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Occupy the Media!

Press Relations 101







Occupy Chicago Press Committee // OccupyChi.org
press@occupychi.org I @OCPress I facebook.com/PressComm
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Table of Contents:

4. Introduction

5. Building your Media List

11. Setting up Points of Contact and Social Media

12. Writing your Press Release

24. Sending your Press Release

25. Making Follow-Up Calls

26. Collecting Your Clips

28. Messaging and Talking Points

33. Training Speakers and Giving Interviews

33. Managing Interview Requests

34. Setting up a Press Conference

36. Interacting with Reporters at Events and Actions


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1. Introducti on:

Let's be cleai: the coipoiate meuia is owneu by the 1%, anu will ultimately piotect
theii inteiests at any cost. That saiu, the coipoiate meuia also they ieaches a
massive auuience - anu we can use theii outlets to get the woiu out about the
0ccupy movement to people who may not attenu oui actions anu events, oi follow
us on social oi inuepenuent meuia.

This is a step-by-step guiue to managing a basic meuia campaign foi an 0ccupation
oi activist oiganization. You can uownloau this guiue at:
Neuia lists foi Niuwest cities anu states can be founu:

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2. Bui l di ng Your Medi a Li st

Youi fiist step is iuentifying who you want to ieach in the coipoiate piess, anu foi
that you builu a meuia list. A simple meuia list is usually an Excel uocument (oi a
spieausheet style uocument built in open souice, fiee softwaie like 0pen0ffice oi
google uocs) that contains contact infoimation foi vaiious meuia outlets. It can also
be houseu in a uatabase, anu theie aie seveial (expensive) online seivices you can
use as well.

The types of meuia you'll neeu to compile contact infoimation foi incluue:

"#$%& '()*+#+(,*

The 16uu-plus uaily newspapeis - "uailies" - in the 0niteu States pioviue an
estimateu 11S million inuiviuuals with theii piimaiy souice of news eveiy uay.
Bailies appeai in moining anuoi evening euitions seven uays a week. You uon't
neeu all of these - just the uailies that impact youi iegional maiket.

-((.%& '()*+#+(,*

Weekly newspapeis (oi "weeklies") aie usually eithei subuiban papeis founu in
close pioximity to laige cities oi iuial papeis that pioviue isolateu aieas with a link
to the neaiest town oi county seat - although many neighboihoous in laige uiban
aieas also incluue community newspapeis that uiop once a week oi so. They may be
offeieu foi sale at newsstanus, by subsciiption, oi uistiibuteu fiee of chaige.

Weeklies piimaiily focus on events anu issues that aie uiiectly tieu to the
communities they seive. Nost weeklies also offei a calenuai of aiea events. Contact
the calenuai euitoi about upcoming community meetings oi othei events - because
with weeklies, getting youi event listeu in theii calenuai section is one of youi goals.

Nany weeklies aie also unueistaffeu anu have a limiteu ability to leave the
newsioom to covei events, so often the iepoiteis will wiite stoiies fiom piess
ieleases oi inteiviews.

-$,( /(,0$1(*

Wiie seivices, such as the Associateu Piess (AP), Reuteis oi Agence Fiance, aie
national oi inteinational news oiganizations that pioviue piint anu bioaucast meuia
aiounu the countiy with up-to-the-minute news. The infoimation is tiansmitteu
uiiectly into the newsioom thiough telephone lines, miciowave signals, oi othei
electionic means of ueliveiy.

Wiie stoiies, especially those conceining out-of-town news, aie fiequently pickeu
up anu iun veibatim by piint anu bioaucast outlets. Niu-size anu smallei news
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oiganizations iely heavily on the wiies foi coveiage outsiue of theii aieas. Eveiy
laige news oiganization subsciibes to at least one wiie seivice to keep abieast of
news anu to back up its own opeiations. Anu with newsiooms acioss the countiy
laying off moie anu moie woikeis, wiie seivices have become inuispensable foi
pioviuing coveiage outsiue a news outlet's immeuiate aiea - anu sometimes even in
theii aiea! Foi that ieason, it is ciitical to be incluueu in wiie stoiy coveiage - anu
get youi stoiy out to local bianches of wiie seivices.

2#3#4$5(*

Nagazines geneially offei moie compiehensive, in-uepth coveiage of a subject than
newspapeis. Consequently, they also uemanu longei leau times. uetting coveieu in a
magazine usually iequiies auvance planning anu a pioactive meuia stiategy.

