Reaching Military Families -- Via Print

By: Brent Budowsky For political leaders, interest groups, and editors, the print media offer an extraordinary opportunity to communicate with tens of millions of Americans in military families, and military communities, especially with a historic election approaching.

Military families are probably the single most educated, informed, and concerned consumers of the media, and voters in national elections,
anywhere in America. These highly patriotic Americans have an intense personal interest in the lives and safety of those they love, who
serve our nation heroically. Their neighbors, friends and clergy in local communities have an equally strong interest in their well-being and the national security interests of our country.

For those seeking to address this important constituency, via articles or paid advertising, the print media has a profound, inherent competitive advantage with these citizens over every other form of media and communication.

The objective truth is, there are tens of millions of American voters in military communities who are strongly dissatisfied with many national
security policies, and how they affect our troops and veterans. It is equally true that the Democratic Party has not yet presented a compelling case for their policies to engender enough confidence and trust for these voters to turn to them.

In short, with a historic election less than 50 days away, the control of Congress largely rests in the hands of voters who have lost much confidence in Republicans, but failed to gain sufficient confidence in Democrats. Neither party has "closed the deal"

For Democrats or Republicans, using the print media, and especially the daily newspaper, creates by far the most effective channel of
reaching, informing and appealing to the tens of millions of American military families and military communities. They should be sold on this idea.

What distinguishes voters in military families and communities is that because of the gravity and immediacy of the issues, they are usually not moved by sound bite television news, negative attack television ads, or the superficial insider chat on the cable talk shows. These voters are serious people, willing to devote the time and energy to deciding, highly informed, about military matters, looking for serious discussion and serious solutions to what they know are hard, and complicated, challenges.

The print media -- and daily newspapers in particular -- tower above all other forms of media in addressing this constituency because they offer the space, perspective and format for a discussion in a manner that is not available from any other medium. The highest quality treatment
with the most depth on these matters will attract readership.

It is good public service and good business for the print media to give the most extensive coverage through serious front page news stories, lengthy features, substantive editorial and Op-Eds, and internet site treatment that brings together communities for serious discussion.

At the same time, as a Democrat, I am advising Democratic officials and their supporters to pay maximum heed to the unique attributes of the print media, reaching this voting base with paid advertising.

One exciting format I am privately exploring with Democratic financiers and contributors is a series of full-page newspaper ads that offer respect and depth to these voters. An Open Letter To Military Families would provide an opportunity for thoughtful criticism, not of the entire war effort but issues that particularly trouble military families -- and more important, thoughtful discussion of what Democrats would offer as solutions.

An Open Letter would include suggestions that commanders? advice was ignored leading to troop levels far too small for the Iraq mission, and criticism of sending troops to war without providing the body armor, helmets and bandages. It would discuss cutbacks in veterans' health care and treatment for trauma, and torture policies that are opposed by the overwhelming majority of commanders and enlisted men and women in every branch of service.

But it would go further, and suggest a vision for American military policy if voters choose a Democratic Congress. What voters want to hear is a serious commitment to provide increases in health care for vets, reasonable strategies for exiting Iraq that are not the shallow slogans of stay the course versus cut and run. They want Democrats to talk sense and substance, to seek a national unity that would enable war and peace decisions to be made by our democracy that involves two parties and three branches of government. They want Democrats to offer a program that would unite the nation to provide troops with every protection and weapon they need, when war is necessary, and to provide veterans with not only adequate but the best support and care, when the war is done.

Democratic leaders in Congress have indeed offered most of these suggestions, but they are almost impossible to communicate in 30- second soundbites, 60-second attack ads, or guests on pundit shows who seem to be talking to each other as insiders, not as serious people.
But in print, Democrats and Republicans alike -- and editors seeking new and loyal readers -- have great opportunities to reach an audience measured in the tens of millions, with a competitive advantage above
every other media and news alternative.