LEGAL ADVICE

Any discussion about what to do while waiting fur the lawyer has to be qualified by pointing out that from the moment of arrest through the court appearances, cops tend to disregard a defendant’s rights. Nonetheless, you should play it according to the book whenever possible as you might get your case bounced out on a technicality. When you get busted, rule number one is that you have the right to remain silent. We advise that you give only your name and address. There is a legal dispute about whether or not you are obligated under the law to do even that, but most lawyers feel you should. The address can be that of a friend if you’re uptight about the pigs knowing where you live.

When the pigs grab you, chances are they are going to insult you, rough you up a little and maybe even try to plant some evidence on you. Try to keep your cool. Any struggle on your part, even lying on the street limp, can be considered resisting arrest. Even if you beat the original charge, you can be found guilty of resisting and receive a prison sentence. Often if the pigs beat you, they will say that you attacked them and generally charge you with assault.

If you are stopped in the street on suspicion (which means you’re black or have long hair), the police have the right to pat you down to see if you are carrying a weapon. They cannot search you unless they place you under arrest. Technically, this can only be done in the police station where they have the right to examine your possessions. Thus, if you are in a potential arrest situation, you should refrain from carrying dope, sharp objects that can be classified as a weapon, and the names and phone numbers of people close to you, like your dealer, your local bomb factory, and your friends underground.

Forget about talking your way out of it or escaping once you’re in the car or paddy wagon. In the police station, insist on being allowed to call your lawyer. Getting change might be a problem so you should always have a few dimes hidden. Since many cases are dismissed because of this, you’ll generally be allowed to make some calls, but it might take a few hours. Call a close friend and tell him to get all the cash that can be quickly raised and head down to the court house. Usually the police will let you know where you’ll be taken. If they don’t, just tell your friend what precinct you’re being held at, and he can call the central police headquarters and find out what court you’ll be appearing in. Ask your friend to also call a lawyer which you also should do if you get another phone call. Hang up and dial a lawyer or defense committee that has been set up for demonstrations. The lawyer will either come to the station or meet you in court depending on the severity of the charge and the likelihood you’ll be beaten in the station. When massive demonstrations are occurring where a number of busts are anticipated, it’s best to have lawyers placed in police stations in the immediate vicinity.

The lawyer will want to know as many details as possible of the case so try and concentrate on remembering a number of things since the pigs aren’t going to let you take notes. If you can, remember the name and badge number of the fink that busted you. Sometimes they’ll switch arresting officers on you. Remember the time, location of the bust and any potential witnesses that the lawyer might be able to contact.

If you are unable to locate a lawyer, don’t panic, the court will assign you one at the time of the arraignment. Legal Aid lawyers are free and can usually do as good a job as a private lawyer at an arraignment. Often they can do better, as the judge might set a lower bail if he sees you can’t afford a private lawyer. The arraignment is probably the first place you’ll find out what the charges are against you. There will also be a court date set and bail established. The amount of bail depends on a variety of factors ranging from previous convictions to the judge’s hangover. It can be put up in collateral, i.e., a bank book, or often there is a cash alternative offered which amounts to about 10% of the total bail.

Your friend should be in the court with some cash (at least a hundred dollars is recommended). For very high bail, there are the bail bondsmen in the area of the courthouse who will cover the bail for a fee,generally not to exceed 5%. You will need some signatures of solid citizens to sign the bail papers and perhaps put up some collateral.

Once you get bailed out, you should contact a private lawyer, preferably one that has experience with your type of case. If you are low on bread, check out one of the community or movement legal groups in your area. It is not advisable to keep the legal aid lawyer beyond the arraignment if at all possible.

If you’re in a car or in your home, the police do not have a right to search the premises without a search warrant or probable cause. Do not consent to any search without a warrant, especially if there are witnesses around who can hear you. Without your consent, the pigs must prove probable cause in the court. It’s unbelievable the number of defendants that not only come naked, but pull their own pants down. Make the cops kick in the door or break open the trunk themselves. You are under no obligation to assist them in collecting evidence, and helping them weakens your case.

Your attitude in dealing with an injured person is extremely important. Don’t panic at the sight of blood. Most bloody injuries look far worse than they are. Don’t get nervous if the victim is unconscious. If you’re not able to control your own fear about treating someone, call for another person. It helps to attend a few first aid classes to overcome these fears in practice sessions.

