People United for Rural Education (PURE), organized in Iowa in 1977, now has about 3,000 members in 23 states and 3 foreign countries. PURE's purpose is to ensure the survival of rural schools and to promote rural life as a viable and credible way of life. One of the organization's most difficult tasks is to counteract urban attitudes towards rural schools and communities. These negative attitudes are primarily distributed through the mass media, especially in print, and have a strong influence on urban and rural residents alike. PURE's central political thrust is to let state legislators and departments of education know that small rural schools are efficient, creative, and resourceful, and that they are worthy of the support necessary for their continuance. (SB)