Take Action
MEDIA OUTREACH
Press coverage of Venezuela has a profound influence on the public perceptions of Venezuela and US foreign policy. Now more than ever, it is important to ensure that the press is balanced and fair in its treatment of Venezuela. Here are some tips for how to expose and help correct factual inaccuracies in the press and to effectively communicate the many positive things that are happening in Venezuela.
Write a Letter to the Editor
(Click on the following links for information on writing a press release or media advisory.)
Letters to the editor should address and discuss recent news coverage. Letters serve two purposes: they can either offer a counter-perspective to an unbalanced or inaccurate news piece by backing that perspective with factual and personal experience, or they can support positive press coverage.
Tips for Writing an Effective Letter
Adapted from FAIR and Rob Salzman’s "Making the News"
· Respond promptly. Your letter will be more likely to get published if it is timly and responds to a very recent news piece. Make sure you name the article and the date it appeared.
· Be brief. Newspapers usually allow letters to the editor of only 150-200 words. The paper may edit or shorten your letter to meet requirements, so it is important to begin your letter with your strongest and most important argument.
· Be polite. In print, your passion may be misinterpreted. Avoidquestioning a reporter’s motives, but rather, point out mis-statements and inaccuracies.
· Personalize it. Show why the issue is important to you.
· Read the letters page. This will give you a sense of the kinds of letters the newspaper publishes.
· Include your contact information. For verification purposes, you must include your name, phone number, address and email, as well as your professional position or group affiliation (if applicable).
· Follow up. Make sure your letter was received.
Here is an example of a letter that was published in the Washington Post in response to an inaccurate Op-ed published a week earlier:
Respect for Venezuela
In his Aug. 23 op-ed column, "Contained Revolution," Michael Shifter said
that Venezuela's performance under President Hugo Chavez has been "dismal."
Throughout Mr. Chavez's time in office, the government has invested in the
expansion of education and school lunch programs, health care, and
subsidized food, building materials and credit for the poor.
On a recent visit to Caracas, I saw the government-run stores that were
built in poor neighborhoods to provide food staples at below-market prices.
I also saw the medical facilities and health services that the government
provides free of charge.
Mr. Shifter did not mention that economic problems during Mr. Chavez's time
in power are partly due to the business-led opposition, which has attempted
to sabotage the government through capital flight, disinvestment and
business lockouts. After the opposition lost the recent referendum by a
large margin, opposition leaders continued their campaign of political
destabilization by crying "fraud," though the Carter Center and the
Organization of American States found no evidence of voting irregularities.
It's time for the U.S. political establishment to show the democratically
elected government of Venezuela the respect that it deserves.
Sincerely,
JUSTIN DELACOUR
Albuquerque
Click on the following links for information on writing a press release or media advisory.
Back>>>
NOTE: The Venezuela Information Office is dedicated to informing the American
public about contemporary Venezuela, and receives its funding from the
government of Venezuela. More information is available from the FARA office
of the Department of Justice in Washington DC.
Venezuela Information Office
733 15th Street NW, Suite 932
Washington, DC 20005
tel: (202) 347-8081
fax: (202) 347-8091
|