When you approach the victim, identify yourself. Calmly, but quickly figure out what’s the matter. Check to see if the person is alive by feeling for the pulse. There are a number of spots to check if the blood is circulating, under the chin near the neck, the wrists, and ankles are the most common. Get in the habit of feeling a normal pulse. A high pulse (over 100 per minute) usually indicates shock. A low pulse indicates some kind of injury to the heart or nervous system. Massaging the heart can often restore the heartbeat, especially if its loss is due to a severe blow to the chest. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation should be used if the victim is not breathing. Both these skills can be mastered in a first aid course in less than an hour and should become second nature to every street fighter.

When it comes to dealing with bleeding or possible fractures, enlisting the victim’s help as well as adopting a firm but calm manner will be very reassuring. This is important to avoid shock. Shock occurs when there is a serious loss of blood and not enough is being supplied to the brain. The symptoms are high pulse rate; cold, clammy, pale skin; trembling or unconsciousness. Try to keep the patient warm with blankets or coats. If a tremendous amount of blood has been lost, the victim may need a transfusion. Routine bleeding can be stopped by firm direct pressure over the source of bleeding for 5 to 10 minutes. If an artery has been cut and bleeding is severe, a tourniquet will be needed. Use a belt, scarf or torn shirtsleeve. Tie the tourniquet around the arm or leg directly above the bleeding area and tighten it until the bleeding stops. Do not loosen the tourniquet. Wrap the injured limb in a cold wet towel or ice if available and move the person to a doctor or hospital before irreparable damage can occur. Don’t panic, though, you have about six hours.

A painful blow to a limb is best treated with an ice pack and elevation of the extremity by resting it on a pillow or rolled-up jacket. A severe blow to the chest or side can result in a rib fracture which produces sharp pains when breathing and/or coughing up blood. Chest X-rays will eventually be needed. Other internal injuries can occur from sharp body blows such as kidney injuries. They are usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, shock and persistent abdominal pain. If you feel a bad internal injury has occurred, get prompt professional help.

Head injuries have to be attended to with more attention than other parts of the body. Treat them by stopping the bleeding with direct pressure. They should be treated before other injuries as they more quickly can cause shock. Every head injury should be X-rayed and the injured person should be watched for the next 24 hours as complications can develop hours after the injury was sustained. After a severe blow to the head, be on the look-out for excessive sleepiness or difficulty in waking. Sharp and persistent headaches, vomiting and nausea, dizziness or difficulty maintaining balance are all warning signs. If they occur after a head injury, call a doctor.

If a limb appears to be broken or fractured, improvise a splint before moving the victim. Place a stiff backing behind the limb such as a board or rolled-up magazine and wrap both with a bandage. Try to avoid moving the injured limb as this can lead to complicating the fracture. Every fracture must be X-rayed to evaluate the extent of the injury and subsequent treatment.

Bullet wounds to the abdomen, chest or head, if loss of consciousness occurs are extremely dangerous and must be seen by a doctor immediately. If the wound occurs in the limb, treat as you would any bleeding with direct pressure bandage and tourniquet only if nothing else will stop the bleeding.

If you expect trouble, every person going to a street scene should have a few minimum supplies in addition to those mentioned in the section on Demonstrations for protection. A handful of bandaids, gauze pads (4×4), an ace bandage (3 inch width), and a roll of 1/2 inch adhesive tape can all easily fit in your pocket. A plastic bag with cotton balls pre-soaked in water will come in handy in a variety of situations where gas is being used, as will a small bottle of mineral oil. You should write the name, phone number and address of the nearest movement doctor on your arm with a ballpoint pen. Your arm’s getting pretty crowded, isn’t it? If someone is severely injured, it may be better to save their life by taking them to a hospital, even though that means probable capture for them, rather than try to treat it yourself. However, do not confuse the police with the hospital. Many injured people have been finished off by the porkers, and that’s no joke. It is usually better to treat a person yourself rather than let the pigs get them, unless they have ambulance equipment right there and don’t seem vicious. Even then, they will often wait until they get two or three victims before making a trip to the hospital.

If you have a special medical problem, such as being a diabetic or having a penicillin allergy, you should wear a medi-alert tag around your neck indicating your condition. Every person who sees a lot of street action should have a tetanus shot at least once in every five years.

Know just this much, and it will help to keep down serious injuries at demonstrations. A few lessons in a first aid class at one of the Free Universities or People’s Clinics will go a long way in providing you with the confidence and skill needed in the street.

