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Whether you’re writing a letter to the editor or you’re the guest on a radio talk show, knowing how to shape your messages in a media-friendly way will help get your point across. Following are the "Five Cs of Messages" according to The Fund Raising Institute of Detroit, Mich.

Clear: Limit your message to three points. If you have more than three, the media may see your story as having more space or time than they can offer.

Concise: Think in TV time. The average story runs 90 to 120 seconds, and the average sound bite is 20 seconds. So don’t prepare two or three-minute answers to possible questions.

Connecting: Stick to simple words most people can grasp easily. Avoid jargon or technical terms.

Colorful: Get your point across with interesting anecdotes or stories about how an issue affects one person or a group. Or cite startling numbers or statistics.

Continual: Repeating your message is the only way to break through the communications clutter that bombards the average media person daily.