Libertarians sometimes complain that their local paper is biased against libertarian ideas, and doesn't cover libertarian events or candidates fairly -- or even at all.

Yet I've also seen dozens of opportunities for surefire libertarian coverage repeatedly ignored. Most newspapers provide significant forums for libertarian ideas to get covered, and in the best-read sections of the paper. But too often these opportunities go begging -- despite the fact that it would only take a few minutes to take advantage of them.

Here are some examples. Maybe they won't all apply to your area, but I'd bet many of them do. And I'd bet further they're being woefully underutilized.

Letters to the editor

Yes, I know, this isn't a new idea. But I'm surprised that more libertarians don't take systematic advantage of this. Surveys show that the letter to the editor page is among the best-read parts of a newspaper.

Never underestimate the power of a letter to the editor. My first-ever letter, a sizable one that called for drug relegalization, was sent to a newspaper in a medium-sized southern town. A senior editor promptly devoted his column to rebutting my letter, and so I wrote a follow-up letter, challenging his points. Meanwhile, the city's most popular radio talk show host called me and asked me to discuss the topic on his hour-long show -- which in turn brought many further invitations to return to the show and discuss libertarianism! That's a lot from a single letter.

Needless to say, not all letters generate such payback. But letters are read, giving cheer to your supporters, discomfort to your opponents, and who knows, maybe even changing a few minds. (Even letters that aren't printed, incidentally, are read by editors and may have significant impact.) And they are fun! The feedback is quick and immediate, and it's a great chance to get your message in print.

The smaller a paper is, the more likely it is to publish your letters regularly. In larger papers, you have more chance of being passed over, and more chance of being edited -- but of course, you also reach a far larger audience. Best bet for them: a letter that's short, hard-hitting, and to the point.

Anonymous call-in features

These invite people to phone in brief comments on a wide variety of topics. These calls are then printed anonymously. Example: the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a column called "The Vent," which prints short, aphoristic, often witty and caustic comments. These are widely read features that offer a natural, free forum for libertarian views. They should be used constantly.

Web site review pages

Many newspapers cover the Internet on a weekly or daily basis. Some newspapers even ask readers to recommend their favorite Web sites. The Web is filled with great libertarian sites. Libertarians should be regularly emailing or calling in and recommending them. Our first suggestion, of course, is our World's Smallest Political Quiz site -- www.TheAdvocates.org -- which is of interest to people of all political persuasions. Again, this only takes a quick phone call or email. (Please let us know if the Quiz becomes a "Site of the Day" in your local paper!)

Reader's Polls / "What Do You Think?" sections

Many newspapers will pick a topic and discuss it on their editorial page, then ask readers to call, fax, write, or email a short response. They will then pick a great many of the best responses and print them together. It is another opportunity to get the libertarian view out there. Examples: "As David Boaz of the libertarian Cato Institute says…" "As the libertarian magazine Reason recently pointed out..."

"Questions on the News" columns

Some newspapers have a feature like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Q & A on the News." These popular features answer readers' questions about items in the news. It's very simple to put this kind of feature to work for you: Just pick up the phone, call in, and ask a relevant libertarian-oriented question.

For example: When the Journal-Constitution ran a story about Georgia's senatorial candidates, but didn't mention the Libertarian Party candidate, I simply called "Q&A On The News" and asked what they could tell me about him. The result was a long (and positive) paragraph, complete with picture.

One point: This works best when you tie it in to a specific news event, news story, or personality in the news. So phrase your questions with that in mind. And don't make your call obvious propaganda. Use the feature as it's intended -- to give people additional information on news stories.

Local meeting announcements and coverage

Small papers are hungry for copy. Many of them will not only run announcements of an upcoming local libertarian meeting, they might even run a photo of the speaker. Look at the paper, see how they handle similar events, and try it.

Larger papers, too, have "Events" sections. They might not give as much coverage, but even a date, time, place, speaker, and topic announcement in a major paper can be a big boost. Find out how your local paper(s) handle these events, and keep them aware of what you're doing.

During Harry Browne's first presidential campaign, some Atlanta Libertarian Party members arranged a "meet the candidate" event featuring Browne. They wrote an excellent press release, and -- surprise! -- the "Events" section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution devoted a large section to the announcement, even naming it the "Event of the Day."