Food conspiracies, bust trusts, people’s clinics and demonstrations are all part of the new Nation, but if asked to name the most important institution in our lives, one would have to say the underground newspaper. It keeps tuned in on what’s going on in the community and around the world. Values, myths, symbols, and all the trappings of our culture are determined to a large extent by the underground press. Each office serves as a welcome mat for strangers, a meeting place for community organizers and a rallying force to fight pig repression. There are probably over 500 regularly publishing with readerships running from a few hundred to over 500,000. Most were started in the last three years. If your scene doesn’t have a paper, you probably don’t have a scene together. A firmly established paper can be started on about $2,500. Plan to begin with eight pages in black and white with a 5,000 copy run. Each such issue will cost about $300 to print. You should have six issues covered when you start. Another $700 will do for equipment. Offset printing is what you’ll want to get from a commercial printing establishment.

You need some space to start, but don’t rush into setting up a storefront office until you feel the paper’s going to be successful. A garage, barn or spare apartment room will do just fine. Good overhead fluorescent lighting, a few long tables, a bookcase, desk, chairs, possibly a phone and you are ready to start.

Any typewriter will work, but you can rent an IBM Selectric typewriter with a deposit of $120.00 and payments of $20.00 per month. Leasing costs twice as much, but you’ll own the machine when the payments are finished. The Selectric has interchangeable type that works on a ball system rather than the old-fashion keys. Each ball costs $18.00, so by getting a few you can vary the type the way a printer does.

A light-table can make things a lot easier when it comes to layout. Simply build a box (3′ x 4′ is a good size, but the larger the better) out of ½” plywood. The back should be higher than the front to provide a sloping effect. The top should consist of a shelf of frosted glass. Get one strong enough to lean on. Inside the box, attach two fluorescent light fixtures to the walls or base. The whole light table should cost less than $25.00. That really is about all you need, except someone with a camera, a few good writers who will serve as reporters, an artistic person to take care of layout, and someone to hassle printing deals, advertising and distribution. Most people start by having everyone do everything.

Layout

A tabloid size paper is 9 7/8″ x 14 5/8″ with an inch left over on each side for margins. Columns typically are 3 1/4″ allowing for three per page. Experience has found that this size is easy to lay out and more importantly, easy to read. There is an indirect ratio between readability and academic snobbishness. Avoid the textbook look. Remember, the New York Times in its low form represents the Death Kulture.

Start off with a huge collection of old magazines and newspapers. You can cut up all sorts of letters, borders, designs and sketches and paste them together to make eye-catching headlines. Sheets of headline type are available in different styles from art stores for $1.25 a sheet. Buy one of each type and then photograph several copies of each, bringing the price way down. The basic content in the prescribed column size should be banged out on the IBM. The columns can be clipped together with a clothespin to avoid confusion. Use a good heavy bond white opaque paper.

All black and white photographs from newspapers and magazines can be used directly. Color pictures can also be used but it’s tricky and you’ll have to experiment a little to get an understanding of what colors photograph poorly. Glossy black and white photographs must be shot in half tones to keep the grey areas. You can have them processed at any photo lab. You might also need the photo lab for enlargements or reductions, so make contact and establish a good working relationship.

An Exacto knife is available for 29¢ and you can get a package of 100 blades for $10.00. A few metal rulers, a good pair of scissors, some spray adhesive or rubber cement and you’re ready to paste the pages that will make up the “dummy” that goes to the printer. Each page is laid out on special layout sheets with faint blue guide lines that don’t photograph. Any large art supply store sells these sheets and all the other supplies.

By working over a light-table, the paste-up can be done more professionally. Experiment with many different layouts for each page before finally pasting up the paper. Don’t have a picture in the corner and the rest solid columns. Print can be run over pictures and sketches by preparing two sheets for that page and shooting background in half-tones. The columns don’t have to be run straight up and down, but can run at different angles. The most newsworthy articles should be towards the front of the paper. The centerfold can be treated in an exciting manner. A good idea is to do the centerfold so that it can be used as a poster to put on a wall after the paper is read. If you have ads, they should be kept near the back. The masthead, which gives the staff, mailing address, and similar info, goes near the front. Your focus should be the local activities. A section should be reserved for a directly of local services and events. People giving things away should have a section. The rest really depends on the life style and politics of the staff.

National stories can be supplied by one or more of the news services. Nothing in the underground press is copyrighted, so you can reprint an interesting article from another paper. It’s customary to indicate what paper printed it first, or news service it was sent out by. Any underground paper has permission to reprint hunks of this book.

Ads

Most papers find it necessary to get some advertising to help defray the production costs. Some rely totally on subscription; some are outgrowths of organizations and still others are printed up and just handed out free. The ones with ads seem to have the longest life. Make up an ad rate before you put out the first issue. Ads are measured in inches of length. The width is understood by everyone to be the width of the column. If you use the 3¼” column, however, you’ll want to let potential advertisers know you have wide columns.

