--- Pete Wirth <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 10:17:38 -0400
> To: "Bob G." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> From: Pete Wirth <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: Activists & The Mass Media - Use
> this version
>
>
> Bob - >
> I just noticed I sent you a version of the
> article that left a paragraph
> out. Use this version. Thanks, Pete
>
>
> >>Activists & The Mass Media
> >>
> >>*Martin Luther King had a favorite saying,
> "One tiny little minute, just
> >>sixty seconds in it. I can't refuse. I dare
> not abuse it. It's up to me
> >>to use it." Today we call it the sound bite.
> >>
> >>King and Andrew Young, who was the resident
> Southern Christian Leadership
> >>Conference (SCLC) expert in dealing with the
> media understood the
> >>importance of the role of the media,
> particularly the new technology of
> >>television.
> >>
> >>In the planning session for Birmingham, Young
> emphasized the need for a
> >>new kind of daily message, one that was
> visual and which would dramatize
> >>the purpose of the campaign each day.
> >>
> >>King and Young knew that if they were to move
> the Kennedy administration
> >>into supporting a broad civil rights bill,
> they had to have public
> >>opinion on their side.
> >>
> >>*The Movement Today
> >>
> >>*The lessons of the civil rights movement
> under King and Young's
> >>leadership are extremely important for
> activists today. They are as valid
> >>today as when they were being employed in the
> in the civil rights
> >>campaign in Birmingham, Alabama in the early
> 60's.
> >>
> >>If we are to be successful in our campaigns
> we need to mobilize public
> >>opinion to support our efforts. It is highly
> unlikely that a handful of
> >>activists, no matter how dedicated or
> righteous will achieve their goals
> >>if the majority of the public does not
> support their efforts or
> >>sympathize with their goals.
> >>
> >>However, as the early civil rights activists
> demonstrated, a relatively
> >>small number of activists can achieve
> dramatic results when their message
> >>is amplified and dramatized through the mass
> media.
> >>
> >>
> >>*The Activist "Corporate Culture" Regarding
> the Media
> >>
> >>*In my role as a public relations consultant
> I am in contact with
> >>progressive organizations across the country
> involved with a variety of
> >>issues. On the press side, I work with local,
> national and international
> >>media..
> >>
> >>In my 30 plus years as an activist, there are
> two dominant messages that
> >>stand out regarding activists and lack of
> coverage generated by the mass
> >>media usually referred to as the corporate
> media. If there isn't coverage
> >>of an event the reason given is usually
> because of "corporate control of
> >>the media or the media doesn't care about our
> events."
> >>
> >>I have never heard an activist say we didn't
> get media coverage because
> >>our press work was poor or our media strategy
> was flawed. There seems to
> >>be an attitude that the media owes us
> coverage on our activities
> >>regardless of what we do.
> >>
> >>This produces an environment where low
> priority is placed on developing
> >>public relations skills, allocating resources
> for press work and making
> >>the integration of a media plan as part of
> the overall strategy a priority.
> >>
> >>In the community where I live I can only
> remember one media training
> >>workshop offered in 30 years by an activist
> organization. It was
> >>cancelled due to a lack of interest.
> >>
> >>
> >>*Why Activists Don't Embrace Press Work
> >>
> >>*Having worked both sides of the fence, as an
> activist for 30 years and a
> >>professional public relations consultant for
> 14 years, I have a number of
> >>observations.
> >>
> >>Press work by its nature is a solitary
> activity. It is you and the mediaa
> >>reporter, editor or producer. You draft a
> press release and make a
> >>"pitch" to an individual. It is essentially
> sales.
> >>
> >>You and many other individuals are competing
> for limited "news holes."
> >>You have some piece of news;newsan event, a
> speaker, an op-ed piece ....
> >>that you want to sell to someone from the
> media to cover or accept so you
> >>can get a message to the public.
> >>
> >>Press work is very different than most
> activities that activist
> >>participate in and has a different emotional
> feel to it.
> >>
> >>Having gone to numerous demonstration and
> vigils; traveled on delegations
> >>to Nicaragua; participated in civil
> disobedience; conducted voter
> >>registration drives in Mississippi;
> leafletted; organized speaking
> >>presentations and tours ----- I know these
> activities are empowering and
> >>positive experiences. I've made friends and
> have many fond memories of
> >>events over the years.
> >>
> >>Press work is not a community building
> experience and for most activists
> >>doesn't have that empowering feel to it that
> a demonstration or vigil does.
> >>
> >>It can also be extremely frustrating. You can
> do everything right and
> >>still get your story bumped by some breaking
> news event. The day before I
> >>had a client scheduled for the Diane Rheme
> Show 9/11 happened and my
> >>client was cancelled.
