GIDEON’S PROMISE by Jonathan Rapping (Beacon Press)
Jonathan Rapping's GIDEON’S PROMISE: A Public Defender Movement to Transform Criminal Justice was published in September 2020, just in time for the barrage of news about the Presidential election and a fall surge in COVID-19 cases. The book didn’t get much press at launch, but Rapping and his team at his non-profit (also called Gideon’s Promise) wanted to give it another shot. They hired us eight months after publication to line up media attention for the book and to spread the word about the rampant injustices stemming from the broken public defender system.
Publicizing a book so long after publication can be challenging, but we thought that the topic—the widespread but under-reported injustices within this part of the criminal justice system—and Jonathan Rapping’s professional experience and impactful voice would allow us to get the attention of journalists open to hearing previously ignored stories of structural racism.
Over the course of the 4-month campaign, we were able to coordinate interviews for Rapping on several large NPR affiliates, on SiriusXM shows hosted by John Fugelsang and Laura Coates, and on podcasts hosted by, among others, PEN America, Mark Thompson, and LitHub Radio. The Daily Beast ran an excerpt, and we also connected the Gideon’s Promise team with some prominent journalists to talk about the issues on background.
A couple of our favorite hits:
WNYC’s All of It with Alison Stewart: How Public Defenders Can Change Criminal Justice
As Brooklyn-based public radio listeners, this is one of our favorite shows. Alison Stewart had a wide-ranging conversation with Rapping about possible solutions to the failures of the public defender system.
Daily Beast excerpt: My Child Went to Court—and Instantly Recognized the Racism
This section of the book, which focuses on what the criminal justice system looks like through the eyes of a child, is very powerful, and we knew it would be a good way to draw in readers.
WDET’s Detroit Today: Transforming America’s Criminal Justice Landscape Must Include Public Defender Overhaul
Detroit’s NPR affiliate does fantastic work covering social justice issues, and this interview did not disappoint.
TYT (The Young Turks), The Conversation: How Public Defenders Can Amplify Silenced Voice
The Young Turks has a wide online viewership, particularly with young progressives. The interview helped reach an important demographic in the fight for criminal justice reform.