The way to arrive at a reasonable rate is to estimate the total budget for each issue (adding some for overhead and labor), then each page and finally each column inch. After a little arithmetic you can get a good estimate of your printing cost per inch. Using our figures throughout this section, it should come to about $2.00 per inch. Double this figure and you’ll arrive at the correct rate per advertising inch-$4.00. There should be special lower rates for large ads, such as half or full pages. There should also be a special arrangement for a continuous subscriber. If you have a classified section, another rate based on number of words or lines is constructed. A service charge is fixed if you make up the ad layout rather than the advertiser. The whole formula should be worked out and printed up before you lay out the first issue.

The best place to get advertising is locally. Theaters, hip clothing stores, ice cream parlors, and record stores are among the type of advertisers you should approach. After you build up a circulation, you might want to seek out national advertisers. The Underground Press Syndicate, Box 26, Village Station, New York, NY 10014, can be joined for $25.00, no dues thereafter. They try to get national ads for you in addition to sending out a newsletter, a news service, and making sure you get free subscriptions to the other underground papers. The U.P.S. can also do many other things for you, like list you in their directory, obtain legal advice, and bring you together with other underground papers for mutual benefit and defense. Another way to get national advertising is to see who tends to advertise in other underground papers. Send the publicity department of these companies letters and samples of your paper. Never let ads make up more than half the paper.

Distribution

At the beginning you should aim for a bi-weekly paper with a gradual increase in the number of pages. The price should be about 25¢. Check out the local laws about selling papers on the street. It’s probably allowed and is a neat way to get the paper around. Give half to the street hawkers. Representatives at high schools and colleges should be sought out. Bookstores and newsstands are good places to distribute. After your paper gets going well, you might try for national distribution. The Cosmep Newsletter is put out by the Committee of Small Magazines, Editors and Publishers, PO Box 1425, Buffalo, NY 14214. In addition to good tips if you want to start a small literary magazine or publish your own book, they provide an up-to-date list of small stores around the country that would be likely to carry your paper. Subscriptions should be sought in the paper itself. If you get a lot, check out second class mailing privileges. UPS can help with out-of-city distribution.

If you’re in a smaller town, you might have to shop around or go to another city to get printing done. Many printers print only pig swill, which brings up the point of getting busted for obscenity which can be pretty common. You probably should incorporate, but contact a sympathetic lawyer before you put out your first issue. During the summer there are usually a few alternative media conferences organized by one group or another. You can pick up valuable information and exchange ideas at these gatherings. UPS and the news services will keep you posted. Good luck and write on!

Reprinted from An Activist’s Guide to Freeway Bannering, from the Backbone Campaign.

Freeway bannering is a powerful tool for activists. It’s inexpensive, most of the required material is reusable, and it’s an effective way to reach thousands, even tens of thousands, of people in a short period of time.

A few general tips:

• Keep messages brief enough to be read and comprehended at 65 mph.

• Go for numbers. Having a crowd of people gathered around the banner—especially when wearing bright safety vests—helps increase visibility.

• Do it safely. Do not suspend signs directly over traffic where they could fall onto the freeway. If there is fencing, hang the sign on the inside of the fencing if allowed by local law enforcement.

• Keep letters at least 8 inches tall so they can be easily read.

• Construct banners so that they can survive high winds. Freeway overpasses in particular tend to be windy spots.

• Watch your backdrop. Make sure there is nothing directly behind the banner that could make it hard to read.

• Although this method of making banners makes it possible to change messages reusing materials, keep in mind that it can take several hours to make the change, depending on how many helpers you have—so you may not want to change messages frequently.

• If the police request you to leave, you can either leave or request a ticket. The ticket will give you the opportunity in court to argue that freeway bannering is a free speech issue. Most officers won’t give you a ticket, but they may make safety requirements—such as not hanging the banner over the fence or tying the banner to the overpass.

• Be prepared with enough volunteers to hold up the banner on the poles—you’ll get more notice and response from traffic if you have people with the banner.

• If it is a windy day, have extra volunteers so that as people get tired, they can be relieved.

Freeway bannering was the first tactic adopted by the group of artists that preceded what later became the Backbone Campaign. Similar efforts to intimidate people using bannering as a communication method failed in 2002. At one point the activists used a non-functional Walkman to convince the police that their efforts were being recorded and they’d be held accountable. The face-off lasted for more than an hour and by the end the Yesler overpass had seven SPD and State Patrol vehicles and more officers trying to convince those bannering to leave – but who refused until they were shown an actual law that they were violating and given a ticket to dispute in court.

