> The tendency is to do things that attract the media because we want
> our goals and positions publicized. But Ya reallly reallly *really* gotta have
> focused, informed participants that know how to communicate effectively,
> or that media publicity usually turns out to be media nightmare in some
> way or another, usually commandeered by the *last* people you'd want
> blabbering in front of a camera only to be made to look stupid(as well as
> your cause) by that 30 seconds(it ain't 15 minutes) of fleeting notoriety.
I understand the importance of communicating effectively to the media. I've done enough media work over the years to understand this. I also understand that even if you do things right, the media will often say whatever they want about you and your comrades.
Yes, there is a tendency among activists to revolve our tactics around media attention. In fact, this seems to be the dominant goal of most protest. I've long thought that this is a misdirected strategy, because groups and campaigns lose sight of what they can win without orienting their tactics around corporate media coverage.
Chuck