Nany magazines have euitoiial calenuais, which pioviue infoimation about special
issues oi featuies planneu foi the yeai. To finu out what a magazine has planneu,
iequest an euitoiial calenuai fiom the magazine's auveitising uepaitment at the
beginning of each yeai.

6(%(0$*$75

Think "pictuies" when you think of television news. Television is uiffeient fiom all
othei meuia in that it uemanus visual piesentation of youi message. Tiy to uevise
cieative ways to eniich the visual aspects of the stoiy you aie tiying to tell. Stage
visually appealing events anu highlight oppoitunities foi television iepoiteis to
show people in action.

8#9$7

The influence of iauio bioaucasteis in the uaily lives of Ameiicans is often giossly
unueiestimateu anu occasionally altogethei oveilookeu by even the most
expeiienceu meuia stiategists. Rauio is often uesciibeu as the "captive electionic
meuium" because it ieaches people while they aie uoing othei things - in theii cais,
on the way to anu fiom woik, in theii homes anu offices, even while they exeicise
with a Walkman.

Rauio piogiamming offeis a vaiiety of foimats foi communicating to a numbei of
uistinct auuiences. News piogiams pioviue a vehicle foi ieleasing impoitant anu
bieaking news. Rauio newscasts usually aii at least twice eveiy houi, allowing youi
statement to be euiteu into many sounu bites foi iepeateu use thioughout the uay.

:%73*

A blog is a peisonal jouinal publisheu on the web consisting of uisciete entiies
("posts") typically uisplayeu in ieveise chionological oiuei so the most iecent post
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appeais fiist. Blogs aie usually the woik of a single inuiviuual, occasionally of a
small gioup, anu often aie themeu on a single subject.

The most impoitant tip foi anyone seeking to builu bloggei ielations is to taiget
youi pitch to the iight bloggeis - bloggeis that aie a veitical fit foi youi message,
bloggeis that aie open to being pitcheu, anu bloggeis that offei the netwoik that will
help youi stoiy tiavel.

;11<+$(9 2(9$#

0ccupieu meuia is ueuicateu to coveiing the 0ccupy movement, anu incluues outlets
like the 0ccupieu Chicago Tiibune anu the 0ccupieu Wall Stieet }ouinal. Some
outlets aie in piint, while otheis aie stiictly online. Nost will take a look at piess
ieleases, but woulu iathei have aiticles submitteu.

=59&>(9$# #59 /(%?@A<B%$*C$53 -(B*$D(*

The Inuepenuent Neuia Centei (also known as Inuymeuia oi INC) is a global
paiticipatoiy netwoik of jouinalists who iepoit on political anu social issues. It
oiiginateu uuiing the Seattle anti-WT0 piotests woiluwiue in 1999 anu iemains
closely associateu with the global justice movement, which ciiticizes neo-libeialism
anu its associateu institutions. Inuymeuia anu othei self-publishing sites use an
open publishing anu uemociatic meuia piocess that allows anybouy to contiibute.














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You want to incluue the name of the outlet, the citystate it is locateu in, the name of
the iepoitei (if you'ie not just senuing an email to the newsioom in geneial), theii
email, phone numbei, anu website.

The best way to finu a meuia list is to ask aiounu. 0thei activist oiganizations,
unions, anu community gioups may have lists to lenu you. Local PR fiims may want
to help out, anu you can tiy giving them a call anu asking foi a basic local meuia list
as well.

Illinois State Media List:

Outlet Name Title City Email Address Phone

Associated
Press Jim Suhr
Corresp-
ondent Southern IL 214-241-8754
Capitol Fax Blog State-Wide capitolfax@gmail.com

Pantagraph Newsroom Bloomington newsroom@pantagraph.com 309-829-9000
WJBC FM
93.7 Newsroom Bloomington talk@wjbc.com 309-829-2345

Southern
Business
Journal News Carbondale news@thesouthern.com

Associated
Press
David
Mercer
Corresp-
ondent Champaign dmercer@ap.org 217-351-4094
The News-
Gazette Champaign 217-351-5252
Prospectus/
Parkland
College News Champaign prospectus.editor@gmail.com
WCID ABC
15 News Champaign news@wicd15.com 217-351-8538

Decatur
Tribune
Paul
Osborne
Editor/
Publisher Decatur decaturtribune@aol.com 217-422-9702
The Herald
& Review
Dave
Dawson
Managing
Ed. Decatur ddawson@herald-review.com 217-429-5151
The Herald
& Review
Theresa
Churchill
Senior
Staff
Writer Decatur tchurchill@herald-review.com 217-429-5151
WAND NBC
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News
Room Decatur news@wandtv.com 217-424-2500



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Anothei iesouice is ABYZ News Links, a site with almost eveiy meuia outlet,
eveiywheie in the woilu: www.abyznewslinks.com











1u
visit the site anu follow the links until you get to the meuia foi youi city oi town.
Click on each link to visit the web page of the outlets, anu finu the "contact us" link.
It's usually hiuuen at the bottom of the page in small letteis. It can take some
uigging, but most sites have a contact email foi the news uepaitment, oi foi specific
euitois anu iepoiteis.