In the end it was the police who had to do an about face while the Sergeant in charge agreed with the demonstrators that it was a freedom of speech issue and that as long as nothing was attached to the overpass or draped over the overpass – that they could set up their banner and continue their vigil.

According to Bill Moyer, Executive Director of the Backbone Campaign:

“These threats will be couched in language of public and traffic safety. These are issues we take very seriously and would never do anything to endanger passers by. The fact is that we also take our Bill of Rights quite seriously. There are many distractions while driving including giant sexy billboards, bumper stickers, cell phones, children and more, but none of those are going to be made illegal. There is a tradition of this kind of speech by candidates, businesses, and demonstrators of all types. The fact is that our activities are legal, and the only reason we are being confronted is the nature of our message. Well folks, regular people don’t have access to Clear Channel billboards, the corporate media ignore the messages we are delivering, and even the political parties have so constrained debate that there are very few venues for us to reach each other. The overpasses are one of the last and we plan to stand firm as long as there are people that love what America claims to stand for- Freedom.”

Reprinted from Bird-dog Basics: How to Help Politicians Commit to Do the Right Thing, from the Backbone Campaign.

In a political context, bird-dogging means going to an elected official’s speaking event to thank them in public, to call them to action, or to ask them to take a leadership role on an issue.

Do Your Homework
Find a local party activist who is willing to pass on information to you. Find friendly members of the media to get information from. Check media sources such as newspapers and newspaper websites for calendars announcing when political candidates will appear. Find out where the official will be speaking.

Get Familiar with the Official
Subscribe to candidate, state, and party email and snail mail lists. Go to the candidate’s website or campaign headquarters. Access nation-al Congressional websites through http://www.house.gov or http://www.senate.gov. Other politicians can be found at the “political futures” column of ABC and MSNBC.

Work in Teams
Prepare the question(s) you want to ask and rehearse it. Arrive early to get seats close to the front and/or near the microphone if there’s a mic for the Q&A. Have others sit in different areas of the room to maximize your impact.

Raise your hand immediately when the Q&A starts. If you respond enthusiastically to the official, that also increases your chance of being called.

Be confident and considerate when you ask the question. Don’t get distracted or angry if your question is blown over, but do be persistent about getting your question answered, including repeating the question and asking for an appropriate response.

Have a note-taker jot down all info and promises made by the official. Designate a videographer, as You-Tube, Google , and other methods are an excellent way to amplify your message.

After the Meeting
After the meeting talk with media about issues if they weren’t covered. Seek out the candidates after the meeting to introduce yourself and follow up on your question, or ask it if you were not able to ask the question during the meeting. Leave the event with a clear plan to follow up with their staff.

The Functions of Direct Action
As we discuss the uses of direct action, remember one thing: almost all successful actions occur within the context of an ongoing campaign. This means that political – not only logistical – work has been done before the action. This improves the chances that your action will be understood and successful. This also means you intend to follow up on your action. Intervention demands responsibility. Here are some typical functions of direct action within campaigns:

• ANNOUNCEMENT OR ALARM
You have learned of a situation that demands immediate attention from the public. Your direct action is meant to shine a light on a hidden (more likely, covered-up) danger that must not be kept secret.

• REINFORCEMENT
You have been campaigning on an issue, yet somehow the issue remains murky to the public. You take action to clearly define the evil or injustice, and the parties responsible.

• PUNCTUATION
Direct action can be used to sustain interest in a campaign. It is a dramatic reminder that the problem has not gone away. Direct action can serve as a milepost – the early anti- nuclear movement marked time by Seabrook occupations – or it may commemorate an outrage that should not be forgotten, such as the fifth anniversary of the Exxon Valdez spill, or ten years since Chernobyl.

• ESCALATION
A frequent use of direct action is to raise the stakes in an ongoing struggle. If a group of activists who have not previously used direct action turns to it, this sends a message that the situation has become critical and direct action is the last remaining avenue of protest.

• MORALE
Sometimes when a group has suffered a setback and morale is low – or a group is tired from a long struggle – direct action can serve to raise the spirits and renew the struggle.

There is no doubt that direct action is a powerful builder of morale and community, but a word of caution. Those of us who have engaged in direct action know its transforming effect. It leads to new discoveries about yourself, changes and intensifies your relationship with your fellow activists, and alters profoundly your notions of power. It is intoxicating. But these personal-growth benefits are not the reason for doing direct action. Your actions should strive to make an objective change in the world – to literally change the course of history. The change you seek is the main course of the action; empowerment, self-awareness and community are dessert.