> >>
> >>
> >>*Press Work is Essential
> >>
> >>*There is no way to affect public opinion
> unless you use the mass media.
> >>
> >>Newsletters, speaking presentations, videos,
> web sites etc. are all
> >>appropriate means of communication. It is
> important for activists to
> >>communicate with each other.
> >>
> >>
> >>At some point however, we either reach out to
> the larger community or
> >>speak to ourselves. Newsletters, speaking
> presentations etc by their very
> >>nature reach self-selecting, generally small
> audiences.
> >>
> >>The reality is that ninety nine percent of
> the people in any community
> >>will not come to hear a speaker or come to a
> video showing. People get
> >>their news of the world through the media..
> Either we get our message
> >>into the mass media or we reach an extremely
> small audience.
> >>
> >>To affect public policy we need to have
> public opinion on our side.
> >>
> >>*Benefits of Press Work
> >>
> >>*Besides the obvious benefit of getting our
> message before a larger
> >>audience there is an extremely important
> additional benefit. Press work
> >>forces you to integrate yourself into the
> community.
> >>
> >>There is a tendency with any organization to
> be insular. Activist
> >>organizations are no different. I am always
> surprised at the amount of
> >>material I receive via e-mail that is
> essentially one progressive
> >>activist talking to another progressive
> activist.
> >>
> >>In the process of drafting a press release,
> making a pitch to a talk show
> >>producer or writing an op-ed piece, you
> reflect on what language you need
> >>to use to convince that person to accept what
> your selling to reach a
> >>particular audience.
> >>
> >>*Good News
> >>
> >>*Significant press coverage can be generated
> on a limited budget. I send
> >>press releases domestically and around the
> world to the Middle East and
> >>BBC in London by e-mail at no cost. I've been
> able to generate local,
> >>national and international coverage and in
> the process reach tens of
> >>millions of people.
> >>
> >>A few years ago, I did the press work for a
> ten city U.S. speaking tour
> >>sponsored by Partners for Peace for three
> women from the Middle
> >>East. Their message reached an estimated
> audience of over 200 million
> >>people between local, national and
> international coverage.
> >>
> >>Hank Strunk's trip from Syracuse to Cuba ten
> years ago with Pastors for
> >>Peace generated over 40 news interviews in a
> two month period. A
> >>volunteer committee generated the coverage at
> the cost of a few postage
> >>stamps.
> >>
> >>*The Future for Activists
> >>
> >>*The amount of news coverage an organization
> generates is largely a
> >>matter of how high a priority an organization
> places on getting their
> >>message before the public.
> >>
> >>Public relations is a skill. The more
> proficient activists become at
> >>writing press releases; understanding the
> importance of timing, news pegs
> >>and follow up; developing working relations
> with reporters and planning
> >>their activites with the media in mind . the
> more likely they will
> >>generate news coverage.
> >>
> >>The activist community is barely scratching
> the surface of what is
> >>possible in regard to getting their message
> before the public. Time will
> >>tell whether activists will rediscover the
> lessons of Martin Luther King
> >>and the Civil Rights Movement in their
> strategic use of the media. to
> >>achieve their goals.
> >>
> >>*Peter Wirth is CEO of GW Associates, a
> progressive public relations
> >>consulting firm.
> >>For additional info. on working with the
> media go to
> >>_www.come.to/public.interest.media
> >>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >>
> >>*Sidebar
> >>
> >>Seven secrets to successful media work.
> >>
> >>* Purchase a media traing guide. "Making the
> News - A Guide for Activists and
> >>Nonprofits" is a good beginners guide.
> Westview Press, 800-386-5656
> >>* Accept that at times you will strikeout. It
> happens to everyone.
> >>* Think long term and never burn your bridges
> with editors and producers.
> >>You will have to go back to them.
> >>* Develop working relationships with
> reporters and become identified as
> >>sources for good stories.
> >>* Think about news from the perspective of
> people inside the newsroom.
> >>* Think visually and exploit "photo
> opportunities" to get your message
> >>across.
> >>* Finally, reporters are people. Thank them
> for considering your story
> >>even when they say no.
> >
> >
> >--
> >Rania I. Kiblawi
> >Public Affairs Coordinator
> >Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
> >Georgetown University
> >ICC 241, Box 571020
> >37th and O Sts, NW
> >Washington, DC 20057-1020
> >Phone: 202-687-6215
> >Fax: 202-687-7001
> >email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >web: www.ccasonline.org
>
> GW Associates
> 702 S. Beech
> Syracuse, NY 13210
> 315-476-3396
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://come.to/public.interest.media
>
>
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