Seeing Your Newspaper As Your Friend Minnesota School Boards Association August 16, 2008

Before you write your letter Know the letter policy Focus on your message Choose your battles Get the facts; don’t guess Let the board know what’s coming Know how to best send it Type it; don’t write it by hand

The basics Put on a title Include name, address and phone number Start strong; end strong Keep it short Tell a short story Never attack; never repeat misinformation Call to make sure the letter arrived

The Op-ed piece Have an opinion; be firm How does this affect the reader Use humor Tackle an issue from an unorthodox view Don’t guess on facts Let the board know what’s coming

Op-ed basics Put on the title Include name, address and phone number, along with photo Start strong, end strong Keep it short Tell a story A sixth-grade reading level

The Editorial Board Request a meeting Gather facts; let board know in advance of issue How long do you have Who is speaking; what is their message What equipment do you need Never assume this is off the record Review strengths and weaknesses

During the meeting Stick to the topic Bring visuals if you talk about numbers; charts; handouts Leave at least a third of your time for questions and answers It’s OK to say “I don’t know.” Don’t attack; don’t complain

After the meeting Send a thank-you Follow up with any additional information you may have promised Keep the relationship going Ask if you can do anything to help their education reporter