GET ATTENTION ON YOUR CULTURAL ISSUE: WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OR OP-ED

Written By Kelsey Rode

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Letters to the editor (LTEs) and opinion editorials (op-eds) are free and direct ways of communicating with a lot of people about cultural policy issues and things that are impacting your creative community. Authoring a LTE or op-ed is an effective way to attract a larger audience to your issue and sustain conversations about your given priority.

Movement building is grounded in strong public messaging and a coalition's ability to earn the attention of an impacted community, the general public, AND decision makers. Arts and culture advocates should take advantage of this opportunity to speak directly to larger audiences through local newspapers and publications.

Creative Sector Advocacy Week is a great time to submit a LTE or op-ed about your cultural policy priorities to your local publication. Think about the kind of impact we could have during Advocacy Week if advocates submitted letters to newspapers throughout Massachusetts!

MASSCreative strongly encourages advocates to consider writing their own LTEs or op-eds with the goal of having them published during Creative Sector Advocacy Week. Please reference our guide comparing the similarities and differences between LTEs and op-eds and a general framework for structuring your piece.

 
 
Resources
A Guide To Hearing And Giving Testimony

An important part of the governing process is public hearings. These occur on all levels of government (Federal, State, and Local). Understanding the hearing process and how you can participate will make you a more effective advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector.

INSIDE THE STATE BUDGETING PROCESS

Maintaining and increasing public investment in the creative community requires constant and broad grassroots activism throughout the annual budget process.

NonProfit Organizations & Advocacy

There is a lot of misinformation on what a nonprofit can and cannot do when it comes to advocating for its interests and the needs of the communities they serve. Check out our Nonprofits and Advocacy Resource on how your organization effectively and confidently advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector of all residents in the Commonwealth.

6/19/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR

In this webinar, we took time to honor Juneteenth and Pride Month, and talked about the status of arts education funding and voting protections.

6/12/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR

In this webinar, we discussed mapping our roles in a social change ecosystem, talked about proposed legislation to address COVID-19 voting options, the 2020 Census, and reviewed federal and state supports for the creative sector.

6/5/20 - policy & action update webinars

In this webinar, we had a community conversation about mapping our social change roles during times of crisis.

News
Democracy without the Anxiety AND triggers: RICHELINE’S REFLECTION

Read Richeline's blog about attending the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. and how artists can play a role in strengthening communities and democracy.

MOAC CULTURAL INVESTMENT GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Last week, MOAC for the City of Boston announced that they are establishing a $10M multi-year Cultural Investment Grant funded through local ARPA appropriations.

Creative Sector Advocates Request $5 Per Resident in Healey’s FY24 Proposal

“Budgets are a reflection of our priorities: what we choose to spend public funds on is in direct relationship to what we value. The creative sector plays a crucial role in the vibrancy of our cities and towns. Artists, creative workers, and cultural organizations strengthen our connections to each other and our communities.” said Emily Ruddock, Executive Director of MASSCreative

Kelsey Rode
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