Use the media to keep our commitment to the Global Fund


July 23, 2019

What are 16 million lives worth? No one can put a price tag on it. But we can make reasonable investments that will prevent 16 million people from dying from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria over the next three years.

Since 2002, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and its partners have helped save 27 million lives. The Global Fund now has a plan to support countries to save 16 more million lives over the next three years. It will take at least $14 billion.

Since the beginning, the U.S. has played a leading role in the Global Fund, providing one-third of the Fund’s financial resources. That must continue, with the U.S. coming to the table with at least $4.6 billion (one-third) toward the $14 billion minimum target over the next three years.

In June, the House passed its appropriations bill for fiscal year 2020, including $1.56 billion for the Global Fund. This puts us on the path for the U.S. maintaining our one-third commitment to the Global Fund. But we are far from done. The Senate must at least match this amount to ensure that our commitment does not waver. The President must also agree to this amount.

You can help us achieve our goal and ensure that the fight to end these diseases continues. Work together to generate media in all 50 states (letters to the editor, op-eds, editorials, radio and TV interviews) urging your members of Congress to maintain U.S. leadership in the Global Fund by providing at least one-third of the $14 billion needed for replenishment. They can demonstrate their support by co-sponsoring bipartisan resolutions in the House (H.Res.517) and the Senate (coming soon) affirming the U.S. commitment to the Global Fund.

Use the tips and resources below to build support for the Global Fund in the media.

 

D0 you want to increase your chance of publication? then…

Make it personal.  Tell people why you care about fighting poverty and disease.

Make it local. Remind Congress that the Global Fund matters to the people who voted them into office. And don’t forget to mention your member of Congress by name.

Make it timely. Show the newspaper editor that this is urgent: reference a recent story on a disease (like measles), poverty, international affairs, the election, or the budget. This can’t wait.

Make it short. 150-200 words at the most for letters to the editor, 600-700 words for an op-ed.

Make sure you submit it. The #1 reason letter to the editors don’t get published? They never get submitted. Hitting “send” may be the scariest part – but it’s by far the most important.

 

GET STARTED WITH OUR LETTER TO THE EDITOR TEMPLATE (153 words)

Use this letter to the editor template to get started on your own letter about the Global Fund.

What if you had the power to save 16 million lives? Would you turn your back? Or would you rise to the challenge and act?

In 2002, the U.S. played a lead role in creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Since then, the Global Fund has helped save 27 million lives. Without the U.S. providing one-third of the financial resources for the Global Fund, many of those lives would have been lost.

The Global Fund can now save 16 million more lives by 2022. But it needs at least $14 billion to do it. The path to finally ending these diseases is before us. We must rise to the challenge. I urge [name your members of Congress] to sign onto bipartisan resolutions in the House (H.Res. 517) and Senate (TBA) affirming the U.S. commitment to fund at least one-third of the $14 billion needed to replenish the Global Fund.

 

MAKE A BIGGER IMPACT WITH AN OP-ED OR EDITORIAL

Letters to the editor are great for calling attention to an issue quickly and easily. But if you want to make a bigger impact, consider writing an op-ed. Op-eds are typically 600-700 words thus giving you more space to share why people should care about this issue. Our 2019 Global Fund editorial memo is a great resource. Read the memo and use parts that resonate with you to draft an op-ed (cut and paste – we don’t mind!). Remember to make it personal, local, and timely.

If you want to make the biggest impact, urge your local paper to write an editorial supporting the Global Fund. The paper will write the piece; your job is to convince them to. Just like lobbying a member of Congress, set up a time to meet a local editor or writer in person or over the phone, practice your best laser talk about why the paper should write an editorial supporting the Global Fund, and then make your pitch at the meeting. Use the sample e-mail below (it includes a link to the editorial memo) to get things started.

Read our Advocacy Basics for additional tips on writing op-eds and generating editorials. Also, please contact Jos Linn with questions, or for coaching and editing support.

Sample e-mail pitch to an editorial writer

Subject: Time to talk? Decision point on diseases.

Dear [editor/editorial writer’s name] –

Thanks so much for your coverage of [recent relevant editorial topic – the president’s budget, a health issue, and social justice issue, etc].

Earlier this year, President Trump pledged to “defeat AIDS in America and beyond,” but then turned around and tried to cut funding for the global fight against the disease. Our Senators are now central to setting the U.S. agenda on global health, which has long been a bipartisan priority (here are some details).

I’d love to discuss briefly what these global diseases have to do with us here in [YOUR CITY], and the role we can play in responding to them. Our government has a big opportunity to make a difference this fall. I’d love to see [our newspaper] take this on, encouraging our Senators to ensure that the US continues to be a global health leader.

Would you have a few minutes to meet or talk the week of [DATES]? Thanks in advance. I look forward to hearing from you.

[Your name]

 

DO AN INTERVIEW ON THE LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION

Use the editorial pitch to ask your local TV or radio station to do an interview on the Global Fund and RESULTS advocacy in the community. Talking about your International Conference experience could be part of a good pitch as well, e.g. “We were recently in Washington…” Here are examples of TV spots from RESULTS volunteers:

 

TRACK your published media

Make it easy to find your published media, as well as hooks for new media, with Google Alerts. Here’s how:

  1. Go to Google Alerts.
  2. In the box at the top, enter a topic or key terms you want to track. If you want to track your own media piece, you might include a unique phrase from what you wrote.
  3. To change your settings (how often you get e-mails, where to search, etc), click Show options.
  4. Click Create Alert. You’ll get emails whenever we find matching search results.

Once you are published, be sure to share it with your members of Congress. Also, let RESULTS know at www.tinyurl.com/RESULTSMedia. Good luck!

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