Title: MI Block Walking Newsmaker Original CoS Document (slug): [[https://conventionofstates.com/files/mi-block-walking-newsmaker|mi-block-walking-newsmaker]] Login Required to view? No Attached File: Example_of_Newsmaker_form_in_Block_Walk_Formula_form_4.docx Created: 2022-03-19 11:38:30 Updated: 2025-01-01 19:00:01 Published: 2022-08-27 21:00:00 Converted: 2025-04-14T20:03:37.928052541 ---- **Example of how to fill out the COS Community Newsmaker form in the link.** I hope to take the guess work out of filling out the form for anyone who is hesitant to do so. You can copy and paste the questions in the link. Here is an example of a request and response for a Newsmaker article. I have provided an example of the questions to use in the link for COS Community Newsmaker but please feel free to use your own questions and answers. I just wanted to make is easier for anyone to fill out the form and then be able to feel comfortable about what to answer. These articles will be in a local newspaper and are great advertising for COS. Once you fill out the form and submit you will need to watch your inbox for the next couple weeks for an email from a news organization. ----Forwarded Message---- From: To: Date: 27 Sep Subject: MEDIA REQUEST: Grassroots organization block walks in support of a 'Convention of the States' Good afternoon, Laurie: I’m working on a story for the Tri City Sun ([[https://tricitysun.com/|https:%%//%%tricitysun.com]]) about the COS walk event and would like your comments. Our deadline is 2 PM this Wednesday, 9/29. Would you please send responses to the questions below, or when are you available for a 10-minute phone interview? **Headline for your story should be something like this:** Grassroots organization block walks in support of a 'Convention of the States'\\ \\ **What is the event like?** It is an organized event with COS volunteers who are knocking on doors in neighborhoods to inform others of our mission to build a grass roots army and to get petitions signed. We want to let people know that we have a solution to take our country back. The Founding Fathers wanted to have a Convention of States to reign in the power of the Federal Government. We want States to call for an Article V convention limited to proposing constitutional amendments that: * Impose fiscal restraints on the federal government. * Limit the power and jurisdiction of the Federal Government. * Limit the terms of office for federal officials, bureaucrats and members of Congress. - **How do residents respond to you in the neighborhood?** We get a lot of interest from people who are upset with how the federal government is overreaching its powers these days and the out-of-control spending. They feel a sense of hope when we tell them why we are block walking. We find about 99% of the people who answer their door have never heard of Convention of States. It is very rewarding when they thank you for taking the time to help save our country. We have pamphlets with COS information which also contains contact information if someone needs to call for more info or has any questions.

**Do you plan to do more block walking and where?**

I have 3 more events planned in October. They will be in neighborhoods around Stockridge, Adrian and Dundee Michigan. There are other groups planning block walks around the state. Andrew Barkman at COS started a national rollout for block walking this year. He is rolling it out in several states and hopes to see many more block walk volunteers getting petitions signed all over the country.

**How do you hope the legislator in the district you are walking will respond?**

Our hope is that the state legislator will take notice that many of their constituents are in favor of a Convention of the States. We want the legislators to support the resolution when it passes out of committee in the House of Representatives and Senate in Michigan.

**How will the legislators know you are walking in their districts?**

When a resident of any state signs our petition they fill in their address. We then put that information into a computer program that generates an email letter to the residents State House Rep and the State Senator using the zip code. The more petitions signed the more email letters they receive and know how the voters want them to support a Convention of States. Petitions can be signed online at: [[http://conventionofstates.com/|conventionofstates.com]]

**How many people do you talk to?**

It depends on how many block walk teams (2 people per team) we have in a neighborhood. Last week in Freeland we had 2 teams that knocked on 90 doors and talked to 26 people on a Saturday morning.

**How do you introduce yourself when residents open their doors?**

We tell them our name and we are with Convention of States. A non- partisan, non-profit grass roots group founded in 2013. We then ask, " How do you feel the federal government is working for you?" If they answer it is not working for them, then we tell them about our solution. By using Article V of the Constitution our founding fathers provided for the states to take back their power from an out of control, overspending and overreaching federal government. We need 34 States for a convention, and we have 18 states ratified. Several states are in various stages of ratification. We also like to tell them COS has 5 million supporters, over 2 million petition signers and almost 200,000 volunteers like us across the country.

**Can you share a photo of your team and their names so we can run with this story? Always be sure to get the names of the walkers in the article.**

Below is a question on the form and the correct way to respond. **Be sure to provide one or more sources we can reference in your story:** If the interview contact is your source, please enter "conventionofstates.com" as the URL.