This one will delight you, John. Think of all the implications, and the desperation it shows. From Poynter.
Memo sent to Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board members making calls to former subscribers.
Thank you for doing this.
Pat will give your list of names and numbers shortly.
Here's a rough idea of a script.
Introduce yourself as a member of the editorial board. You've heard that the person stopped the paper over concerns with election coverage (do not pin it on 21 Reasons; in fact, many people who cancelled did so over Polman or other issues), and you wanted to give them a call after the heat of the campaign died down.
If they blow you off, thank them for their time and let them know that if they ever want to resubscribe they can do so by calling our customer service line at 800-222-2765. They can get a 50 percent discount on the rate by mentioning that they had stopped the paper due to election coverage.
If they want to talk, that's a bummer. But a couple of talking points:
a) Are they aware that during the month of October, the paper ran more than 30 commentaries supporting President Bush and his policies, including many we solicited from Cabinet members and figures such as William Bennett? Are they aware that we regularly run William Safire, Jonah Goldberg and Charles Krauthammer?
b) Are they aware that, in U.S. Congress endorsements, we endorsed 7 Republicans and 6 Democrats for Congress, and Specter for Senate.
c) Are they aware that nearly every newspaper in the country endorses candidates, and has done so, and most major newspapers run series of editorials on issues in the presidential campaign.
If the person blows you off, say thank you and mark them under the "Do Not Call Request" column. If you bring someone back to the fold, obviously make the reorder column. If no one answers or the number is not in service, mark that under "Do Not Recall Request." If there's a message machine, leave a message.
Good luck.
Chris
poynter.org |
