The Activists Media Toolkit Interview Techniques
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I MIas: IisIiIUS: en Using the media..................... 3 National newspapers .............26 I 7 How to write press releases ....... 5 Regional newspapers............. 27 The Activists Media Toolkit Interview techniques...............9 is written by National and regional TY. ........29 Complaining ........................10 News agendes .....................30 The Toolkits Collective Getting pictures published = Police press releases .............31 in conjuction with Undercurrents CD in the press .........................11 7 Local radio ......................... .32 16B Cherwell St, Oxford OX4 1BG I Selling your video image to [email protected] television ............................ 14 National radio ...................... 32 Tel: 07970 343486 Organising a video screening ... 17 Trade press..........................33 =CD Using the Web......................19 Nlagazines...........................34 What's wrong with the Alternative media.................35 Cover design by CounterFeet c.::t mainstream ......................... 24 Resources...........................36 @nticopyright for non profit making groups and campaigns only (please credit lJ~;) Setting up a local newsletter..... 24 © for everyone else. I ~~~~g !-~ III~~~~ ~~--l We have tried to ensure all information is up to date and accurate, but accept no responsibility for incorrect or inaccurate information '"ThIra'. 1M haIe_ - if it's wrong - let us knowl And if you have useful contacts made through your media work let us know and we'll include them in the next edition Printed and Published by Oxford GreenPrint What are we up against? rising up against multinationals who are polluting their local area, 115 Magdalen Rd, Oxford 014 1RQ Triviality. Every media outlet shares the same On the face ot it, this is a www.oxfordgreenprint.com aim: to expand its share of the rnarket. as ollr aim i', 10 flI.lk(' by seeking to grab ,md hold dlld attention, This is why the media concenlr,lll", '>0 ISBN 095453140 X on events, especially tr ivial, flashy clnd (J)lollrllli niH''>, rather than issues. Most jOLlrnabts die (ollvill( (:d liI,1i Bias. Many outlets have a secondary ,Iilll: of people can't concentrate tor rnore th,m a lew ~ewlld', pdndering to the prejudices of their Printed on 100% post consumer waste r«yded paper, and really want to hear about some large news-gathering organisations are or Freddie Starr and advertised in by billionaires and using renewable energy and solvent free inb mere trivia such as rrdHn,tinnals, which makes lite still harrlrr the war or communities there are some outlets we ';illlply have IIJ ilI I media work tends to be tacked on as Sunday the because it's generally short of news. an anerttlought to an action, with the result that The GM crop trashing at Watlington near Oxford took to avoid: there's no point in approaching The Sun or interviews with opponents of the scheme there's either too little of it or the reporting is place on a Sunday afernoon, and received coverage the Daily Mail, for instance, unless you're appealling to the difficulties of personal hygiene while tree dominated by the story from the other side's point of on all the national TV news bulletins that evening and narrow mi rded knee-jerk nationalism or one of the In short, if the media isn't playing with view any organisationicorporation/political structure nearly all of the daily press the next day (with most of few issues they support - GM being prime example. in suits then it's ridiculing everyone else's . a of a reasonable size will employ a full time PRlmedia the coverage reasonably positive). If you can, try to Sadly, our job is to try to break through this and The Sunday Times has been waging war on protesters officer or team, who's sole task is to portray lhem as give journos their story by early afternoon - by 5-6pm for years, and has no qualms aboul peddling utter ourselves across as more informed than the a nice friendly caring setup which has best most of the make-up of the next days papers is bollocks in order to discredit the movement. On side. It can be done, but you need to play them at th( '11 interests at heart. They will dominate media already decided, <,everal occasions its journalists have attempted to own game yes, you may feel compromised <md coverage of your event if you give them half a chance want your action to be ignored by the infiltrate groups, or tried to secure cheapened by playing by their but you can do il - and they're usually good at what they do: aftrr on Budget day or when some foreign information while pretending to be and keep your