The morning of the action

1. Get on the phone by 7:30 a.m. (assuming it’s a morning action, which is almost always best for coverage).

Call the TV and radio stations again, to make sure someone on the news desk got the message from the day before and knows what’s happening. Again make sure they have the exact time, place and the correct phone numbers for contacts. Most newspapers won’t have someone on the desk until 9 a.m.; call them if time permits.

2. Double check to make sure that the person stationed at the fax machine has copies of the release and the prioritized list of news outlets.

As soon as the action begins

You “have an action” at the moment protesters are in place and/or the image and banner are deployed. If you are some distance from the action site, work out a radio signal with the action coordinator, who should notify you the instant this occurs. Then:

1. Contact the person at the fax machine and tell them to start pumping out the faxes.

It is ideal, if you have the capability, to use multiple fax machines or to pre-store the list of numbers in your fax machine so you can start the process with one command. Do your best, but anything that gets out the maximum number of faxes in the shortest amount of time will help.

2. Begin calling, in order of priority, the news outlets on your fax list. Identify yourself by name and organization, and clearly and succinctly, inform that you have a peaceful protest underway, its location and the purpose. Be calm and businesslike, not urgent or lecturing.

For example: “This is Zazu Pitts with Rainforest Action Network. This morning we are conducting a peaceful, nonviolent protest against Unocal’s destruction of the Amazon. Five minutes ago, two climbers scaled to the top of Unocal’s headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, and they’re going to stay there until the company agrees to meet with us.”

At that point, they’ll usually say: “Send us a press release.” Tell them one is on its way, then say something like: “I just wanted to tell you the protest is going on right now at 123 Main Street, let you know how to reach us, and see if I can answer any questions for you.” They’ll either say no thanks, or start asking questions. For an action in a major U.S. metropolitan area, these will almost surely be the first few calls you make:

The Associated Press
United Press International and/or Reuters
The 3 or 4 leading TV news stations
The 2 or 3 leading radio news stations
The local newspaper

If you’re in a smaller town – one without an AP bureau or TV station – your first calls may be the local newspaper and radio station. But get in touch with the closest AP office as soon as possible.

During the action

• Do not keep calling back with updates, unless they are truly big and unexpected developments. If the outlets are interested, they will be following the action through the authorities.

• With cellular telephones, it is now common for action protesters to speak live to the news media from where they are hanging or locked down. News radio stations in particular love this, so if you didn’t reach them at the beginning of the action, keep trying and make sure they know they can go live to the site.

• It’s best to let the people who are actually engaged in direct action deliver the message – it adds undeniable authenticity to the coverage. As media coordinator you should of course also be prepared to deliver crisp, on-message soundbites.

But your main responsibility is to help journalists do their jobs.

• Reporters will ask all kinds of questions unrelated to the action’s message – How do they go to the bathroom up there? You should be ready to provide a courteous answer that nonetheless quickly turns back to the topic at hand. (“They wear diapers. It’s inconvenient, but that’s nothing compared to the danger this toxic waste poses to this community.”)

After the action

When the protesters are arrested, or leave peacefully, or whatever marks the end of the action, call the main outlets mentioned above (at least, those that showed any interest at all) and tell them that the protest ended, what time it ended, and the outcome. Again, make sure they know where you can be reached the rest of the day – and often the following day. If there were arrests and people are released later that day, call again with that update.

1. Finalize the press release.

If at all possible, keep it to one page. Spell-check it. Proofread it. Get someone else to proofread it again. Print it, copy it and add it to the press kits. (An example of a press release for a breaking-news action follows this checklist.)

2. Alert all media you can trust, and who might possibly want to be on the scene, that the action is going down.

Obviously, there are times when you can’t tell anyone. The local newspaper may be in the pocket of the industry you’re hitting. The TV anchor in a small market may not know enough not to “accidentally” break a pledge of confidentiality. But in general, if you approach the news media straightforwardly and make sure that you’re off the record, they will honor your request to keep the information confidential.

Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and take a chance, because if news outlets know what’s coming you’re almost certain to get better coverage. But do not, under any circumstance, fax them the press release, or anything else except a map – nothing on paper until the action is safely under way. Faxes can be lost or intercepted.

Ideally, you should speak directly with the reporter who’s going to cover the story. If that’s not possible, you should ask to speak to the city editor of a newspaper, and the assignment editor of a TV or radio station. Be prepared to tell them in 30 to 60 seconds what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and why it will make a good story. Make sure they get the exact time and place of the action, and phone numbers where you or someone else on the media team can be reached from that moment until the action.

