Media Watch Letter Templates

Hi Everyone!
I know it can sometimes be daunting to write letters to address the image of nursing in media. Not to worry!

"Media watch" letters template addressing the positive and negative images are posted below. Your words are powerful! I encourage you to use them as guides and tailor it as needed.

Positive Media Watch Letter:

To Whom It May Concern:

On behalf of the California Nursing Students’ Association, thank you for your recent accurate portrayal of nursing. The nursing profession has struggled for close to two hundred years, with negative and inappropriate perceptions. Nurses are intelligent, educated individuals who are dedicated to saving lives and helping people with critical illnesses.

We currently have a national, as well as global, nursing shortage. The American Nurses Association predicts a shortage of 1 million nurses by the year 2010. Positive images of nursing in the media are not only socially responsible, but are also necessary to combat this shortage.

On behalf of the California Nursing Students’ Association and 3 million educated professional nurses, I thank you for your appropriate depiction of nursing. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

Negative Media Watch Letter:

To Whom It May Concern:

Your recent depiction of the nursing profession is inaccurate and misleading. Nurses are intelligent, highly educated, professional men and women who are dedicated to saving lives and helping people heal from serious illness. Many nurses have Master’s and Doctorate degrees and work with physician colleagues as the primary health care provider for adults, the elderly and children. It is time to cast aside dated stereotypes and show the true image of nursing.

We currently have a national, as well as global, nursing shortage. The American Nurses Association predicts a shortage of 1 million nurses by the year 2010. An accurate portrayal of nursing is both respectful and necessary. Negative images aggravate the shortage, and are socially irresponsible.

On behalf of the California Nursing Students’ Association, I ask you to discontinue your inappropriate depiction of nursing. Next time you feel the need to use a nurse’s image in the media, take into consideration the 3 million educated professional nurses that are keeping this country alive. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

Again, please use this as a resource!

Sincerely,

Judy Chang, Chair
California Nursing Students' Association Ad Hoc Image of Nursing Committee

San Francisco State University

judychang.cnsa@gmail.com

Contact Information for Popular Media Outlets

Hi everyone,

Please use the sample contact information below for reference. Thank you.

ABC
7 Lincoln Square
New York, Ny 10023
Phone: 212/456-7777

Or
Capital Cities/ABC Inc.
Attention: Programming
77 W. 66th Street
New York, NY 10023

NBC
30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112
Phone: 212-664-4444
Fax: 212-664-4426

National Public Radio
635 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001-3753
Phone: 202-513-2000
Fax: 202-513-3329
E-mail: Jeffrey Dvorkin, Ombudsman ombudsman@npr.org

The Los Angeles Times
202 West First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 800-528-4637 or 213-237-5000
Fax: 213-237-4712
Letters to the Editor: letters@latimes.com
Readers' Representative: readers.rep@latimes.com

The New York Times
229 W. 43rd St., New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212-556-1234
Fax: 212-556-3690
D.C. Bureau phone: 202-862-0300
Letters to the Editor (for publication): letters@nytimes.com
Write to the news editors: nytnews@nytimes.com

USA Today
7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA 22108
Phone: 800-872-0001 or 703-854-3400
Fax: 703-854-2165



Newsweek
251 W 57th Street, New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212-445-4000
Fax: 212-445-5068
Letters to the Editor: letters@newsweek.com

Time
Time & Life Bldg., Rockefeller Center, New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-522-1212
Fax: 212-522-0323

U.S. News & World Report
1050 Thomas Jefferson St., Washington, DC 20007
Phone: 202-955-2000
Fax: 202-955-2049
Letters to the Editor letters@usnews.com

Daily Breeze- South Bay
Letters to the Editor
5215 Torrance Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90503-4077
letters@dailybreeze.com

Press Telegram- Long Beach
Letters to the Editor
speakout@presstelegram.com
562-499-1295

Orange County Register- Orange County
Letters to the Editor letters@ocregister.com

Health Team Leader Andre Mouchard health@ocregister.com (714) 796-7926

Local News Team Leader David Whiting local@ocregister.com

Anaheim Bulletin- Anaheim, Buena Park, La Habra, Santa Ana, La Palma, Stanton anaheimbulletin@ocregister.com

Fullerton News Tribune- Fullerton
FullertonNewsTribune@ocregister.com
The Sacramento Bee- Sacramento
2100 Q Street
P.O. Box 15779
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 321-1000

San Diego Union-Tribune
P.O. Box 120191 San Diego, CA 92112-0191

San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/
Letters to the Editor 901 Mission St. San Francisco, CA 94103
Fax: (415) 543-7708

Please note: The editor prefers e-mail at letters@sfchronicle.com
Please paste the text into the e-mail; do not send attachments. Their virus-detecting software will delete e-mail with attachments.

To comment on news stories in specific sections of the paper, for example Business, Datebook, Food or Sports, please contact the Letters sections of those specific sections ex:

• Business: bizletters@sfchronicle.com
  
• Datebook: datebookletters@sfchronicle.com
  
• Food: food@sfchronicle.com
  
• Sports: letterstogreen@sfchronicle.com

Sincerely,
Judy Chang, Chair
California Nursing Students' Association Ad Hoc Image of Nursing Committee
San Francisco State University

judychang.cnsa@gmail.com

Tips for Media Watch Letter Writing

1. Feel free to print out and mail in the template letter, but an original letter is far more powerful. Another option is to insert your own phrases and ideas into the template. Be specific about the situation you are writing about.
2. If you do add to the template, remember to be as professional and polite as possible. The goal is to change the reader’s ideas, not to vent your anger on them.
• Also, use spell check. Misspelled words may lead the reader to undervalue your opinion.
3. Try to use letterhead: personal, nursing department’s or chapter’s. When using letterhead that belongs to your nursing department or chapter, you must ask permission from the appropriate parties.
4. A large volume of letters creates results. Gather some friends and start a letter-writing campaign.
5. Try to be as specific as possible when addressing the letter. For example, instead of “To Whom It May Concern” insert the author’s/editor’s name if writing to a newspaper/magazine, or the producers if writing in regards to a TV show. Insert facts or evidence based data when feasible. Do not forget to properly cite your source in the phrase.
6. As is when addressing to any layperson, avoid using nursing jargon.
7. Always indicate your status as a nursing student when signing the letter.
8. Always include your full name, address and contact information. Contact information will not be published, but the receiver may need to contact you.
9. If your letter gets published (for example, in a Letters to Editor Section of a newspaper), do not be surprised if your letter has been edited. Editors are looking for 200 word pieces, so keep that in mind when forming a letter.
10. Refer to Address and Contact Information page to find commonly used addresses. (Indicate where to find page).
11. Refer to web links page for more information on how to advocate for nursing’s image. (Indicate where to find page).

Regards,
Judy Chang, Chair
California Nursing Students' Association Ad Hoc Image of Nursing CommitteeSan Francisco State University

judychang.cnsa@gmail.com

CNSA Image of Nursing Committee

Greetings!

An accurate portrayal of nurses as professional and respectable health care providers is long overdue. So, I created this site as a resource for all Californians interested in dispelling public misconceptions of nurses and the nursing profession itself. I would like to remain in close contact with everyone and help coordinate various projects statewide projects that address these issues.
This blog will help track the progress and letters the Image of Nursing Committee has accomplished. I welcome all input as to the direction and progress you see the projects the California Nursing Student Image of Nursing Committee should take on this year. Please, join me in creating a loud and strong voice that nurses can be proud of!

Thank you!

Judy Chang, Chair
California Nursing Students' Association Ad Hoc Image of Nursing Committee

San Francisco State University

judychang.cnsa@gmail.com