Local news about Libertarians

Many libertarians have won awards for local Libertarian Party volunteer work, have been nominated for important positions in local organizations, or have been chosen as delegates to national conventions. These are great opportunities for coverage, especially in smaller community papers.

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I wish every libertarian group would send out a simple press release, perhaps with a head shot or action photo, of events like the following:

* Election of officers to local or state positions. "Joe Jones was named secretary of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Nebraska last week. Jones, a local businessman, has been active with the RLC . . ." and so on.

* Naming of delegates. Each election year, Libertarian Party members elect delegates to their state and national conventions. This is potentially big news! How many people, after all, are named delegates to conventions? Press releases, including, if possible, photos, to local papers about these people would give great publicity for libertarian organizations, and make them seem more important and more "real" to local folks.

* Operation Political Homeless (OPH) booths. An OPH booth can generate news coverage both before and immediately after the event. Our OPH kit has sample press releases and suggestions for getting the media interested in your OPH booth.

Local celebrity/gossip columns

Like many papers, the Atlanta Journal Constitution has a gossipy, light-spirited feature called "Peach Buzz" in its entertainment section. Sending in an intriguing or humorous anecdote about a local libertarian candidate or personality has led to positive libertarian coverage several times.

Other letters sections

In addition to the standard editorial page letters section, many large papers have letters columns in other sections. Because they receive fewer submissions, they can be easier to get into. Here are some examples:

* Book review sections (perfect for letters commenting on reviews of books dealing with libertarian issues).

* Movie review sections (send in your letters or viewer-reviews pointing out the libertarian themes in current movies)

* Business sections (the possibilities are endless).

* Religious pages (letters on the role of government in economics, charity, and so on).

* Technology sections (argue against Internet censorship, recommend libertarian Web sites, etc.).

In addition, large metropolitan newspapers often have inserts that go to particular communities. These have their own letters sections and announcement sections. Our local sports page has its own letters section, too, but I've yet to find a way to get a libertarian theme into "Voice of the Fans." (Ah -- just thought of one! How about a mention of studies by groups like the Heartland Institute that show the detrimental economic effects of tax-funded sports arenas?)

Expand your range

When looking for publicity opportunities, don't forget to use all your local papers. In a metropolitan area, there may be a dozen or more papers that you're not aware of.

Check the free racks in bookstores, coffee shops, health food stores, and the like. You'll find neighborhood newspapers, city entertainment weeklies, newspapers dealing with health and environmental issues, gay publications, religious publications, ethnic newspapers... the list seems endless. I could easily name a dozen different weekly or monthly papers in the Atlanta metro area.

These are perfect for appropriate letters, press releases, meeting announcements, and the like. Often they are hungry for news. And they are targeted at specific audiences, so you can tailor your message very precisely.

Send them the Quiz!

The World's Smallest Political Quiz has been reprinted and discussed in countless newspapers, including some of America's largest and most powerful (the Washington Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miami Herald). Many stories have been written simply because a reader sent a copy of the Quiz in the mail (or the URL for the Quiz in an email) to a local columnist. Journalists, like other folks, often find the Quiz irresistibly fascinating. A great time to send the Quiz is when the columnist is discussing the political spectrum, the differences between liberals and conservatives, upcoming elections, and so on.

Also, remember to organize!

Some newspapers, especially smaller ones, will publish letters just about as frequently as you can write them. Others, however, are tougher to get into. Plus, you don't want your newspaper to think of you as "that lone libertarian."

So get members of your local libertarian organization together. Set reasonable but ambitious goals -- including, perhaps, each of you winning a Lights of Liberty award from the Advocates (given for publishing three or more letters with the words "libertarian" or "libertarianism" in them). Put together a team of people whose job it is to regularly get letters, press releases, and the like in print.

Do it right, do it with determination (and discretion), and the libertarian voice will be a regular part of your community newspaper.

One more tip: If at first you don't succeed...

I've had lots of letters, comments, and press releases see print by using the above methods. But if you phone in or send your letter and it's not printed, don't give up, and don't decide the paper is biased against you. Just try again. Recently my local paper got a great letter from me... which they decided, for some reason, not to print. Fine. I'll send it somewhere else, and they'll get another one from me soon.

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