As foi phone numbeis, tiy to finu the newsioom oi the news uesk. If you can't finu
that, copy uown the geneial phone numbei.

You'ie looking foi the geneial newsioom email (usually news the outlet). As fai
as taigeting inuiviuuals at outlets, look foi:
Newspapeis - News, Local oi City uesk, euitois, anu iepoiteis
Wiie seivices - Assignment euitois anu iepoiteis
Nagazines - Euitois anu iepoiteis
Television - Assignment euitois, oi the planning uesk (not anchois, they uon't
usually ueciue what will be iepoiteu on oi wiite stoiies)
Rauio - News uiiectois, oi iepoiteis

If you can't finu a contact email, look on the website foi a phone numbei, check the
online Yellow Pages, oi call 411. Wiie seivices aie not incluueu in ABZY News Links,
but theii offices can be founu thiough a google seaich (ie. Associateu Piess Chicago).
They aie also listeu in the yellow oi white pages. uive them a call, tell them you'ie
calling fiom 0ccupy XX, anu ask what the best email auuiess is to senu a piess
ielease to.

0ccupieu meuia can be founu thiough a google seaich, as can youi local oi iegional
Inuymeuia. You can post youi piess ieleases to Inuymeuia anu Infoshop.oig
youiself.

To finu blogs, seaich foi (Youi City) Blog, oi google the name of youi 0ccupation,
soit by uate (most iecent) anu see who is talking about you. If a bloggei seems
fiienuly to youi issues, finu the contact info foi them on theii site anu auu them to
youi list.

Aftei you finish builuing you list, you shoulu call thiough it to make suie youi
infoimation is coiiect. When you call each type of outlet, ask foi:
Newspapeis - The Local Besk
Wiie seivices - The Assignment Besk
Nagazines - The News Euitoi
Television - Assignment Besk
Rauio - The News Besk

When you call, say, "This is XX calling fiom 0ccupy XX. Is XX this the best email to
senu a news aleit oi piess ielease to."
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3. Setting up Points of Contact and Social Media

You'll neeu to set up ways foi the meuia to contact anu follow you. It's best if these
points of contact aie not foi inuiviuual people, but foi youi gioup's piess team.

G>#$%H Set up an account with a name that speaks foi itself, such as
0ccupyChi.meuiagmail.com
AC75(H Cieate a google voice account, which is fiee anu can be foiwaiueu to
multiple phones.
I#1(B77.H Nake a facebook page just foi youi piess team. You can post youi piess
ieleases as notes, anu post the coveiage anu clippings you get.
(see www.facebook.compiesscomm)
6)$DD(,H A twittei account can be useu just like facebook, to tweet ieleases anu
news coveiage.
(see 0CPiess on twittei)

You can eithei have seveial people checking youi email account, oi you can have it
foiwaiueu to a listseiv of people who aie willing to speak to iepoiteis anu give
inteiviews.

Youi phone numbei can be foiwaiueu to uiffeient people on uiffeient uays. The
peison the google voice numbei is foiwaiueu to shoulu be able to answei calls oi
get back to iepoiteis quickly, especially on uays of action anu the uay oi two befoie.






















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4. Writing your Press Release

The puipose of a piess ielease is to communicate infoimation about youi gioup oi
event to the meuia. You shoulu wiite it in unbiaseu language, as if it weie an aiticle
wiitten foi a newspapei. Save youi passion anu opinion foi the quotes you inseit
into the ielease.

1) At the top, you shoulu put a heauei foi youi gioup

2) Next, you'll iuentify the uocument as a NEBIA ALERT oi PRESS RELEASE, anu
uesignate it as INNEBIATE RELEASE oi ENBARu0 0NTIL (BATE)

S) Contact infoimation shoulu incluue a phone numbei anu email auuiess

4) If youi ielease is foi an event at a specific uate anu time, incluue that info at the
top

S) You heauline comes next, anu it shoulu cleaily state what the event is, who will be
theie, anu why it is happening

6) In youi fiist paiagiaph, explain the who, what, when, wheie, anu why of youi
action oi event.

