OurChallenge
In an effort to strengthen its reputation as a key player on Capitol Hill, the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) asked Barefoot PR to coordinate meetings with a group of prominent legislators to discuss the biggest issues facing newsrooms and gather support for several pieces of federal legislation that would draw attention to the increasing number of threats against journalists.
OurSolution
Barefoot PR coordinated RTDNA’s first annual Week of Advocacy to take place in conjunction with the organization’s First Amendment Awards dinner. In preparation for the Week of Advocacy, Barefoot PR selected a group of key legislative partners from the Senate and House of Representatives whose career and Congressional history aligned with RTDNA’s advocacy priorities.
Next, we facilitated outreach to plan in-person meetings with representatives and their staff on Capitol Hill. After finalizing the meeting schedule and engaging RTDNA’s board members to participate, Barefoot created a briefing book complete with talking points on each representative. The team traveled to Washington D.C. for the Week of Advocacy and supported RTDNA’s staff and board as they attended meetings, garnered support, and took action on the First Amendment Issues that matter to their members.
Our work resulted in:
- Meetings with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and the offices of Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), and Mark Pocan (D-WI)
- Strong partnerships with key federal legislative partners
- Interest from members on co-sponsoring key legislation to protect journalists