Three cheers for George & Eileen Finnin, Directors of the Philadelphia Area Natural Family Planning Network. Along with Wichita’s rock star NFP Coordinator, CCL Chicago Chapter and a handful of other fervent NFP advocates, they’re harnessing the power of the press release and letters to the editor! They published this Op-Ed piece in the November 28 edition of the Philadelphia Bulletin, which isn’t exactly the NY Times, but is a good example of using the media to get out the word. I challenge the Finnins and others to take the next step, using their ingenuity to take the op-ed/ letter to the editor to the next level, and sumbit it to a more secular newspaper or women’s mag.
- Have you seen any other inventive press releases or letters to the editor?
- What’s the best NFP-related writing you’ve seen out there, something that made you smile, think, or clap your hands?
6 Responses to NFP a Tough Sell in Philly
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“Statistics on NFP are not normally accepted at universities because there are no double blind studies being made. Part of the reason this is not done is that a double-blind test means that one set of people would be doing what is taught in NFP classes while another set of people would be using contraceptives. Because of moral issues, most NFP users reject this type of study.”
I did not know that! I knew that studies were being rejected or not looked at as seriously, but I didn’t quite understand why. Very interesting!
Your challenge -”challenge the Finnins and others to take the next step, using their ingenuity to take the op-ed/ letter to the editor to the next level …” Our piece was rejected by the National Catholic Reporter and we got a no reply from Our Sunday Visitor. If anybody knows anyone with influence on these or other papers, please email the contacts to me at nfpquestions@gmail.com. We note that in Philadelphia, “The Bulletin” has more articles on NFP than our local Catholic Standard & Times. I thank all you who read this for your interest. Please visit http://www.pnfpn.org and see what we do there. Try to duplicate that in your local areas.
God Bless
Not a big surprise about the Reporter. Did you make a follow up call to OSV? They’ve actually run a lot of pro-NFP/ Humanae Vitae things in the past, so I’d keep at it with OSV. The Reporter, however, is a waste of time generally. Try emailing John Allen, their only orthodox columnist, for advice. Did you try the National Catholic Register? They’re solid, and have run a lot of good NFP pieces. I’d also include Catholic and health blogs on your press release list, too.
OOOOps. I really meant National Catholic Register in my previous entry. Some days I just can’t my names straight. That is why I get my wife to help with my writing. Anyway, right now I have a lot of NFP irons on the fire, so I can use help if anyone knows somebody in papers and can point them to the article http://www.thebulletin.us/articles/2009/11/28/commentary/op-eds/doc4b119b4110e1d207213274.txt. I would guess “The Bulletin” would not object to a reprint. I also hope to do more in the future, but I’m waiting for inspiration from Our Lord.
For those interested in looking at http://www.pnfpn.org, I’m more about networking than about writing. Again, I would most like to see many more sites like the Philadelphia Natural Family Planning Network spring up around the country.
God Bless
The squeaky wheel gets the grease, as they say. I’d make a follow up phone call. As for me, I just emailed your article to the Diocesan paper in the Madison Diocese, where I used to work.
George, you probably are aware, but try networking with the New Jersey NFP Network. Damon Owens is a well known TOB speaker, diocesan employee, and started his own Association in NJ (www.njnfp.org). Also, there’s an NFP Association in California, too.
Thanks Jess for emailing our article. That’s how networking works and how NFP information gets around.
I am well aware of Damon Owens and he knows me. I also know several presenters for Christopher West’s – God’s Plan for a Joy Filled Marriage – seminar. They present in PA and NJ. If you go to the PNFPN website and go to the _Click Here for National Websites_ you will find the sites I list. Locally we have close to 600 interested people or couples on the PNFPN mailing list. That grows slowly, but it grows. We have a quarterly newsletter and past articles are on our website. There is also a Brochure that can be lifted from the website, modified for your location and used. Hopefully you can do similar things in your diocese.
Keep up the good work on your end!
God Bless
George