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Public Policy

The goal of the Disability Policy Collaboration is to impact national public policy for people with developmental disabilities, including those with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability, and their friends, families and loved ones.

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Advocacy Tools: Media Advocacy

Ten Steps To Get Your Message To Media

1. Don't Wait until you have an issue.

2. Right now CALL your local paper, radio and television stations and find out who is the right person to cover issues around disability rights, access, education, etc. Is it the news assignment person at the TV stations or a specific reporter or editor working a specific beat - i.e.: lifestyle, business, education, etc.?

3. Then Start to educate your contacts in the media - Send them brochures on your organization, fact sheets on your issues, Action Alerts, etc. that impact your lives, your community.

4. Put numbers and statistics - (How many people affected/participating/etc.) dollars (costs, investments, returns, losses) together for media. Data creates news and your message has more credibility when you can show the quantitative news value.

5. Have good spokespersons available on issues- who know issues and data. Make sure you have recommended resources and spokes people available for media to gather data from or interview.

6. Be persistent and consistent in getting information, news releases, etc. to these media contacts you develop. Even if it seems that they don't initially use your information, they start to build a file and get to know who they can count on as a regular resource on these issues.

7. Hold media accountable for stories that don't have your side objectively reported or when facts, language, representation are incorrect, biased and perpetuating myths and stereotypes.

8. Write your paper and TV station editors, reporters, news directors and advertisers to complain when things are wrong or biased. It is as important to give kudos when things are well done. For the most part, the media wants to "get it right" and will listen to your letters and calls.

9. Be proactive in writing letters to the editor and op-ed pieces. Space is there and they get printed.

10. Follow up, follow up, follow up, follow up with media on all these steps by phone, letter or in person.

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