OK. I am a retired news editor. I will play devil's advocate here.
"Write to and call media personalities in order to get the idea of a cross-party alliance into the national narrative."
As the assignment editor, it is my job to line up coverage of people and events that journalists consider "stories." Again, news value is directly related to the number of people the story affects and the intensity with which it affects them. So, you have called me, the assignment editor. Why do I want to take some of my extremely busy day to talk to you? I might assign staff to find out who you are. It is determined that you are a liberal group of unknown size, and you want to take on the Speaker of the House. How are you going to do that? A "cross-party alliance" sounds like an interesting concept. Do you have some kind of alliance? Who is in it? Do you have any House members? Who and how many? Is there going to be a meeting I can cover? Who will be there? Would such an alliance help Congress to get things done? Is there something specific you want to get done? We need a "news peg," something to which this alliance can be tied that people (often a "lowest common denominator audience") will understand. Yes, the debt ceiling is a good one, but how could your group affect the outcome of that issue? Do you have someone who can explain to average people why this issue should be important to them? Is that someone a viable authority? Please don't give me someone who only has the title, "spokesman."
My point in the above is ... You have to have a story before you go to the assignment editor. He/she does not have time to discuss a vague concept.
"I'm sorry, Mr. news editor. Someone on our end must have contacted you by mistake.
Apparently the person who was supposed to "Research and compile a list of news/opinion outlets and/or personalities, both liberal and (not-crazy) conservative, for us to contact," mis-understood the assignment. We are not seeking news coverage of ourselves.
Our intent is to introduce an idea into the national narrative, to persuade influential media personalities to start talking about it. So we'll re-direct our inquiry to the editorial/op-ed section. Would you happen to have an email address for Bill Kristol, George Will, or Charlie Sykes? Thanks. -- Jerry Weiss"
OK. I am a retired news editor. I will play devil's advocate here.
"Write to and call media personalities in order to get the idea of a cross-party alliance into the national narrative."
As the assignment editor, it is my job to line up coverage of people and events that journalists consider "stories." Again, news value is directly related to the number of people the story affects and the intensity with which it affects them. So, you have called me, the assignment editor. Why do I want to take some of my extremely busy day to talk to you? I might assign staff to find out who you are. It is determined that you are a liberal group of unknown size, and you want to take on the Speaker of the House. How are you going to do that? A "cross-party alliance" sounds like an interesting concept. Do you have some kind of alliance? Who is in it? Do you have any House members? Who and how many? Is there going to be a meeting I can cover? Who will be there? Would such an alliance help Congress to get things done? Is there something specific you want to get done? We need a "news peg," something to which this alliance can be tied that people (often a "lowest common denominator audience") will understand. Yes, the debt ceiling is a good one, but how could your group affect the outcome of that issue? Do you have someone who can explain to average people why this issue should be important to them? Is that someone a viable authority? Please don't give me someone who only has the title, "spokesman."
My point in the above is ... You have to have a story before you go to the assignment editor. He/she does not have time to discuss a vague concept.
"I'm sorry, Mr. news editor. Someone on our end must have contacted you by mistake.
Apparently the person who was supposed to "Research and compile a list of news/opinion outlets and/or personalities, both liberal and (not-crazy) conservative, for us to contact," mis-understood the assignment. We are not seeking news coverage of ourselves.
Our intent is to introduce an idea into the national narrative, to persuade influential media personalities to start talking about it. So we'll re-direct our inquiry to the editorial/op-ed section. Would you happen to have an email address for Bill Kristol, George Will, or Charlie Sykes? Thanks. -- Jerry Weiss"