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Getting the Word Out Far & Wide

You are the news !
The story of the School of the Americas/WHINSEC and of you and your community taking part in the campaign to close down the SOA/WHINSEC is not only newsworthy but A GREAT STORY!

Let local media outlets, newspapers, TV, community radio stations - know about your participation in SOA Watch related events such as the Lobby Days, Fasts, November Vigil or any other activities you or your local group may organize throughout the year.

Media coverage significantly magnifies the voice of those working for the closure of the SOA/WHINSEC and a more just world. Taking a little time to do media outreach can profoundly impact the number of people in your area who know about the SOA/WHINSEC and the number of people who get involved in the work to close it down!

Work with Your Local Media!

Contact your local newspaper to tell them of your group's plans for an action. Invite a reporter to your next meeting. Invite them to your event!

Click here for a sample press release you can use in your media outreach.

Click here to find contact information for your local media.

Follow up with a PHONE CALL to the media outlets that you contacted.

BE PREPARED to be interviewed. Learn the two or three most important points you want to make about the SOA and your group's plans. Click here for tips on working with the media.

Read some TALKING POINTS about the School of the Americas.Click here to read the talking points.

Write a Letter to the Editor

Take a few minutes to respond to an article or issue in your local paper. This is your chance to "sound off" to your community about issues in the news, and letters to the editor are widely read.

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Connect a recent article with the story of your group's plans. Click here for a sample letter to the editor.

Read some great examples of letters that SOA Watch activists from around the country have recently had published in their local papers.