Our Decision Day Rallies have tremendous potential for earning local media coverage. Every media outlet in America will be covering the story when the Dobbs ruling comes out, which means reporters in your town will be looking for a local angle.
That means your Rally (or even your Pro-Life Bridge outreach) can be the local flash point they’re looking for. And remember, even if a media outlet or reporter has some kind of bias, the thing they’re always looking for the most is a good story. Follow these steps to bolster your media outreach:
Media list and press release
Your first step will be to build a list of local media outlets in your area, along with contact information for each outlet. and their contact information. For instructions on this, see “Engage the Media and Earn Coverage for your Event” on the Pro-Life Action League website.
Download these two press release templates to use with your media list:
- Advance “Heads Up” Press Release (click here to download)
- Decision Day Rally Press Release (click here to download)
Special notes for preparing your release:
- Fill in your info: Be careful to fill in all the bracketed content in the release that is related to your event, and delete any bracketed material that is not relevant.
- Rally not on Decision Day? If you’re not holding your Dobbs Rally on a different day from Decision Day, you will have to revise the template accordingly.
- Displaying a Bridge Banner? If you’re holding a Pro-Life Bridge Outreach instead of a rally, revise your press release accordingly.
- Proofread: Carefully check your press release for errors and accuracy before sending it out.
When to send your press releases? You will reach out the media about your Rally at least twice:
- Send the Advance “Heads Up” Press Release as soon at it’s available, to let the media know you’ll be holding a rally when the Supreme Court decision comes
- Send the Decision Day Ray Press Release (download above) the morning that the Dobbs decision is handed down, even if your Rally is being held later
You may also wish to send out your “heads up” release again if anything important changes about your rally after you first send your release — like a new guest speaker, for example, or an exciting update on how many rallies are being planned across the country.
If possible, call your media outlets after you send your release on Decision Day to increase your chances of getting coverage.
Talking Points on the Dobbs ruling
The national team has prepared a page of Talking Points for you to use if you have the opportunity to do any interviews on the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling. Please download this document, print it out, review it carefully, and have it with you for your rally.
Take notes on your state: As you’ll see, space is provided on the Talking Points document for you to take down some notes on the legal status of abortion in your state after Roe v. Wade. Every state is different, and in some states the situation is quite complex. Be prepared to address the situation in your state. This article by U.S. News and World Report may be a place to start, and you’ll find details on your state at the Guttmacher Institute (a pro-abortion group).
Need more info? If you want to be even better prepared to discuss Roe v. Wade and the Dobbs ruling, our friends at the Susan B. Anthony List have prepared a Dobbs Messaging Guide you can review.
For more about media outreach — including tips on talking to reporters — see “Engage the Media and Earn Coverage for your Event” on the Pro-Life Action League website.
Follow up after your Rally
You should follow up with your media list after your rally, whether or not any reporters, photographers, or cameramen shows up. Provide a brief summary of the event (when it took place, number of participants, any guest speakers, etc.), and share 2-3 of your best photographs.
This kind of followup will sometimes lead to coverage of your event after the fact. But even when it doesn’t it helps to establish a relationship with your media contacts, increasing your chances of earning media coverage in the future.