CALL TO ACTION
The following phrase developed by Frameshop is gaining in the media:
"Social Security is Healthy and Successful"
Repetition of this phrase can help stop George W. Bush's War on Social Security.
The White House wants to limit the Social Security debate to talk of radical change.
Do not let them.
Progressive Social Security Frame
We believe that Americans who work hard and play by the rules deserve a retirement protected by their government.
Social Security is a successful social program that helps millions of Americans.
Social Security will thrive in a healthy economy and can be maintained by: (1) lifting caps on payroll contribution, (2) restoring fiscal discipline and (3) investing in education and innovation.
To advance this Progressive frame
repeat these phrases:
- "We believe all Americans deserve the protection of Social Security"
- Social Security is Healthy
- Social Security is Successful
IMMEDIATE ACTION: Send letters to all
NPR stations.
Encourage them to use Progressive language when discussing Social Security.
Frameshop is open.
Distribute and Repeat
The Frameshop initiative on Social Security has accomplished these fundamental tasks:
- Identified problematic Con langauge
- Analyzed how Con language frames debate on Social Security
- Developed Progressive language for framing debate on Social Security
- Distributed and repeated the new language
We can always head back to the discussion of the best way to frame Social Security. But as that discussion moves forward, it becomes a policy debate that is more complex and lengthy than the effort to battle the White House at the level of framing the debate.
Right now, our task is repetition.
Yesterday, I asked everyone to take out a post-it note, write "repetition" on it and paste it on your computer screen. Today, I want everyone to take out an 8.5x11 piece of paper and do the same thing.
Repeat, repeate, repeat. This is how we will get our language into public debate and meet George W. Bush's War on Social Security head on.
We are already making progress. "Social Security is Healty and Succesful" is travelling the rounds of other progressive blogs and media alert groups
Public Radio: An Open Door for our Frame
As a resulf of the last Frameshop session, several people reported that they received responses to their letters from NPR.
NPR did not write back and say, "Thank you for your help. We will start using this language immediate."
But they did write back indicating that they took the time to consider what we said. One email response from Steve Inskeep at Morning Edition indicated that the Morning Edition crew had searched their transcript to see if they were using Bush's langauge. That should make everyone feel like we are getting our message out.
These responses from NPR indicate that public radio is a back door into the public airwaves and we should pursue this immediately.
Automated email programs and services are helpful, but if we can find the email addresses of small local affiliates in all 50 states and connect with them, we will have great success at getting our language heard.
Here's what we will do next:
- Click here to get to a page listing all NPR stations.
- Search for a station in your state or in any state that you wish to contact. (you may find it helpful to download the PDF file listing all stations and call letters so you know where to search.)
- Find the email contact on the homepage listing for the station.
- Send then a letter encouraging them to use the Progressive frame in their reporting on Social Security.
- Post a Comment in this diary thread with the call State, call letters and email contact of the station you contacted.
I will list all stations that have been contacted as they come in.
If you are particularly fast at tracking down these emails, post everything you find in a comment and I will pull the information up to the diary.
Our Goals:
To get the Progressive frame of Social Security to an NPR affiliate station in every state by Saturday at Midnight.
To get the Progressive frame of Social Security to 5 NPR affiliate stations in every state by Sunday at midnight.
If everybody tracks down "5" stations, we should be able to do this.
Sell, Don't Yell
It's really important that these letters by encouraging, not angry.
Our goal is to get NPR to listen, not to get them to feel that they have been targeted for wrong doing.
Frame your suggestions with encouraging terms that show your support for NPR.
Here's an example:
Dear [blank]:
Always an avid NPR supporter, I am writing to thank you for all the work you've done and continue to do to make public radio a great source of news and information.
In this holiday season, a debate on Social Security is unfolding that has consequences for all Americans.
Like myself, the vast majority of NPR listeners believe that social security is healthy and successful.
To keep it healthy and successful as our population ages, Social Security will require only gradual adjustments and a return to controlled government spending.
NPR plays a key role in helping the public to understand this important issue.
Thank you for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
[name]
Other sample lettters may be listed in the comments.
Thanks everyone! This task requires some footwork on everyone's part, so let's split up and get to work....
