Purpose: DFA’s communications program ensures that DFA’s opinions and conclusions are conveyed widely through the local community and statewide. At present, communications resources consist of our mailing list (which is used sparingly to inform members of upcoming DFA meetings and other critical issues), the News and Notes newsletter, the Gettysburg DFA Facebook page and web page, letters to the editor (LTE), and occasional news features and announcements in local news media.

Chair: Leon Reed
DFA Liaison: Leon Reed

Key Issues for 2023: To maximize information presented on and readership about:

• Local 2023 elections for school board member, township supervisor, and borough council member;

• Threats at a state and national level to democracy and voting rights;

• Anti-democratic activities of State Senator Doug Mastriano and Rep. Scott Perry;

• Decisions of local school boards related to curriculum, library policies, and other issues of concern;

• Affordable housing development;

• Threats to Social Security, Medicare, and other social insurance programs.

Addressing the key issues:

• Continue to maximize the benefits of our good relationship with the Gettysburg Times by ensuring that the task forces address high priority issues in each of the 24 columns

• Publish not fewer than 10 issues of DFA “News and Notes”

• Encourage more participation by DFA writers in outlets such as: Gettysburg Times letters to the editor (LTE), Gettysburg Connection, and the Gettysburg DFA blog (www.gettysburgdfa.org)

• Expand new posts in, and visits to, the Gettysburg DFA blog by a) posting all op-eds and LTEs, b) encouraging DFA members and allies to create more original content for the web page, and c) judiciously promoting the postings by cross posting in other web sites;

• Revive the DFA “Community Conversations” program; find a suitable livestreaming capability and schedule a series of interviews;

• Offer ghost-writing service to other DFA members for letters to the editor

• Develop the capacity to livestream DFA meetups. As an interim step, offer all meetups via zoom and record those meetings

• Eventually, expand writings by DFA cadre of writers to other news (e.g., Altoona Mirror) or web outlets (e.g., Blair Indivisible Facebook group) in the 13th district. 

The committee is looking for new members who would like to get involved with News and Notes, Community Conversations, or other aspects of the communications program. Contact committee chair Leon Reed, leonsreed[at]gmail[dot]com.