7) Youi seconu paiagiaph can be a quote fuithei explaining the "why" behinu youi
event in the woius of someone fiom youi 0ccupation oi gioup.

8) Auu moie infoimation, anu peihaps anothei quote, in seveial moie paiagiaphs.
0nly in veiy iaie instances shoulu any ielease be longei than five paiagiaphs, oi
one page.

9) At the bottom, put links to fuithei infoimation, such as web sites foi the gioups
taking pait in the actions, facebook event pages, anu iecent news aiticles with
infoimation oi facts about the issues youi event is focuseu on.

1u) Last, put - XXX - oi - ENB - so the news outlet knows they ieceiveu the entiie
ielease, with nothing cut off.

0n the following pages aie examples of meuia aleits foi seveial types of actions anu
events, anu the coveiage that iesulteu fiom them. Take note of how the meuia picks
up quotes fiom the ieleases anu publishes them in theii aiticles. Also incluueu is the
0ccupy Chicago Piess Release Request foim.


1S
FOR PRESS RELEASES and BREAKING NEWS FOLLOW @OCPress on TWITTER or
SEE facebook.com/PressComm

Occupy Chicago // OccupyChi.org

MEDIA ALERT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: 773-417-6491, press@occupychi.org

Thursday 11/24
Peoples Parade: 9:30am, Michigan & Congress
State Street Occupation: 7am, State Street from Washington to Randolph

Occupy Chicago Gives Thanks:
Peoples Parade & State Street Occupation

CHICAGO 11/23 This Thanksgiving, Occupy Chicago asks supporters: What are you
thankful for? The Occupation is offering an alternative to the corporate-sponsored event
taking place on State Street, in the form of a Peoples Parade, where participants will
carry signs expressing their thankfulness that a better world is possible.

"We are thankful to be participating in a movement that is changing the world," say Jill
Meyers who will be marching in the Occupy Chicago Peoples Parade. "More
Chicagoans are identifying as part of the 99% every day. People of every age and
background, from every neighborhood in the city and suburbs, are coming together to
rescue our democracy from the financial institutions, corporations, and crooked
politicians who seem intent on destroying it."

The Occupy Chicago Peoples Parade will gather at 9:30am at Michigan and Congress,
site of the Occupy Chicago General Assembly. After the parade, the group will return to
Grant Park, where stories will be shared about the plight of the original occupants of this
land, the Native Americans, and other displaced peoples around the world.
See: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/245138785546919/

"Instead of watching a corporate parade, or fighting the crowds in the mall, we're inviting
people to participate in a community-based event, to share ideas about the positive
impact we can have on this city," says Mike Flint

A call has also gone out on Facebook to Occupy the McDonalds Thanksgiving Parade
on State Street. Organizers say they want to take advantage of media coverage of the
parade to advance the publics understanding of the Occupy movement.
See: http://www.facebook.com/PressCOMM#!/events/294845043867734/

For more information about Occupy Chicago, see OccupyChi.org, follow on Twitter
@OccupyChicago or #OccupyChi, or visit facebook.com/OccupyChicago

-30-


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For PRESS RELEASES and BREAKING NEWS see facebook.com/presscomm or follow
@OCPress on Twitter

Occupy Chicago // OccupyChi.org

MEDIA ALERT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: 773-417-6491, press@occupychi.org

Thursday: Occupy Chicago Participates in
National Day of Action November 17

3:30 pm: Occupy Chicago joins StandUp! Chicago to demand jobs, not cuts, from our
government! Rally at the Thompson Center (100 W. Randolph St), followed by a march.

5:30 pm: Occupy Chicago engages in a mass action at Jackson and LaSalle


CHICAGO 11/15/11 As part of a national day of action for jobs and economic justice on
Thursday, Occupy Chicago, Stand Up! Chicago and individuals from other labor and community
groups will be rallying and marching to, Resist austerity, reclaim the economy, and recreate our
democracy!

This day, originally conceived as part of a celebration of the two-month anniversary of Occupy
Wall Street, will now be a solidarity action in light of the raid on New Yorks encampment early
Tuesday morning. Occupy groups in 30 cities across the country will be participating in the day.

For too long now, regular citizens of this country have struggled while the richest thrived. Its time
to stand up against those who take advantage of hardworking Americans for their own excessive
profits. We demand economic justice! said Sam Sandmel, a college student with Occupy
Chicago.

