Newsletters, in printed or electronic form, update supporters and other stakeholders on campaign-related events, and progress of the campaign. Determine the purpose and target audience of the newsletter to make sure it is actually read. If it is chiefly an “internal” update for campaign activists, then campaign activities, activists’ achievements and lessons learned should be central topics. If the newsletter is designed for a wider public, it should not over-emphasize “internal” issues, but rather show how the campaign relates to the daily activities and concerns of the target audiences.
Examples:
Inspiring examples are La Boletina by Puntos de Encuentro, which began as a mimeographed 4-page newsletter in 1991 and has grown into the largest circulation magazine in Nicaragua, and Rural Women Knowing All (“Nongcun Funü Baishi Tong”), (Chinese and English versions) produced and distributed to the most remote areas by the countrywide All-China Women’s Federation since 1993. Both publications promote women’s rights by running stories and essays in simple language that a readership with limited educational backgrounds can fully understand and relate to.