Dublin Core
Title
Box 7, Folder 8, Document 25
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
January 3, 1968
MEMORANDUM
TO: Andrew Heiskell and A. Philip Randolph
FROM: Joseph E. Allen, John Johnson, Harold Fleming
SUBJECT: Report of the Urban Coalition Task Force on Communi-
cations and Public Support
The co-chairmen of this Task Force have been in frequent commu-
nication both in person and by telephone. Our activities,
current and prospective, are as follows:
Membership of Task Force
We have invited about a dozen prominent leaders in the communi-
cations field -- newspaper and magazine publishers, presidents
of the major television networks, and the like -- to join with
us as members of the Task Force. Acceptances to date include
Mrs. Katharine Meyer Graham, Gardner Cowles, and Arthur Ocha
Sulzberger. We should be able to report other acceptances when
the Steering Committee meets on January 8. Within the next few
weeks, as the membership of the Task Force is completed, we will
have an organizational meeting at which specific plans and
commitments will be agreed upon.
Meeting of Information Staffers
The Coalition staff has suggested that we convene a planning
session of information staff persons associated with the various
organizations and businesses represented on the Steering
Committee. This group reaches a large segment of public opinion
through periodicals, newsletters, and other publications, as
well as in their dealings with the mass media. A concerted
strategy of public education through these channels could be an
important adjunct of the work of the Coalition. We intend to
hold a session of the sort proposed in the very near future.
Advertising Council Campaign
Joseph Allen and Harold Fleming have met several times with
Bob Keim, President of the Advertising Council, and his associ-
ates to discuss the prospects for a Council campaign that would
dramatize the urban crisis and urge people across the country
to support and participate in local coalitions. The Advertising
Council requires a permanent organization as sponsor of such a
campaign, and Urban America has agreed to assume this role, in-
cluding the major responsibility of raising the funds necessary
to meeting the cost of materials for the campaign. An applica-
tion from Urban America to the Ford Foundation for this purpose
has recently been submitted. We very much hope that the campaign
can get under way in the Spring.
The American Business Press
Joseph Allen has met and discussed the Coalition's concerns with
President John Babcock and the Board of Directors of ABP. Sub-
sequently, Mr. Babcock has issued a strong "action" communication
to all member publications, initiating a major effort in support
of our common objectives. In a followup letter to his member
editors, Mr. Babcock reports:
As expected, business publication editors are respond-
ing to the challenge of solving the crisis in our
cities. In fact, many have been working in this area
long before my memo of November 14, 1967. Reaction
has been on the favorable side by a 10 to 1 ratio.
Thank you for your quick and enthusiastic response.
As you will remember, one service I felt ABP could
provide is to act as an "idea interchange" on what
your fellow editors are publishing to tell their re-
spective industries, businesses, or professions what
has been done to help meet this most complex problem.
In looking over the first samples we received, it
seemed to me that many may have parallels that can be
applied to other fields. By reporting or adapting
these innovations by businesses outside his own field,
each editor can provide stimulation, and cross-
fertilization of ideas.
I have asked ABP's Editorial Division Executive
Committee to study the feasibility of this idea and
to consider instituting a regular INTERCHANGE Bulletin.
MEMORANDUM
TO: Andrew Heiskell and A. Philip Randolph
FROM: Joseph E. Allen, John Johnson, Harold Fleming
SUBJECT: Report of the Urban Coalition Task Force on Communi-
cations and Public Support
The co-chairmen of this Task Force have been in frequent commu-
nication both in person and by telephone. Our activities,
current and prospective, are as follows:
Membership of Task Force
We have invited about a dozen prominent leaders in the communi-
cations field -- newspaper and magazine publishers, presidents
of the major television networks, and the like -- to join with
us as members of the Task Force. Acceptances to date include
Mrs. Katharine Meyer Graham, Gardner Cowles, and Arthur Ocha
Sulzberger. We should be able to report other acceptances when
the Steering Committee meets on January 8. Within the next few
weeks, as the membership of the Task Force is completed, we will
have an organizational meeting at which specific plans and
commitments will be agreed upon.
Meeting of Information Staffers
The Coalition staff has suggested that we convene a planning
session of information staff persons associated with the various
organizations and businesses represented on the Steering
Committee. This group reaches a large segment of public opinion
through periodicals, newsletters, and other publications, as
well as in their dealings with the mass media. A concerted
strategy of public education through these channels could be an
important adjunct of the work of the Coalition. We intend to
hold a session of the sort proposed in the very near future.
Advertising Council Campaign
Joseph Allen and Harold Fleming have met several times with
Bob Keim, President of the Advertising Council, and his associ-
ates to discuss the prospects for a Council campaign that would
dramatize the urban crisis and urge people across the country
to support and participate in local coalitions. The Advertising
Council requires a permanent organization as sponsor of such a
campaign, and Urban America has agreed to assume this role, in-
cluding the major responsibility of raising the funds necessary
to meeting the cost of materials for the campaign. An applica-
tion from Urban America to the Ford Foundation for this purpose
has recently been submitted. We very much hope that the campaign
can get under way in the Spring.
The American Business Press
Joseph Allen has met and discussed the Coalition's concerns with
President John Babcock and the Board of Directors of ABP. Sub-
sequently, Mr. Babcock has issued a strong "action" communication
to all member publications, initiating a major effort in support
of our common objectives. In a followup letter to his member
editors, Mr. Babcock reports:
As expected, business publication editors are respond-
ing to the challenge of solving the crisis in our
cities. In fact, many have been working in this area
long before my memo of November 14, 1967. Reaction
has been on the favorable side by a 10 to 1 ratio.
Thank you for your quick and enthusiastic response.
As you will remember, one service I felt ABP could
provide is to act as an "idea interchange" on what
your fellow editors are publishing to tell their re-
spective industries, businesses, or professions what
has been done to help meet this most complex problem.
In looking over the first samples we received, it
seemed to me that many may have parallels that can be
applied to other fields. By reporting or adapting
these innovations by businesses outside his own field,
each editor can provide stimulation, and cross-
fertilization of ideas.
I have asked ABP's Editorial Division Executive
Committee to study the feasibility of this idea and
to consider instituting a regular INTERCHANGE Bulletin.
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