by Melissa Hope Blakley
How important is the media in our effort to educate the community about environmental issues? Think about it for a second. We might hold a meeting and inform 40 members about a particular issue but if we manage to get the local newspaper to report on the same issue we have informed many more, and not just those who are inclined to agree with us already. If we get the attention of a television station we reach even more people but the coverage is likely to be short and less in-depth.
Editors and reporters make decisions every single day about what stories to cover and what not to cover. It takes persistence and ingenuity to get the attention of these decision makers. Successful organizers know that building long-term relationships with reporters is important. It might take time for a reporter to learn enough about a complicated issue to report on it accurately. Reporters in turn cultivate sources they can rely on for in-depth, accurate and timely information.
When seeking media coverage it is helpful to know what kind of information each source prefers. If you want a TV station to report on your story you need to provide a story that can be told visually – plan a press conference at a unique site that is tied to your story or organize a demonstration.
The organizers of the opposition to the two proposed coal-burning power plants in Kansas City have been quite successful attracting media coverage. Since September of 2003 there has been sustained coverage in the Atchison Globe, the Platte County Landmark, the St. Joe News Press, St. Joseph Channel 2 television station, the Kansas City Star, and the Sun News Northland. In addition, all of the Kansas City television stations have twice reported on the power plants and the activities of community opposition groups.
Some of the success is due to the fact that it is compelling issue that is important to the community. However activists have been quite intentional about informing the news outlets about the issue and providing events with large numbers of people for the media to report on. In addition, organizers have been careful to provide factual and well-documented information concerning their claims about the health and environmental impacts of coal-burning power plants.
In the beginning the community didn’t even know Great Plains Energy (GPE) planned to build two new coal power plants. The first effort by Sierra Club involved getting the media to report on the fact that GPE was moving forward on their plans very quietly. GPE helped us out when they planned a meeting about the proposal in which the press was turned away. After the Kansas City Star conclusively reported on their plans we were off and running.
We got a big boost when a Sierra Club member and Platte County resident living near the site of the new plants found out about them and decided to get involved. Susan Brown is a perfect spokeswoman for the opposition to the plants – she lives very near the site, is a stay at home mom and has lots of ties to the community. She got on board quickly and brought others in the community with her. She started contacting newspapers in the area asking them why they weren’t reporting on two huge coal-burning power plants being planned in her community. She contacted a local group, Concerned Citizens of Platte County, Inc., and they decided to get involved making her their Power Plant Committee Chair. She began going to the Platte County Commission meetings to ask the Commissioners why in the world they had supported these proposals.
She led the effort to organize community meetings to educate people about the health and environmental impacts caused by burning coal and the alternatives available – efficiency and renewable energy, especially wind energy. Energy professionals were invited from EPA, Department of Natural Resources, Health Department and other non-government organizations to answer questions from the audience concerning the health and environmental impacts as well as to provide information on alternative energy sources. The media responded very favorably to having the energy professionals available to be interviewed at the meeting. They provide depth to the story, choice for pursuing a particular angle of the story and accessibility all in one location.
We have so far held community meetings in Camden Point, the Country Club Plaza, Kansas City North, Atchison, Leavenworth and Liberty. Two additional community groups were formed in Atchison and Leavenworth with the guidance of the Kansas Sierra Club. We get announcements about the upcoming meetings in local papers and encourage reporters to attend by sending news releases and making follow-up phone calls. This is a team effort with everyone pitching in to get it done.
When a landfill (for toxic ash from the power plants) meeting was scheduled by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Weston, MO, to discuss the permitting process with the community, we got local media to report on the meeting and worked hard to get as many people to the meeting as possible. DNR was stunned to have 150 people show up at an event that usually only attracts very few. Reporters from the Landmark, Atchison Globe, Sun News Northland and a Kansas City television station were there.
Recently we organized a demonstration in downtown Kansas City in front of GPE’s headquarters – “Tell KCPL No”. Sixty people showed up with signs saying “NO MORE MERCURY”, “Got Asthma? Call KCPL”. It was a made for media event with an adorable small child carrying a hot pink sign that said, “I need clean air”. All four Kansas City television stations, two AM radio stations, National Public Radio, Kansas City Star, Kansas City Business Journal, and the Sun News covered this event.
Don’t overlook letters to the editor as another source of media coverage. The opinion page is the most read section of any newspaper. Any time there are stories in the paper about your issue encourage people to write letters to the editor in response. They don’t have to be long or technical, just an opinion. The Kansas City Star was reporting on the power plants but they weren’t reporting the issues very aggressively. Susan contacted the Star about publishing her op-ed piece on the opinion page and they agreed. In addition, several other letters have been published.
Be sure to plan a media strategy as a part of your next campaign. With the media helping us get our message to the community we get calls and e-mails every day from people wanting to help. In addition, Great Plains Energy has taken notice of the voracity of opposition to their plans.