Good morning, MPA members,
Missouri Press Association, in conjunction with the National Newspaper Association, is asking for our members to sign on to a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services for public service advertising about coronavirus vaccinations.
Please consider signing on to the letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/nnahhsads
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 573-449-4167, ext. 308; or at mmaassen@mopress.com
Mark Maassen
MPA Executive Director
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From NNA:
You may have noticed that Uncle Sam is committed to spending $10 billion to educate America with public service ads about the need for the coronavirus vaccines. You may also have noticed that the public service advertising is not being directed to your newspaper — or to any community newspapers that we have yet identified.
Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services last year to consider more local media spending in 2021, but it appears that message has not reached the agency’s media consultants. Now we have billions of federal dollars directed AWAY from the media most likely to be read by Americans concerned about public health in their own communities.
It is time for community newspapers to reach out to Washington. There is no better platform for messages about public health, particularly in rural areas, than the newspapers that cover those communities.
We are sending a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. We would like to add signatures from as many newspapers as possible. Would you help us by signing on and urging others in your area to sign on, as well?
We need your signature by Monday, April 12 at 5 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. CDT/3 p.m. MDT/2 p.m. PDT.
Thank you for your work on behalf of our industry.
Brett Wesner
President, Wesner Publications Company, Cordell, Oklahoma
Chair, National Newspaper Association
brett@wespubco.com
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