• News outlets cover hate crimes and groups. Don't kill the messenger. Consider hate news a wake-up call, revealing tension in the community. Attack the problem. Reporters will then cover you, too.

• Name a press contact for your group. This keeps the message consistent and allows the press to quickly seek comment or reaction to events. Invite the press to all your meetings.

• The media like news hooks and catchy phrases, such as "Hate Free Zone." Propose human-interest stories, such as the impact of hate on individuals. Use signs, balloons or other props that will be attractive to media photographers.

• Educate reporters, editors and publishers about hate groups, their symbols and their effect on victims and communities. Put them in touch with hate experts like the Southern Poverty Law Center. Urge editorial stands against hate.

• Criticize the press when it falls short. Remind editors that it is not fair to focus on 20 Klansmen when 300 people attend a peace rally.

• Do not debate white supremacists or other hate-group members on conflict-driven talk shows or public forums. Your presence lends them legitimacy and publicity, they use code words to cover their hate beliefs, and they misinterpret history and Bible verses in a manner that is difficult to counter under time constraints.

A Message for the Media
Share this with media contacts you know, or simply photocopy it and mail it to an editor, anchor, columnist or reporter:

A newsroom that covers race issues thoroughly and regularly sets an agenda for the community. Nuanced and thoughtful coverage — rather than shallow, knee-jerk stories or images — deepens our community's discussion and understanding of race.

Consider the following:
• The masked, mysterious Klansman, like his burning cross, is an emotional image loaded with historical associations. Don't let this cliché control the story. Include a serious look at the Klan's numbers and influence, its involvement in hate crimes, and the hypocrisy of its pseudo-Christian message.

• Don't allow hate groups to masquerade as white-pride civic groups. In their literature and on their websites, they denigrate certain scapegoats, typically people of color and Jews. Gather comments from local police, state human rights commissions, the Southern Poverty Law Center or the Anti-Defamation League.

• Klan and other white supremacist rallies represent the outer margin of American society. No meaningful dialogue on race can occur when it is framed by such extremes. See deeper, more thoughtful coverage of issues of race and other -isms.

As a final thought, we ask you to:

Take hate crimes seriously and report them prominently. Consider an annual "race report card." Give reporters time to cover the Klan and other hate groups in depth, beyond an annual parade. Cover the impact of hate on victims and other members of target groups. Become an activist against hate, just as you are against crime. Sponsor a forum or other community journalism event tied to these issues. And don't miss the "good news" as ordinary people struggle with homegrown ways to promote tolerance.

You are part of our community, and you must be part of our fight against hate.