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NRL News
Why the
Pro-Life Movement and the Reflecting the technology of the day (and our always finite resources), 20 and 30 years ago our Movement reached out to spread our life-affirming message through the medium of letters and through gatherings at our local churches and schools. Later we placed greater emphasis on phone trees even as we continued to write letters and to pass out information at local meetings. Now, the pro-life movement has an absolutely incredible new tool. We have a way that we can reach millions of people with the click of our finger, and better, at no cost! It is the World Wide Web and, more specifically, something I talked about in my November/December 2008 NRL News article. In “What Can I Do to Help,” you may remember that I discussed the amazing success of the Obama campaign in recruiting, mobilizing, and empowering its army of volunteers. In large measure this was a reflection of the President-elect’s strategic use of the web, and more specifically the campaign’s empowerment of local constituents though the medium of social networking. I fully understand that not everyone knows what social networking is, and even some of you who do know may be skeptical of your ability to utilize it. And some reader will break into a nervous sweat, anticipating complicated jargon. My job in this article is to speak in English and to address two very low-tech areas. In a subsequent article I plan to answer some more direct questions on how to utilize specific tools that the web has made available to our movement, such as social networking, which is nothing more than electronic word of mouth transmitted over such outlets as Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube. Speaking of Facebook, to give you some idea of its potential, at a recent meeting one of our staff mentioned that her son had 2,000 friends on Facebook. This is merely anecdotal evidence. The best empirical evidence of the web’s efficacy is (unfortunately) found in the success of Obama’s Internet campaign strategy. Let’s take the example of one social networking outlet: YouTube. The Obama staff created official videos for YouTube, which were watched for 14.5 million hours. To buy the equivalent viewership on broadcast TV would have cost the campaign untold millions of dollars. It seems like the Obama campaign learned quickly how to “reach millions at a very low cost.” This left the campaign free to use its massive war chest on other projects. But even if we agree that the web does work and believe that it could be an optimal medium for pro-lifers, the natural question is how can NRLC, its members, and its affiliates best use the web and all of its resources? The answer is simple and reassuring: It depends on who you are trying to reach and how polished your web skills are. (Hint: they don’t have to be very advanced.) Let me here simply highlight some very low-technology ways that you can take advantage of pro-life resources on the web. To clear something up right away, 10 years ago no one would have suggested that if we use in-person calling to reach people we couldn’t also send out newsletters. So it is today with the medium of the web. It’s not either/or. Nor do you yourself have to do it. If you don’t want to create a blog or a Facebook page (or feel comfortable doing so), maybe ask your children to consider adding a link to the NRLC web site on their Facebook pages or on blogs. Have them post a pro-life entry, linking to reference materials or action alerts. Remember: your kids already have the ear of these people. They will look at and read something on your child’s Facebook page that were it to come from you (or us) they might simply ignore. The multiplier effect is staggering, as the Obama campaign demonstrated. Then there is a tool many or most of you already utilize: the NRLC web site at www.nrlc.org. Over the next few years there will be many occasions when you will be instrumental in helping us get information out quickly. But how? One way is to get your pro-life family and friends signed up. If they go to http://www.nrlc.org/join_our_mailing_list.htm they can sign up to receive two critically important resources. The “Hot List” sends out up-to-the-minute alerts regarding pro-life legislation, current pro-life news, and much, much more. This is not a daily update, but rather is a way to bring crucial, time-sensitive, and interesting material to the grassroots. On a daily basis, there is “Today’s News & Views,” an everyday commentary and news digest compiled by NRL News editor Dave Andrusko. When there is a pressing legislative issue, TN&V will also write about it. As I say these and other online resources can be automatically sent to pro-life members of your family, your pro-life friends, and community members. They just need to take just a second to sign up at http://nrlc.org/join_our_mailing_list.htm. For more background and in-depth stories, there is National Right to Life News. You probably already subscribe, but you can send a gift subscription to others by going to http://nrlc.org/news/GiftSubscribe.html. For those who want tips about chapter organizing and projects, go to http://www.nrlchapters.org. National Right to Life is only as strong as the size, determination, and presence of our local chapters and state affiliates. Make sure that you are empowering your local chapter but also that you are a vehicle for national change. In short, use the web to continue doing what you have always done, only better. Instead of reaching hundreds quickly, consider reaching thousands—and tens of thousands—faster and cheaper. |