NPR Affiliates Contacted
As of Sun 8:16am EST
States Remaining: 33
States with 1 or More Contacted: 18 (+DC)
States with 5 or More Contacted: 2
state - station - email (misc info)
- Arizona - KNAU (91.7FM) - online feedback form
- Arkansas - KUAR (89.1 FM) - rwbreeding@ualr.edu (Little Rock-Hot Springs-Conway, Ron Breeding, News Director/Program Director)
- Arkansas - KUAF (91.3 FM) - kkellam@uark.edu (Fayetteville-Fort Smith, Kyle Kellams, News Director)
- California - KALW - kalwradio@yahoo.com (San Francisco)
- California - KPCC (89.3FM) - General email: mail@kpcc.org, Story ideas: newstips@kpcc.org (Paul Glickman/News Director; Commentators: K. C. Cole. The Loh LifeTM Sandra Tsing Loh, Rich Dean, Mimi Pond, Roger Rudick; Also, see comment thread for locally produced shows)
- DC - WAMU: American University - DC Online Contact Form
- DC - WPFW: Pacifica Radio Homepage
- Florida - WUFT (89.1FM) - fmnews@wuft.org (Kevin Allen, News Director; Dave Schermer, Assistant News Director)
- Florida - WJCT (89.9 FM) - info@wjct.org (Jacksonville)
- Louisiana - WWNO (89.9 FM) - sewashin@uno.edu (New Orleans) - Shantel Washington, Listener Services Manager)
- Louisiana - WRKF 89.3 FM - karen@wrkf.org (Baton Rouge) - Karen Henderson, News Director
- Louisiana - KDAQ 89.9 FM - wallyd@redriverradio.com (Shreveport-Bossier City) - Wally Derleth, News Director
- Louisiana - KEDM 90.3 FM - meriweth@ulm.edu (Monroe) - Sunny Meriwether, News Director
- Maine - WMEH (90.9FM) - comments@mpbc.org (Main Public Broadcasting)
- Maryland - WYPR - [email] - (contact)
- Montana - KEMC (91.7FM) - jyamanaka@yellowstonepublicradio.org (Jacquelyn Yamanaka, News Director)
- Missouri - KWMU(St. Louis): news@kwmu.org; 8001 Natural Bridge, St. Louis, MO 63121. Mike Sampson is host of "St. Louis On The Air"
- Missouri - KCUR(Kansas City): morrisf@umkc.edu (Frank Morris, news director)
- Missouri - KSMU(Springfield): mhs974t@smsu.edu (Mike Smith, news director)
- Missouri - KBIA(Columbia): AshworthSJ@missouri.edu (Sarah Ashworth, news director) (a classical station)
- Missouri - KRCU(Cape Girardeau): One University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
KUMR(Rolla): no news director Program Director: jfrancis@umr.edu (John Francis)
- Missouri - KTBG(Warrensburg): jdutton@ktbg.cmsu.edu (John Dutton)
- Missouri - KXCV(Marysville): Kwayman@mail.nwmissouri.edu (Kirk Wayman, news and public affairs director)
- New Jersey - WBGO (88.3FM) - ddoyle@wbgo.org (News Department)
- New Mexico - KUNM 89.9 FM - programming@kunm.org (Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Los Alamos) - Marcos Martinez, Program Director
- New Mexico - KENW 91.3 FM - james.lee@enmu.edu (Ruidoso-Portales-Roswell and Amarillo/West Texas) - Dr. James Lee, News/Public Service Director
- New York - WNYC (93.9FM, 820AM)
listenerservices@wnyc.org
- New York - WNYE (TV25, 91.5 FM) - wnyemail@wnye.org
- New York - WFUV Fordham
(Julianne Welby, News & Public Affairs Director)
- Oklahoma - KROU/KGOU (105.7/106.3 FM) - news@kgou.org (Oklahoma City-Norman-Spencer, Scott Gurian, News Director(
- Oklahoma - KWGS (89.5 FM) - bryian-byrne@utulsa.edu (Tulsa, Brian Byrne, Program/Public Service Director)
- Oklahoma - KCCU FM (various frequencies) - debrat@cameron.edu (Lawton-Fort Sill-Altus-Ardmore-Duncan-Chickasha-Weathford-Clinton-Elk City, plus Wichita Falls, TX; Debra Taylor, News Director)
- Ohio - WVXU (91.7FM) - shirschberg@xstarnet.com (Steve Hirschberg, News Producer)
- Pennsylvania - WITF (89.5 FM) scott_gilbert@witf.org (News Director)
- Texas - KERA (90.1 FM) - ygarcia@ker.org (Dallas-Fort Worth, Yolette Garcia, News Director)
- Texas - KUHF (88.7 FM) - ppendergraft@kuhf.org (Houston, Paul Pendergraft, News Director)
- Texas - KTEP (88.5 FM) - lusaenz@utep.edu (El Paso, Louie Saenz, News Director)
- Texas - KUT (90.5 FM) - edonahue@kut.org (Austin, Emily Donahue, News Director)
- Texas - KSTX (89.1 FM) - ncone@tpr.org (San Antonio, Nathan Cone, Acting Director of Broadcasting)
- Washington - KWWS (89.7FM) - nwpr@wsu.edu (Northwest Public Radio, Washington State U.)
Update [2004-12-19 8:18:44 by Jeffrey Feldman]:
It's Sunday (8:16am). I have a plane to catch so I may not be able to update the list again until late, tonight. Keep posting in the threads and I will bring it up first chance I get!
Related Ongoing Efforts to Defend Social Security
- Check out this blog initiative by dKos member DudeUrSistersHOT