3:30 pm: Occupy Chicago joins StandUp! Chicago to demand jobs, not cuts, from our
government! Rally at the Thompson Center (100 W. Randolph St), followed by a march.

5:30 pm: Occupy Chicago engages in a mass action at Jackson and LaSalle featuring large-scale
street theater with a sizeable number of participants, including individuals dressed as the 1%.
Immediately following, a march with individuals from many labor unions visiting corporations
who did not pay their fair share of taxes last year, followed by the daily General Assembly at
Congress and Michigan.

We stand in complete solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, said Megan Groves, an Occupy
Chicago committee volunteer. We are going to tell the world that you can raid a camp, but you
cant destroy a movement. We arent going anywhere, were going everywhere!

For the Facebook invitation to Thursdays event,
see: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=302706959748654

For more information about Occupy Chicago, see OccupyChi.org, follow on
Twitter @OccupyChicago or #OccupyChi, or visit facebook.com/OccupyChicago

For more information about Stand Up! Chicago, visit StandUpChicago.org

- END -
1S













Mayor 1% and Mayor 0.1%
!" $%&'(% )*+,-,,'.% / 0-%.-1%'"2 345 672 8966 / :;%'<-% 69=99 >) +?@

Early Tuesday morning, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg cleared the Occupy Wall Street protestors out of Zuccotti Park
in Lower Manhattan. He may have been following the example of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who cleared Grant Park of Occupy
demonstrators in a wee hours sweep.

Bloomberg and Emanuel are natural enemies of the Occupy movement, because they embody one of its chief complaints: the
super-wealthys excessive influence in politics. If millionaire Emanuel is Mayor 1%, billionaire Bloomberg is Mayor 0.1%.
More than a dozen Occupy members squatted outside Emanuels City Hall office until 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, protesting the
citys plan to eliminate six of its 12 mental health center. The mayors budget is expected to be approved in a near-unanimous
vote at this morning's City Council meeting.

On Thursday, Occupy Chicago will continue its protest against budget cuts by participating in a National Day of Action, along
with 30 other Occupy movements. It was originally planned to commemorate the two-month anniversary of Occupy Wall
Street, but will now serve as a solidarity action against the raid on Zuccotti Park.

Here is the schedule:

3:30 pm: Occupy Chicago joins StandUp! Chicago to demand jobs, not cuts, from our government! Rally at the Thompson
Center (100 W. Randolph St), followed by a march.

5:30 pm: Occupy Chicago engages in a mass action at Jackson and LaSalle featuring large-scale street theater with a sizeable
number of participants, including individuals dressed as the 1%. Immediately following, a march with individuals from many
labor unions visiting corporations who did not pay their fair share of taxes last year, followed by the daily General
Assembly at Congress and Michigan.

We stand in complete solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, said Megan Groves, an Occupy Chicago committee volunteer.
We are going to tell the world that you can raid a camp, but you cant destroy a movement. We arent going anywhere, were
going everywhere!

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Mayor-1-and-Mayor-01-133959418.html#ixzz1oSOMXuFQ



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For PRESS RELEASES and BREAKING NEWS see facebook.com/presscomm or follow
@OCPress on Twitter

Occupy Chicago // OccupyChi.org

MEDIA ALERT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: 773-417-6491, press@occupychi.org

The Occupation Gets Results:
Victories in Springfield, at UIC Highlight Growth of State-Wide Movement
Illinois House defeats corporate tax cuts; Mayor 1% cancels UIC speech

Chicago 12/01 Occupy Chicago and the Illinois Occupy movement are celebrating two victories
today. In Springfield yesterday, SB 397 (formally SB 405), which would have granted huge tax
credits to CME and Sears, was rejected by the Illinois House by a resounding 8 votes for and 99
votes against. Locally, Mayor 1% Emanuel canceled a speech at UIC after the campus
Occupation announced plans to confront him for his decisions to cut funding for schools and
public services.

SB 397 grants millions in corporate tax credits to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and
Sears, along with a small measure of tax relief for Illinois families. CME and Sears have both
threatened to leave the state if they do not receive these credits. On the floor of the Illinois House,
Rep. Monique Davis (D) of Chicago said, These mammoth companies, they want $150 million as
a gift from the state of Illinois, thats taxpayer money. According to the Illinois Policy Institute, the
controversial bill includes tax credits which amount to only $7.50 a year for the average family.

