I get up every morning with one question on my mind: How do we continue to give America the strong NRA it needs?
This is a pivotal question for this association and for the future of this democratic republic. The NRA is, and has long been, an association of millions of citizens who demand that our elected representatives respect our Second Amendment-protected freedom. Advocacy from this association—thanks to our large and active membership—has made the difference in a lot of elections and has enabled us to encourage our legislators to prevent and repeal a lot of bad legislation.
This is why, when I first think about this question, it gives me hope. The NRA, after all, is America. By that, I mean the NRA solidly stands on the foundation of American freedom. We are sewn into the fabric of the Stars and Stripes. We are law-abiding citizens who exercise a fundamental human right. We have the values of a loving family. We are men and women who cherish the fact that we’re empowered to be our own first responders. We are the 100,000-plus NRA-certified instructors (including more than 11,000 active, certified law-enforcement instructors) who teach how to safely practice this basic human right. We are the youth, the new gun owners and the experienced individuals who turn out to shoot in NRA competitions. We are the embodiment of the individuality that is so central to American liberty. We are people from every background gathered together to enjoy our constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. We are America.
All of that excites me as I begin each day—yet I recognize the many challenges that must be overcome.
How do we break through the mainstream media, including social-media platforms, with the NRA’s real story?
Overcoming communications challenges in this changing landscape is particularly central to our future. So, I next ask: How do we break through the mainstream media, including social-media platforms, with the NRA’s real story?
This is a complicated problem, but part of the answer has long been to have incredible publications in our NRA Media division that serve our members and that can be used to reach the many millions more who should be members of this critical association.
Publications and all their derivatives are, of course, an always-evolving communications tool. Wherever you look, change has been constant in America’s media landscape over the last few decades. Our response to this has included the introduction of new titles, newsletters, websites and more. Now, to further modernize and better serve our millions of members, we have made the decision to merge our Official Journals. After our January issues, America’s 1st Freedom and Shooting Illustrated will no longer be published, but many of the best things about them will make their way into American Rifleman (AR) and American Hunter (AH). In the future, AR and AH will be published in print on a quarterly basis and digitally every month.
We are doing this in part because we need to reduce costs as we allocate the resources our members and supporters give us. There have been some redundancies in these titles, and it is time to readjust and modernize them. So, this is hardly a step back. We are simply refocusing our brands; indeed, we will expand in other ways as we embrace new means of bringing you the details about crucial Second Amendment battles, about new and ongoing NRA competitions and about our many other programs and services, as well as all of the insightful gun reviews and so much more you’ve come to expect from us. The American gun culture is big, robust and growing, and this association is central to the continuance and use of this freedom.
In keeping with this necessary change, we have chosen to hire a new marketing company to reach potential members and to help us better communicate with the millions of patriots who are already with us. Indeed, much of our communications approach is evolving fast. We are doing this to be more responsive and to make certain you know what’s going on with your NRA and your freedom. Communication is key—without it, our membership won’t be able to rise up and advocate for their freedom when they are needed most.
To help us move forward in this important struggle for our freedom, I urge you to buy a membership for a loved one, to give the gift of membership to a friend and to forward links to our articles and videos to those who need to learn more about their right to keep and bear arms. We have a lot of exciting things ahead, but to get there, we need to stand together. Go to nra.org now to extend your commitment to freedom.
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