by Crimethinc. Workers' Collective
Available in 284 free installments
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Instructions
Know t/ie Enemy
358
It is useful to bear in mind that the reporters you will be dealing with are eerily Hke you in many ways. They don't trust you; they are fully prepared to believe that you are lying; they hate to be told they can't do something or go somewhere. They are persistent and if need be they will scam, lie, and charm their way to what they want. They've got axes to grind and their axes are by no means yours. Be forewarned.
The first questions any group should ask itself as it plans its approach to the media are: Do we want press attention? If so, why do we want press attention? and When do we want press attention?
Do we want press attention? A lot of actions are at base an attempt to manufacture news. If you are planning a demonstration, a Reclaim the Streets, an important Critical Mass, or a banner drop you may want to increase its audience by drawing press attention-?-and even if you don't want to draw attention you probably will. By the same token, if you are doing something completely open and aboveboard that makes you part of the wider community?-setting up a free breakfast program, for instance, or opening a community space?you probably want people to know about it. On the other hand, however, there are times?when you are, say, breaking into an abandoned building or holding an action camp in the middle of the woods-?when you don't want press attention and should even take steps to guard against it. It's best to know ahead of time which is which.
Why do we want press attention? The answers to this question may seem obvious until people in the group start to talk about it, and then wildly different views may emerge. Some people feel that mainstream press attention helps to widen the circle and change people's views; otitier people feel that the press is by definition manipulative and should be treated as hostile and dangerous. Both are right, of course, but it saves a lot of trouble when everyone in the group is telling essentially the same story. In preparing for contact with the press, make sure you understand at every step of the way what you want to get out of it, what benefit your project will gain fi-om the attention. Chances are, the press will be looking for the most sensational angle; you can decide whether you want to give it to them. Say, for instance, you want people to know how angry you are about something: by aU means mask up and yell. If, however, you are trying to get across a complex point about how IMF policies impact local migrant workers, it might be best not to wave molotov cocktails and shout "Fuck you!"
Becalm the Media
Mainstream Media 359
Reports to the media about fictitious anarchist plots can result in entertaining spectacles of police heavy-handedness. For example, if you can use false news reports, tip-offs, and websites to instigate a media feeding frenzy about how anarchists are infiltrating the governors' conference, the police may impose inconvenient security measures, or even raid some bigwig's hotel room in the middle of the night.-
^True story!
When do we want press attention? The answers to this question can be broken down to before, during, and/or after.
Before: If you are planning a conference or big demonstration and are hoping for publicity ahead of time, it's best to give the press at least two weeks notice; you may want to send out a series of press releases and make some phone calls to keep interest up. Also, keep track of the deadhnes for free events listings in local papers, and send stuff in when it is appropriate. If a speaker or performer is coming to town, see if he or she might be available for a phone interview and make that offer to the press.
During: If you are planning a surprise action, you can send out a press release the night before or early that morning; if you think you might draw a brutal police response, it might not be a bad idea to have the TV cameras already rolling when the plastic handcuffs come out. If you draw police attention, the press is pretty sure to follow the action anyway whether you invite them or not, so you should have a press statement ready to hand out and a press liaison ready to answer questions and provide sound bites?that is, unless you beheve it really doesn't matter what your action looks like in the news.
