Generate Media
The media play an important role in shaping public opinion on global AIDS issues and influencing decision-makers in Congress and elsewhere. If you're ready to take your grassroots activism to the next level, we hope you'll consider making an effort to generate media coverage of global AIDS issues in one of the following ways:
Write a Letter to the Editor
Keep an eye out for articles in your local newspaper that provide an opening to send in a short letter to the editor on global HIV/AIDS and related issues, such as the strong link between education and HIV prevention, the role of violence against women and children in driving the epidemic, or the debt burden that prevents poor countries from investing in health care. There are many, many issues that relate directly to HIV/AIDS, and newspapers are eager to publish short, well-written letters that make a strong point. And, of course, you get to see your name in print!
Write an Op-Ed
Op-eds are one of the main ways that politicians gauge public opinion on key issues like HIV/AIDS. These opinion pieces usually appear next to the letters to the editor and are one of the most read sections of most newspapers. Your community deserves to hear your thoughtful and articulate opinion on the global AIDS pandemic.
Generate Earned Media
If writing isn't your cup of tea, then maybe you can plan a demonstration or event of some sort and invite local media representatives to cover it. Your local newspaper and radio and television news stations care about what the community is doing.