Occupy Chicago, Occupy Springfield, Make Wall Street Pay Illinois, SEIU, Citizen-Action Illinois,
and other groups coordinated a call-in campaign to elected officials and Governor Quinn, asking
them to vote down the request for more corporate tax breaks. Legislators reported receiving
numerous calls opposing the bill. Its important that we acknowledge the 99%, said Sen.
Kwame Raoul (D), Chicago.

Our movement is growing exponentially, says Joshua Kaunert, a participant in Occupy Chicago.
Occupy Chicago, neighborhood, campus, and suburban Occupations, and other Occupations
state-wide are fighting together to remove corporate influence and big money from politics. Our
victories will speak for themselves as we become more coordinated at the local and national
level.

This Friday, Mayor 1% Emanuel was scheduled to speak at UIC as part of the Future of
Chicago lecture series. After Occupy UIC announced they would attend the event in order to
confront the Mayor about his support for corporate interests at the expense of Illinois taxpayers,
Emanuel canceled, citing schedule changes. Former IBM executive and current City Chief of
Technology, John Tolva, will speak in his place.

Mayor 1% is running scared, hes afraid to face taxpayers after pushing to give our hard earned
dollars to his buddies in the corporate world, says Rachael Perrotta, a member of the Occupy
Chicago Press Committee. Corrupt politicians can run, but they cant hide from the Peoples Mic.
They can expect their public appearances to be Occupied until they start serving the interests of
the people.

Occupy UIC Face Book Event: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/204690382939807/

-END-
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Occupy Chicago marked another tally in their "win" column after Mayor Rahm Emanuel canceled a
planned appearance they had planned to protest on the University of Illinois at Chicago campus Friday.
On Thursday, the university announced that Emanuel would not be lecturing as part of their "Future of
Chicago" series as previously planned, and Occupy Chicago issued a press release claiming the cancellation
as a "victory" over "Mayor 1%."

"'Mayor 1%' is running scared, he's afraid to face taxpayers after pushing to give our hard earned dollars to
his buddies in the corporate world," Rachael Perrotta, an Occupy Chicago participant, said in a statement.
"Corrupt politicians can run, but they cant hide from the People's Mic. They can expect their public
appearances to be Occupied until they start serving the interests of the people."

The occupiers had planned to call Emanuel out for his support of extending tax breaks to corporations
including Sears Holdings and the CME Group, as NBC Chicago reported. The tax break package stalled
this week in Springfield, which the occupiers also took as a sign that a call-in campaign they'd conducted
alongside other groups including SEIU, Make Wall Street Pay Illinois and Citizen-Action Illinois was
successful.

The university, in an e-mail to its student body, stated that the mayor had to cancel his appearance "due to
schedule changes." John Tolva, the city's chief technology officer and a former IBM executive, was
scheduled to speak in his place, a lecture which occupiers also planned to protest. The university says
Emanuel has agreed to reschedule the appearance for next year.

The UIC protest was not have been occupiers' first skirmish with the mayor. Last Week, Occupy Chicago
protesters "mic-checked" the mayor as he delivered brief remarks at he opening of the "Lightscape: A
Multisensory Experience" holiday display in the city's Loop. The group was in the midst of marching to
City Hall to deliver a petition to Emanuel, asking for a 24-hour location where they can assemble for
demonstrations. They also want to see previous charges against arrested occupiers dropped.

The mayor has previously described the Occupy Chicago protesters' frustrations as "understandable" but
was quick to add that he did not agree with the movement's solutions.

In other Occupy Chicago updates, the group's "Occupy the Hood" arm joined the Chicago Anti-Eviction
Campaign in a press conference discussing efforts to fight the foreclosure and tenant eviction of a home on
the city's Southwest Side. The groups are planning actions later this month as part of a "Home For The
Holidays" campaign.

"This is a diverse and city-wide coalition and we won't sit still while the banks destroy our communities,"
Occupy the Hood Chicago representative Loren Taylor said in a news release. "This is what occupation of
our neighborhoods will look like."

