free-range thinking™ newsletter Archive

	January 2003 Aiming at Ears to Reach Hearts & Minds [pdf format] If you know how to exploit its strenghts, radio can be the best way to ensure that your message is heard. Plus: E-Mail Advocacy: Fast, Convenient and Ineffective?
	February 2003 Reaching for The Stars [pdf format] Approaching celebrities to speak for your cause is a delicate process fraught with unwritten rules. Until now. Plus: Getting Down to Cases (five case studies for public interest communicators.)
	March 2003 Pointers on Pitching From Both Ends of the Call [pdf format] Who knows as much about pitching public interest stories as the professionals who do it every week? How about the journalists who answer the phone? Plus: Online Tips for Pitching Plus: Paul Begala’s 7 Rules for Highly Effective Pitchers
	April 2003 Thinking Inside the Box [pdf format] Fill in the boxes on the Smart Chart and you’ll avoid one of the most commonly made mistakes in public interest communications. Plus: More Homes for Your Next Op-Ed
	May 2003 Why Effective Email is RARE [pdf format] When the email you send is Requested, Anticipated, Relevant, and Easy to digest, it can advance your mission and build your audience. Plus: Top Tool for Targeting Teens
	June 2003 When Good Stories Go Bad [pdf format] A compelling story can help build your organization. It can also hold it back, as the Campus Outreach Opportunity League is still learning. Plus: Da Vinci vs. PowerPoint
	July 2003 The 4th Annual Summer Reading List [pdf format] Whether you're headed for the beach, the mountains, or just a chair next to the air conditioner, here's another armful of must-reads to help you bone up for the battles ahead. Plus: All the summer reading lists from 2000, 2001, and 2002.
	August 2003 Why Your Message Needs Emotion [pdf format] A scientific study of human brain activity provides new evidence of the significant role emotions play in the decision-making process – a noteworthy finding for anyone competing for hearts and minds. Plus: The Bushwhacking of the American Mind
	September 2003 The Thing About Lists [pdf format] They oversimplify, ignore nuance, and reduce complex issues to arguably arbitrary rankings. So how can a list be the best friend your issue ever had?
	October 2003 Seven Questions to Sharpen Your Stories [pdf format] Good stories cut through the clutter and connect with people's hearts, opening their minds to your point of view. Dull stories don't, and all too often, that's what public interest groups are telling.
	November 2003 The Message They Couldn't Escape [pdf format] Shaken baby syndrome is one of those disturbing problems most people would rather not hear about. So the Shaken Baby Association made sure its audience didn't have a choice. Plus: - What if a nonprofit had created Nike’s slogan?          - Online Help for Your Next StarSearch
	December 2003 Joke Gift or Public Education Campaign? [pdf format] Each box of "Bush Cards" contains 52 good reasons not to vote for W in '04. With over 30,000 decks in circulation and many more on the way, you have to wonder if this is something more than a novelty item. Plus: "The Meatrix" and a surprising look at public attitudes towards major US industries.