The best time to do this round of calls is the late morning or early afternoon before the action. Before 11 a.m., most editors are in meetings; after 4 p.m. they are on deadline and they will not want to talk to you. If you can’t call before 4 wait until 7 p.m. and call the night editor.

If you know you’ll have reporters on the scene when the action starts – or even think you might have some – do whatever you can to keep news cameras away from the actual site until the action is underway. Have them meet you at a nearby staging area and take them in once your activists are in place. Or tell them to be there half an hour after you expect things to be in place, if you can control the timing that closely.

The night before the action

1. At a meeting of everyone involved – action people, ground protesters, support people – go over the press release, emphasizing the main message and the lead sound bite.

Spend some time with everyone who might possibly be in an arrest or interview situation, letting them practice the sound bite or variations on it. If there are too many of you, partner off and practice in pairs.

One week to a few days before the action

1. Write a draft press release. Circulate the draft release to the media team. Discuss and revise, discuss and revise, until it’s perfect or you need to move on.

Remember: The press release is not the message. It also is not the action. The action is the message. The press release is an advertisement to get the media to cover your action. The first two paragraphs are far more important than the rest of the release; the headline is even more important than that.

2. Make a list, with phone and fax numbers, of every news outlet you can think of that might be interested in the story.

If you have time before the action, consult a media directory. The standard national references are the Bacon’s News Media Guides, with geographically indexed volumes for print and broadcast. (Bacon’s, 332 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60604.) They’re expensive, but available in good libraries. Or try to find a directory for your state or region, which may be published by a press club or the like. In a pinch, get out your Yellow Pages.

Check the phone number and fax number listed in the directory to make sure they’re correct. Prioritize this list in order of most important outlets, but remember: The Associated Press is (almost) always first.

3. Begin practicing sound bites and mock interviews with the media team.

If someone’s never been interviewed on camera and you have one available, videotape each other, play it back and look carefully for anything – words, gestures, expressions, mannerisms, posture – that doesn’t enhance effective communication. Practice until you eliminate those things.

4. Decide what supplementary materials – fact sheets, background papers, maps, etc. – are needed for the press kit.

Assemble the materials and folders to put them in. Get them all ready to go, except for the press release, which you’ll add after any last-minute changes.

A few days to one day before the action

Gut check: Decide if it’s safe to tip off key reporters in advance.

If there are one or two reporters whose coverage is key, and you decide they can be trusted, approach them now – strictly off the record – and let them know what’s going to happen. You may find out they’ll be out of town, but they can tell you who will be covering in their place. They may tell you they live two hours away, so they need extra notice. They may want to cover the action from a strategic vantage point. Make adjustments to accommodate them if you can, but never at the expense of a safe, effective, authentic action.

One month to one week before the action

1. Decide what person or persons will be in charge of media strategy. The benefits of consensus aside, it is nearly impossible to write a press release, focus on a key sound bite, contact key reporters, or accomplish any other media tasks by committee. So empower a media team to make these decisions, and let them do their jobs without second-guessing and micro-managing.

The most logical makeup of the media team is a media coordinator, an action coordinator and the lead campaigner. During the action itself, each of these people will likely be stationed at a point where they can serve as media spokespersons. If the media coordinator is to be stationed at the action site, you need one more member of the team: Someone to stay in an office and work the fax machine (unless you have on-site fax capability).

2. Settle on one simple message. Accept it: You’re not going to be able to communicate all the points, sub-points and shades of gray about the issue you’d like to. An action is like a freeway billboard, designed to hammer home one – and almost always only one – message. If you can’t focus on one issue that’s the main reason you’re doing the action, you shouldn’t be doing the action at all.

3. Choose a strong image that clearly communicates the message. Remember the freeway billboard: With one glance it is (or should be) unmistakable what product or idea is being sold. Ideally, your action should communicate the message without any words of explanation – and always in as few as possible.

If you find yourself saying, “They’ll understand it when they read the banner,” your image isn’t clear enough. But the banner, which will probably contain language very similar to the sound bite, must also be capable of communicating the message on its own. You may not pull off the image; or you may not get the banner up; each, therefore, has to be able to stand alone.

4. Craft sound bites that communicate the message and enhance the image. Assemble the media team. Take out a legal pad. Lock the door. Throw out short, simple, declarative sentences that express your message. (Remember: The average soundbite on U.S. TV is less than 10 seconds.) Write them down. Stay in the room until you have five that might work. From five, choose three. From three, choose one. Shape and refine it until it’s as close to perfect as hard work and creativity can make it.