Elsewhere in the city, Occupy Chicago is also preparing for their first overnight encampment Sunday at the
New Beginnings Church, located at 6620 S. King Drive, where Pastor Corey Brooks has been occupying
the roof of the South Side church to protest violence in the area.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/02/occupy-chicago-claims vic_n_1126100.html?view=print&comm_ref=false
Occupy Chicago Claims Victory After Rahm
Emanuel Cancels UIC Appearance They Planned To
Protest
Fiist Posteu: 12u211 uS:S9 PN ET 0puateu: 12u211 uS:S9 PN ET


18
Occupy Chicago // OccupyChi.org

MEDIA ALERT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: 773-417-6491, press@occupychi.org

Press Conference
Friday, January 27 ~ 1:30pm
500 W Cermak, Suite 700
Enter at 2147 S. Lumber

Occupy Chicago Moves into New Space, Organizes for Chicago Spring
Press Conference to Highlight Area, Neighborhood, and Campus Occupations

Chicago 1/26 -- Occupy Chicago welcomes the media to our new space at 500 W. Cermak for a
press conference on Friday, January 27, at 1:30pm. Speakers will include participants in Occupy
Chicago, who will talk about our new home and our current and future organizing and goals.
Members of Chicagos area Occupations will also attend to speak about the impact our new
space will have on the citywide movement. In addition, representatives from Occupy our Homes,
Occupy the Dream, and National Nurses United will speak. This event is an opportunity for the
press to view our space and interview local Occupiers and our allies. Please note, the press is
only welcome in the Occupy Chicago space when invited for a special event, such as this press
conference.

Occupy Chicago moved into two units at 500 W Cermak on Friday, January 20th. These units,
3,100 and 2,489 square feet respectively, will be used for meetings, events, creating art and
music, educational teach-ins, generating literature and materials, and General Assemblies. The
space will not be used for sleeping, or as a point to rally at or march from.

Having a centrally located hub for the movement will greatly enhance communication and
collaboration between Occupations in Illinois and around the region, says Micah Philbrook,
Occupy Chicago committee member. The space will facilitate more effective organizing, bigger
events, and broader public outreach.

The choice to move to an indoor space was prompted primarily by Chicagos harsh winters.
Occupy Chicago is an open, inclusive movement, dedicated to accessibility. While we will
maintain a presence at Jackson & LaSalle, we believe furthering our organizing at the community,
citywide, national, and international levels can best happen in a safe, warm environment.

Occupy Chicago has issued an international call to Action for April 7, 2012. The date will serve as
a rallying point for Occupations to take to the streets and reinvigorate for a Spring full of action
and movement building.

Occupy Chicago has formed a working group to organize actions and events during the summits
in Chicago this May. Occupiers and other concerned individuals are expected to arrive by the
tens of thousands to speak out against the war and poverty spread by NATO and the G8.

Occupy Chicago knows that the First Amendment is our permit to organize and protest. We will
not heed Mayor 1%s call to sit down and shut up, says Rachael Perrotta, a participant in Occupy
Chicago. Get ready for the Chicago Spring. Come to our new space and be part of our
movement. Our General Assemblies are at 7pm on Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sat at 500 W. Cermak,
room 700. Together, we can remind our elected officials who hired them, and fight to get big
money and corporate influence out of politics.


- END -

19
A,73,(** =%%$57$*
http://progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2012/01/30/look-occupy-chicagos-new-office-space
David Milton Brent Monday January 30th, 2012, 3:49pm
A movement that began in the streets has graduated to 5,500 feet of Pilsen loft
space.

This past week, Occupy Chicago officially moved into its new home off Cermak Road, just south of the
loop. The organization will now legally occupy two units of converted loft space, which include bathrooms
and kitchens as well as stunning views of the surrounding industrial corridor.
The space will be used for meetings, events, creating art and music, educational teach-ins, generating
literature and materials, and General Assemblies, according to the groups press release. It will not be a
place for sleeping or rallying, common activities at the organizations former home on the downtown street
corner of Jackson and LaSalle.

Members of the organization and its allies gathered in the new space on Friday to speak with the media
about the importance of having a central location, as well as to publicize plans for various actions this
spring. Over 25 local activists and organizers stood with signs and placards, while nearly that number of
reporters and journalists wielded cameras, microphones, and pens to cover the event. In general, it will be
Occupy Chicagos stated policy not to allow members of the media into the loft except for special events
such as Fridays press conference.

Welcome to Chicago -- the real Chicago, Marissa Brown, a member of Occupy the Southside, told the
group of visiting journalists.

Added Crystal Vance Guerra of Occupy el Barrio: We are not just downtown [anymore]. We are
everywhere.

Speakers at the event represented nearly a dozen organizations and collectives, from Occupy outgrowths
such as Occupy Rogers Park, Occupy the Dream, and Occupy Our Homes, to unions such as the National
Nurses United (NNU) and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), to organizations with more specific causes,
like the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda (CANG8).

For too long, Chicago has been a city of neighborhoods divided, a city of causes divided...we [must] stand
in solidarity with each other, said Max Farrar of Occupy Chicago.