integrity, they're paid to be! Ensure you take al'> milch Cdrp with hC,ld of ~,ti\te i~, visitirllj you need to look ahead and this paper at all costs. media work as you do ',(,I' wh;)! otlier evenl', <lre going to happen that day. It's not all bad, we do have some advantages: number of opportunities for planning - you want to educate for other ddions - the press will nol of the right-wing media: Integrity. We're genuine people, doing thingl' greater support, not risk the media ov('r mort' than one direct action story in one occasionally slip past the because we believe they're right, not slimy hired you even further. the Telegraph and Sunday hands pandering to the establishment for personal are pretty unexpected. While gain. This shows when we allow it to: an open and • Out of the group of people who ~()[ I your media nmnriptor, may be straightforward appeal to commonsense can cui work you will need to appoint a <,:ncjle per ~on dS media through the clamour of sell some of 'coordinator'. You'll have to decide whether to have a reasonable interest and spin-doctoring willi single spokesperson or several but decide this in make the resonance. When WI' advance, and have a single person managing press unreasonable situation. our unci utter I'd enquiries, passing them on if necessary. This person are allowed to be the must almost always be based off site, and (sorry to Go on • put your heod in it but the broadcast state the obvious) be confident at dealing with the media are legally obliged to be media. Not everyone is good at this, the ideal person balanced should be confident, sociable and not afraid to open we know, this isn't their mouth. Here's how to do case, and there are certain it: programmes, such as • Use contacts you already have. Call journalists you've 1. Write it in the :: ......... or Central Weekend Live made friends with and ask them if they're interested or style of a newspaper are best avoided - they are the on to others. Activists often say 'never article, as a broadcast eqUivalent of The might do, I" , but at some stage you'll have to, ~··I Sun. Don't appear on any ~ difficult to talk an action without it's programme produced or the aame away on the and grammatically correct (get it directed by Martin Durkin, the several other people) deranged far right libertarian to couch your action in who made the series. Against Nature bits as auotes from your named More importantly, the broadcast media's concept of and fairness is a narrow one: as long as both Labour and No more than 8 WOI ds, Tory politicians have their say, balance is seen to have a paper - short and to the been achieved, f'Wrl if the view frolTl We;imins!er is Inherent media friendliness won't a tiny Dill t of III(' polil i(.11 <,p('( If lJilI. We're colourful, fun, outlandish and outraljeOus. Much outleh ,II e al',o V('I y (o1l',( iow, oj til(' ,J':> television executives might claim to hate u~, and dr e even 111m e tr ivial television camer as love us. media. The result is, once Overall media strategy Everyone has a different approach to media work, but there are some aeneral themes which can be useful: • Timing is critical. You Ileed to give 11)(' rll('di,) (,;)Oll'lit the game. All media, but notice of your action for them 10 re~polld. iJll! flol to() ,} set of rules - a formula for much so as they forget. For a big aLlion ',('IHI (JIll be balanced and warning press releases a week and 3 days IJefor (c the event. Look in the section on pres~ releases for more info. The day of the week will also make a difference as media coverage. Friday is the worst day, -- of the vicar who has discovered that it's illegal your off-site press officer send out a during his sermon, and intends to release the moment you are successful. Environmental Activists Blockade GM Crops Company preach continually in front of the threatened will Press Release for immediate use make them sit up and wonder what it's all about. you Who to send it to 25 April 2003 want to mention the tree-sit you [an do so further on ~nnnr'+e a lot of in the text. to: all the to GM crops this morning blockaded the UK headquarters of Bayel 4. The first is the most Tell the newsroom, ITN/C 4 CropScience [1] near Cambridge [2]. The blockade is timed to coincide with the Annual General Meeting whole where and when, 4 (Today Programme of the firm's parent company Bayer AG in Cologne, Germany where UK GM activists are simultaneously is where you need to arab the Radio 5 Live, Independent Radio News, holding a protest. Bayer CropScience is the company leading the rush to commercialise GM crops in the The second and third ies (Reuters, PA, AP Look at your regional UK and Europe [3J they know and 8BC local radio as well.