Re: Why doesn't cohousing get more national news coverage?
From: Munn Heydorn (munninteraccess.com)
Date: Tue, 27 Dec 94 09:53 CST
On Mon, 26 Dec 94 17:16:47 PST Bob Morrison 
<morrison [at] took.enet.dec.com>said, in part:

>  About a month ago, Barbara Brand posted a blurb here saying that she had
>seen a brief article about cohousing in a retirement planning newsletter 
published by Fidelity Investments. 

     -----snip----- 

>  I have been meaning for several months to post some thoughts on the issue of
>national press coverage, and this experience has motivated me to do so. De-
>spite the great progress the cohousing movement has made, it is getting very
>little national press coverage. Why is this so? In this context, I include
>all means of getting the word out, not just "news" media.

    -----snip-----

>While trying to reach the general public, the
>cohousing movement needs to work even harder on reaching constituencies that
>are good sources of prospective cohousers, and retirees (including those who
>are planning for retirement) are one such consituency.
>
>Bob Morrison
>


Just a extension of Bob's thoughts...

Not only would it be important to reach the general press that has wide 
circulation, it seems to me important to reach the trade press in such 
topics as mortgage finance, housing and real estate in general.  I've been 
in commercial real estate quite a while and, in the mortgage and real estate 
trade press, I don't recall seeing any significant cohousing articles.  Away 
from the two coasts (And, maybe there, too), there are very few 
professionals in real estate and mortgage lending with any familiarity with 
cohousing.  That isn't positive with respect to "spreading the word".

It seems to me that the publications that could be targeted might include:

--FNMA/FHLMC newspapers/magazines
--Mortgage Bankers Assn of America publications
--National Real Estate Investor pubs
--Urban Land Institute publications
--American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers and other real estate 
professional association pubs
--Builder 
--Professional Builder

I'm sure many others are missing that might also be appropriate.  

How does cohousing reach these publications as well as general circulation 
publications?  Is there a single, coherent, effective PR voice for 
cohousing?  Who or what organization can write or encourage such articles?  
Does some organization or person currently track and keep a record of 
published articles?  

There **IS** an interesting story to tell here.

Regards to you all,
Munn

Munn Heydorn (The words and ideas are 
mine, not necessarily First Chicago's)          
First National Bank of Chicago
120 East Wesley; Wheaton, Illinois 60187; U.S.A.
Voice: 1-708-221-4452  Fax: 1-708-260-4683
munn [at] interaccess.com (preferred) OR
commre [at] aol.com OR hn3628 [at] handsnet.org



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