your core message in every interview, op-ed, letter to the editor, statement, presentation, etc.

  13. Know What Reporters Want • Original research • New polling or statistics • Expert analysis on news of the day • Compelling personal stories To grab their attention, you can… • Publish something • Volunteer to share your story • Jump at every opportunity

  14. Pitch Your Story Identify the reporters, columnists or TV and radio programs most likely to be interested. Send them a note or make a call. Tips for Pitching T imely: Connect your pitch to a current event O riginal: Offer something nobody else has T o the point: Keep it short, reporters are busy A ppropriately aggressive: Follow-up but accept it if they pass L ively: Keep it interesting and link to relevant stories and videos

  15. Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor • Letter to the Editor:A Letter to the Editor is a letter from a reader sent to a newspaper or publication supporting or opposing a stance taken by the publication in a recent article or column. (200-300 words) • Op-Ed:An op-ed is a longer opinion piece published by a reader in a newspaper. While Op-eds do not need to react to a previous newspaper article, they should link explicitly to something happening in the news. (750 words)

  16. Let’s think creatively!

  17. 139 Hours of Name Reading • 36,976 names read of those killed by guns • 252 volunteers • 8 Members of Congress • Over 20 survivors and victims’ family members • 38 Groups engaged

  18. The Impact Kelly O’Donnell on NBC Nightly News: What we are talking about is a swing from politically undoable to the surprising number of Republicans who signed on with Democrats to say it’s time to start working on the guns issue even through they deeply disagree. How did that happen? Many here say the Newtown families made a difference. Outside the capitol, a 23-hour vigil reading gun victims’ names, crosses to remember them on the national mall, and family members here to witness the vote. Under that emotion-filled pressure, expectations shifted. Literally the political landscape of America on gun safety is changing before our eyes.

  19. Let’s Discuss! • How do you already incorporate personal narratives in your work? • How are other organizations using stories effectively? • What are some of the challenges you experience with storytelling?

  20. Stay Engaged • Subscribe to our action alerts by entering your email at www.halfinten.org • Or text HalfinTen to 30644 • Follow @HalfinTenon Twitter and use the hashtag #talkpoverty

  21. Keep in Touch! And… THANK YOU for coming today! Erik Stegman estegman@americanprogress.org @ErikStegman Katie Peters kpeters@americanprogress.org @katiepeters83

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