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Here’s a great practical example of how you can tie a local or timely
issue to the Campaign’s goals in a letter to the editor.
Betsy Hambrick, a social worker and AODA/violence prevention coordinator
in Madison, WI, had the following letter published in the Wisconsin
State Journal (January 12, 2005). Her hook is the media coverage of a
football player’s pantomime of “mooning” fans after he scored.
“Regarding the Randy Moss mooning gesture, children mock what they see
on TV, but is this what we should be concerned about? What about the
alcohol ads during the game?
Underage drinkers consume almost 20 percent of the alcohol in the United
States. More than 50 percent of students in grades nine through 12
consume alcohol on a regular basis. Alcohol is a significant factor in
the four leading causes of death among person ages 10-24. And youth who
begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to become
alcoholics, not to mention lower academic achievement and higher police
involvement of kids who drink.
The link between alcohol and sports represents an unnatural and
destructive alliance, especially for children, and alcohol advertising
on televised sports reaches them, encouraging them to drink and masking
the risks. So when you become enraged by something that happens during a
football game, direct those emotions at the alcoholic beverage industry
that is targeting our children. That is a more important worry than the
actions of one rowdy player. Support the Campaign for Alcohol-Free
Sports TV.”
You, too, can be successful in getting a letter to the editor
published!
Media Advocacy Tools:
Sample Letter to
the Editor
Media Tips
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