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a wider audience the value of the universal postal network and the important contributions made by letter carriers to their communities every day. The level of interest is reflected in the tens of thousands of visits a month to NALC’s web- site. Contract-related documents account for the majority of down- loads from the website. Its seven main sections—About NALC, News & Research, Government Affairs, Workplace Issues, Union Admin- istration, Community Service and Member Benefits—contain subsec- tions with hundreds of pages of information and thousands of sup- porting documents. The Communications and Media Relations staffers also work closely with other NALC Headquarters de- partments to post important in- formation to the website in timely fashion. The department delivers vital information to members quickly through the NALC Member App for iPhone and Android smartphones, a tool that uses today’s technology to get the most up-to-date informa- tion and resources into the hands of our stewards and members. The app was developed at NALC Headquarters with the needs of all members in mind. It contains links to workplace resources, including the National Agreement, the Joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM), the Materials Reference System (MRS), city carrier assis- tant (CCA) resources and more. It also includes legislative tools, as well as one of the most useful features for all letter carriers—an interactive non-scheduled days calendar. Members can sign up for notifications based on their inter- ests and where they live. The app is available in the App Store or on Google Play. The Communications and Media Relations Department provides fre- quent updates on web-based social media sites, including Facebook (facebook.com/nalc.national); X, formerly Twitter (@NALC_National); and Instagram (@LetterCarriers).
The Postal Record 45 August 2024 Those very factors, however, also provide NALC with an oppor- tunity because many reporters appreciate guidance as they navi- gate complex topics with which mailed to every NALC branch repre- sented at the event. Department members also par- ticipate in training and developing the union’s future leaders at the Leadership Academy by explaining how to create effective branch pub- lications and websites, and lead- ing workshops on developing and communicating a message. External communications The department’s communica- tions efforts focus on getting in- formation out through the news media in ways that will construc- tively influence the public and po- litical conversations about postal matters. That requires educating journalists by debunking the large amount of misleading conven- tional wisdom and explaining the value of the Postal Service and letter carriers to the nation and each community. Along with the myths are the dual problems of po- litical or ideological narratives as well as the large gaps of informa- tion on postal issues that exist in most newsrooms. That is the case because few media organizations have reporters who regularly cover USPS, letter carriers or postal top- ics in general—meaning that jour- nalists often tackle an assigned postal story armed with little knowledge or context. That trio of problems—the per- sistent myths; the presence of po- litical agendas, sometimes stem- ming from the efforts by vested or ideological interests to influence public opinion; and the lack of in-depth knowledge about postal matters, resulting in part from the economically driven trend in jour- nalism away from specialized beat- reporters toward general assign- ment reporters—pose challenges for NALC’s efforts to press for accu- rate journalism.
The staff employs vehicles such as these to spread NALC’s mes- sage and to generate enthusiasm among the rank and file for the union’s agenda and activities. We also use YouTube (youtube.com/ ThePostalRecord) to post NALC- made videos. Additionally, the department provides creative, editorial and publishing support for other de- partments, and prepares materials for national conventions and rap sessions. The expertise and expe- rience that is gathered in the de- partment gives other NALC Head- quarters operations the ability to create a variety of professional- quality publications in-house at a substantial savings over contract- ing with outside vendors, ranging from greeting cards and invitations to major works such as Carriers in a Common Cause and the Joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM). For national conventions, the department produces the Officers’ Reports book, the Financial Re- ports book and the Pocket Guide . It also works with video vendors during the convention to quickly isolate key events for posting to NALC’s website as well as to its YouTube account. When the convention is in ses- sion, the department writes and produces a daily summary, the Convention Chronicle, with depart- ment staffers covering the events— monitoring the proceedings, tak- ing notes, writing articles, taking photographs, editing, doing layout and proofreading from morning well into the evening. The Chroni- cle is produced completely on-site and printed overnight at a union printer for distribution of about 8,000 copies the next morning to delegates. Following the convention, the de- partment produces a special con- vention edition of The Postal Re- cord to share convention business with the full membership. Later, the staff assembles the Convention Proceedings , a verbatim account
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