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  • Politics Is Like Hiring A Hitman
    by Scott Woods inPolitical on2020-08-13

    For me, politics is like hiring a hitman. I have values and things I care about. I care enough about them to at least bother voting for 5 minutes every year for one issue or another. And because I care at least that much, I vote for people who align with the ability to realize the things I care about.

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  • Punching Above Our Weight
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-07-24

    I believe our vote is the punctuation of our voice. Without that resounding exclamation mark, I believe our voices are just incoherent noise.

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  • BLACK PROGRESS AMIDST SOCIAL CHAOS
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-06-16

    Recent events have raised the profile of historical injustice and inequities here in the USA. The entire world has taken note of the fact that BLACK LIVES MATTER.   We invite all of our friends to engage in actions that result in the greatest movement for change in our history. It is imperative that we take advantage of this opportunity to affect a positive change by ACTING IN OUR SELF-INTERESTS.

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  • Living in a Black No-Man's Land
    by Roger Madison Jr. inOur Community on2019-10-28

    There are many narratives that define the Black experience in America in this 2nd decade of the 21st century. Our striving over the centuries of our sojourn in this nation is a tapestry of every human experience -- oppression, enslavement, forced assimilation, dehumanization, exclusion, segregation, isolation, struggle, perseverance, achievement, excellence, celebration, mourning, despair, progress, setbacks, lynching, assassination, genocide, terror, self-hatred, low esteem, pride,...

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  • Fighting Racism
    by Scott Woods inOur Community on2018-10-25

    I had a boss who was racist. Not an outright bigot, of course; her toolbox was more subtle than most. We bumped heads a lot over inconsequential things. She frequently couldn’t keep my name out her mouth. Lot of gaslighting. You know…2018 style. I tried a lot of ways to combat or navigate her issues. None of them worked, and that’s saying a lot because I’m really good at fighting racism. But at the end of the day – every day – she was my boss, I had to deal with her, and that was that. Finally I...

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How to Build a Strong Media Contacts List

If you were on the short end of the stick when it came to getting media attention in 2012, perhaps it's because you didn't have the right connections.  Here are some tips on how to build the kind of media list that will get your press release noticed or a return phone call:

First things first, you need to select the kind of media that best suits what you are trying to promote.  Decide whether television, magazines, blogs, radio, or a combination would work best for your subject matter.

Once you've selected the media outlets, do your research and find out who is the best point of contact.  Sending an email addressed "To whom it may concern" could end up in anybody's hands, including the college intern, so you want to make sure you have a correct name, email and phone number.   Most news operations have a "contact us" section on their website.

Don't ignore the local journalists.  If you happen to be out somewhere and see a news crew, take a moment to introduce yourself.  Give them your business card and let them know what you do and if they ever need you for a story they're working on, you can make yourself available.  Even if there is no reporter on the scene, give your information to a photographer and be sure to get his/her name and contact information so you can follow up with a nice thank you card for them taking the time out of their busy day to chat with you.

Build a relationship with a writer/editor/reporter before pitching them. With the emergence of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, you can reach out and touch practically anybody.  Even if they don't follow you back on Twitter, you can still engage in conversation because something you say or share may pique their interest. Get to know the journalist beyond their news world.  Maybe you share common interests-something you can chat about. But whatever you do, don't be a STALKER.

Follow the journalist:  What I mean by this is keep up with what your favorite journalist(s)/writer(s) are doing.  Read (watch) their work and if they move to a different media outlet, congratulate them and wish them well.  But, once again, this does not involve STALKING.

Make yourself available as an expert.  Journalists are always looking for experts in a variety of fields.  Find out what the "hot media topics" are and if you have credible working knowledge of the subject, let your local media contacts know.

When you've established contact, make sure you work on developing a rapport, but don't be pushy.  Once the journalist sees you as someone he/she can like and trust, you'll be on your way to having an awesome media contacts list and an opportunity to shine in the media spotlight.