5. Choose a date and hour for the action that will maximize your chances for coverage.

Sometimes you have to do an action when it is possible to do it, or when it’s safe to do it. But if circumstances permit you to choose the date and time, make your choices with the media’s convenience in mind. Again, there’s no formula, but there are some general rules of thumb:

Morning is better than afternoon. Almost no event short of a major catastrophe gets covered on the evening news, or in the next morning’s paper, if it occurs after 3 p.m.

Monday through Thursday are the best days, and Monday’s best of all, because the later you go in the week, the greater the chance that some other big story will come along and blow you off the news map. Avoid Friday (lowest TV viewership Friday night; lowest newspaper readership Saturday morning; lots of competing news.). Saturday and Sunday are also not the best, because news outlets operate with skeleton crews on weekends.

Combining the above guidelines, we arrive at the theoretical best time for a hypothetical action: 10:30 a.m. on Monday, after news crews have reported to work for the day, but before they’ve got other stories going.

But that’s assuming your action occurs in a news vacuum, which it won’t. Try to time the action so that it either anticipates or responds to an event the media will recognize as a story – “the news peg.” If the President plans to sign the bill you’re protesting on Thursday, do your action on Wednesday.

Checklist for Effective Direct Action Media

The most famous description of American TV is “a vast wasteland” – and that was 40 years ago. Now it’s much worse: A study by Rocky Mountain Media Watch found that the average local TV station runs so much mayhem and fluff – crime, disaster, pets, sex, showbiz – there’s almost no time for real news. The networks are more serious, but focus heavily on Washington politics. Still, a creative, timely direct action with good visuals can get coverage – and the vast wasteland has a vast audience.

LOCAL TV:
Very few local television stations, even in the largest cities, have reporters assigned specifically to cover the environment – or any other specialized topic, for that matter. Almost all TV reporters are generalists and, while exceptions do exist, employed more for their hair than for reporting ability.

Add to this the fact that TV reporters are often assigned to cover two or even three stories a day, forcing them to race from story to story with only the most cursory research and preparation. You’ll begin to see why local TV news is so shallow – forcing you, the activist, to make your message as simple and easily understood as possible in order to have any chance at accurate coverage.

The gatekeeper at the local station – the person to whom you want to get your press release and make your pitch – is the news assignment editor. But since this is TV, it’s not enough to have a relevant story and coherent soundbites. TV needs pictures – preferably pictures of people in action.

A creative direct action should, of course, provide such pictures – but even that’s not enough unless it’s staged well. Choose a setting for your action that’s not only visually interesting, but also symbolizes your issue. For example, if you’re protesting a federal law that prohibits citizens from filing appeals against off-shore drilling, stage your action on the steps of the US courthouse. But if your main message is the irresponsibility of the company responsible for the drilling, take your action to company headquarters.

Here are some other ways to add visual interest to your direct action:

• Banners, of course. Banners should not only express your message, but should be designed for easy reading at a distance. This means that not only should all the colors and symbols used be legible, but the banner itself must be big enough to be seen against whatever backdrop you’re hanging it on.

• Clothing. Sometimes, what your activists are wearing can tell the story as well or better than a banner. For example, for a protest at a toxics facility or nuclear dump, dress everyone in haz-mat suits. If you’re raising hell at a stockholder’s meeting, dress up as caricatures of fat-cat capitalists. Or skip the banner altogether, and have your message spelled out in letters on the protesters’ t-shirts.

THE NETWORKS:
Much of what we just said about local TV applies also to the networks – although, thankfully, national news broadcasts tend to have somewhat less fluff and filler than their local affiliates, and reporters may actually have time to research a story. But because the networks have only 22 minutes a day to cover the world (or pretend to), it’s much less likely that they will cover a direct action as breaking news. You may see a snippet of an action included as part of a larger feature story on the issue, or a very brief mention of an action that made international news. But in such instances, the networks are most likely to have gotten their footage from a local affiliate. Therefore, concentrate on getting your action covered by local TV, but send press releases and make follow-up calls to the networks and let them know a local affiliate was present. If they want the footage, they’ll let the affiliate know.

CABLE:
The great exception to the rules of local and network TV is, of course, Cable News Network. CNN has an enormous news hole to fill – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – so if your action features a relevant message and good visuals, it has a pretty good chance of getting on.

Although CNN’s audience, at any given moment, is only about 1 million (compared to 5 to 10 million for the ABC, CBS or NBC evening news), it is a tremendously influential audience – journalists, policy makers and news junkies. Try to bring your action to the attention of either the local CNN bureau chief, or to the Environment Unit at world headquarters in Atlanta. CNN is more likely to send a crew to your action than the networks, but remember, they also have the capability of borrowing local footage.