Welcome to The Heartland Institute's Press Room. I'm Jim Lakely, Heartland's director of communications. If you are a journalist, please don't hesitate to call me at 312/377-4000 or reach me by email at jlakely@heartland.org.
Before joining Heartland in July 2008, I covered Congress and the White House for The Washington Times, and I have worked at newspapers in California, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. I know what it's like to be a journalist working on deadline.
Answers to most common questions about The Heartland Institute can be found in the “About” essay on this site, or the “FAQ” section. Specific responses to our critics can be found here.
Finding Someone to Comment
If you are looking for a Heartland staff member, senior fellow, or managing editor to comment on a news item or to provide background information on a public policy issue, you can find their names, contact information, and bios in the seven “issue suites” linked in the green bar that appears near the top of the homepage. There are issue suites on Education, Environment, Health Care, InfoTech, Law, Taxes, and Tobacco.
If you know the name of a specific Heartland staff member or senior fellow you wish to contact, you can find their email addresses and bios on the Personnel page. Those lists are in alphabetical order.
A good way to reach a policy expert fast is to call me at 312/377-4000 or send me an email at dmiller@heartland.org. I can tap Heartland’s extensive network of researchers, policy advisors, and allies to find a qualified expert who can get back to you quickly.
News Releases
News releases from The Heartland Institute always appear on the homepage under “What’s New,” and the most recent 10 appear at the bottom of this essay. Older news releases can be found by clicking on the “New Releases” link in the left column of this page.
Tammy Nash is Heartland’s media manager, in charge of writing and disseminating news releases and helping to submit op-eds and letters to the editor. Tammy is in constant communication with editors and reporters across the country and is uniquely positioned to seek out an op-ed or an expert source on short notice. She can be reached at 312/377-4000 or tnash@heartland.org.
Op-eds and Letters to the Editor
Heartland’s staff, senior fellows, managing editors, and contributing editors produce a steady stream of op-eds and letters to the editor that we submit to media outlets nationwide. Op-eds and letters that are no longer being considered for exclusive placement by any publication can be found by clicking on the “Op-eds” and “Letters to the Editor” links in the left column of this page. All publishers--online and mainstream--have permission to reprint these articles and letters, with appropriate credit given.
We post op-eds and letters to the editor on our Web site only after they are no longer being considered for exclusive placement.
Bloggers and Online Media
The Heartland Institute is always eager to work with bloggers and other online media to help improve discussion of the public policy issues we address. Keely Drukala and Zack Christenson are Heartland's new media specialists and are available to offer links, participate in blog dialogues, and share audio and video of Heartland events and interviews. They can be reached at 312/377-4000 or kdrukala@heartland.org and zchristenson@heartland.org.
Unfortunately, Heartland’s reputation is frequently attacked online by bloggers and professional activists. Answers to our critics appear here. Please think twice before repeating the false accusations that appear on such sites as SourceWatch and ExxonSecrets.
Events
Media are welcome to attend nearly all of the events hosted by The Heartland Institute, and admission is generally free. Everything said by speakers at Heartland events is on the record unless otherwise stated at the beginning and end of the presentation. Journalists are asked to get permission from guests before quoting them.
The next big events Heartland is hosting is its 25th Anniversary Benefit Dinner, in Chicago on October 29, 2009, and the Fourth International Conference on Climate Change, also in Chicago, on May 16-18, 2010.
