Erik Stegman and Katie Peters
Half in Ten Campaign
CAP Action Fund

The Half in Ten Campaign is dedicated to building the political and public will to cut the U.S. poverty rate in half in 10 years.
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

• Harnessing the Power of Personal Stories
• Tactics for Using Stories
– Working with Reporters
– Writing OpEds
– Creative Action
• Brainstorming Local Action
• How to Stay Engaged
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

Stories bring public policy to life. They show how policy impacts real families and communities around the country
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

Our American Story
• Our American Story is a storyteller action network!
• Low-income families, service providers, and community leaders working to expand economic opportunity for all through the power of their personal stories.
• Too often, low-income families do not have a seat at the table for the debates that have direct implications for their
lives, Our American Story amplifies the voices of low-income
Americans in the policy debates of our time.
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

• We use stories in advocacy efforts to connect storytellers to action opportunities with policymakers and the media in order to change the conversation on poverty in America.
• We use our stories to respond and combat misinformation and policy proposals that are harmful to families.
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

Traditional Tactics For Using Stories
• Work With Reporters
• Pitch, Write, and Place OpEds
• Share on Social Media
• Get Creative!
BUT FIRST…
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

Develop Your Message:
• Work to combine your key lines with stats, research, policy solutions, and anecdotes.
Tip! Check in with Half in Ten for the most recent talking points!
• Know your core message and be ready to work it into any answer to any question.
Tip! The media team at Half in Ten can help you identify and develop your core message.
• Use your core message in every interview, op-ed, letter to the editor, statement, presentation, etc.
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

• Original research
• New polling or statistics
• Expert analysis on news of the day
• Compelling personal stories
To grab their attention, you can…
– Publish something
– Volunteer to share your story
– Jump at every opportunity
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

Identify the reporters, columnists or TV and radio programs most likely to be interested. Send them a note or make a call.
Tips for Pitching
T imely: Connect your pitch to a current event
O riginal: Offer something nobody else has
T o the point: Keep it short, reporters are busy
A ppropriately aggressive: Follow-up but accept it if they pass
L ively: Keep it interesting and link to relevant stories and videos
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

• Letter to the Editor: A Letter to the Editor is a letter from a reader sent to a newspaper or publication supporting or opposing a stance taken by the publication in a recent article or column. (200-300 words)
• Op-Ed: An op-ed is a longer opinion piece published by a reader in a newspaper. While Opeds do not need to react to a previous newspaper article, they should link explicitly to something happening in the news. (750 words)
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

• 139 Hours of Name Reading
• 36,976 names read of those killed by guns
• 252 volunteers
– 8 Members of Congress
– Over 20 survivors and victims’ family members
– 38 Groups engaged
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

Kelly O’Donnell on NBC Nightly News:
What we are talking about is a swing from politically undoable to the surprising number of Republicans who signed on with Democrats to say it’s time to start working on the guns issue even through they deeply disagree. How did that happen? Many here say the Newtown families made a difference. Outside the capitol, a 23-hour vigil reading gun victims’ names , crosses to remember them on the national mall , and family members here to witness the vote . Under that emotion-filled pressure, expectations shifted. Literally the political landscape of
America on gun safety is changing before our eyes.
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

• How do you already incorporate personal narratives in your work?
• How are other organizations using stories effectively?
• What are some of the challenges you experience with storytelling?
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

• Subscribe to our action alerts by entering your email at www.halfinten.org
• Or text HalfinTen to 30644
• Follow @HalfinTen on Twitter and use the hashtag #talkpoverty
The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years

Erik Stegman estegman@americanprogress.org
@ErikStegman
Katie Peters kpeters@americanprogress.org
@katiepeters83
And… THANK YOU for coming today!