Martese Chism, a registered nurse and member of NNU, echoed the call for solidary: We believe that
either we go up together or we come down together. And we are not going down.

Occupy Chicagos decision to move into a permanent indoor space was motivated by practical as well as
symbolic concerns.

Zoe Sigman, a member of the organizations Housing Committee, said members first began looking for a
space back in November, when the coming of winter made meeting outside more difficult.
There was a distinct lack of spaces for us to organize in downtown, said Sigman. We were having
meetings in McDonalds and Panera.
Though the new space is owned by Occupy Chicago (funds donated to the group pay for rent), the
organization plans to use it as a central meeting place for its growing umbrella of related and affiliated
organizations.

Having a centrally located hub for the movement will greatly enhance communication and collaboration
between Occupations in Illinois and around the region, said Occupy Chicagos Micah Philbrook.

Evelyn DeHais, who is on the organizations Press Committee with Philbrook, said the space would also
allow people to interact face to face in a safe environment. I think having a base of operations will really
help people on a psychological level to feel comfortable, said DeHais. And she added, I think it will give
[Occupy Chicago] some credibility as an organizing group.

Indeed, though the space met many practical needs, it was this sense of long-term legitimacy that seemed to
inspire members of the expanding umbrella of Occupy organizations. For Marissa Brown, the move into
the loft proved that we are not only mature, logical, and unified people, but we are also here to stay.
2u
Occupy the Midwest // Occupythemidwest.org

MEDIA ALERT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: (314) 827-5048, occupythemidwest.press@gmail.com

Meet Me in St. Louis: Occupy the Midwest Regional Conference
March 15 to 18, St. Louis, MO

ST. LOUIS 2/13/12 The General Assembly of Occupy St. Louis invites Occupiers, allied organizations, and
individuals from across the country to gather at the Midwest Regional Conference in order to share
knowledge, experience, and resources, and to express solidarity.

We feel that connecting with each other is a vital step in elevating our movement to the next level, the
General Assembly of Occupy St. Louis said in a statement. No single Occupying group can take on a task
of this size alone. Our strength is in unity and in unity we will find our strength.

The first Midwest General Assembly will gather under the Gateway Arch at 7 pm on March 15th, 2012. We
do so in direct recognition of all who have lost their homes and livelihoods to corporate and political
mismanagement. The site under the Arch had previously been used as low income and working family
housing. It was taken forcefully from these families in order to build the monument.

The conference will take place March 15th to 18th. In commemoration of the six-month anniversary of the
Occupy Movement, conference participants will stage a non-violent direct action in celebration and
remembrance of the Occupation at Zuccotti park. A peaceful, non-violent demonstration is being planned as
well.

The objectives of this gathering are to:
Establish regional communication avenues to organize actions and the sharing of resources.
Share best practices and learn from each other on how we can be more effective in individual
Occupations.
Establish a Midwest General Assembly available to help any city in our region create direct actions,
expand movement participation, and achieve solidarity.
Establish systems by which to communicate effectively and efficiently, and act in solidarity both regionally
and nationally.

The Occupy movement has forced a global shift in consciousness, making income inequality and corporate
malfeasance standard dinner table conversation, says A.J. Segneri, who participates in Occupy Springfield,
Illinois. The top 1% own 42% of American wealth, strangling our democracy, buying our politicians, and
making it almost impossible for ordinary working people to feed and shelter their families. We are focused on
real change. Events like this conference will strengthen our movement, improving our coordination and
communication.

The conference will feature teach-ins, networking sessions, and protests, as well as social gatherings with
live music.

To donate funds or materials for this event:
Online: Visit https://www.wepay.com/donations/occupy-the-midwest
By Check: Make out to Keith Rose or Katherine Powderly, mail to P.O. Box 668 St. Louis MO 63188 (please
put Occupy Midwest in memo line)
Material Donations: Contact occupythemidwest@gmail.com

Regional working groups have formed to organize specific aspects of the event, with volunteers from
Midwest Occupations taking part in the planning. This conference has been endorsed by: Occupy Cedar
Valley (IA), Occupy Chicago, Occupy Columbia (MO), Occupy Des Moines, Occupy Madison, Occupy
Milwaukee, Occupy Minneapolis, Occupy Oklahoma, Occupy Riverwest (WI), Occupy St. Louis, Occupy
South Bend (IN), Occupy Springfield (IL), and Occupy Springfield (MO)

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/264828373580309/

- END -
21



By JIM SALTER | Associated Press pantagraph.com | Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 2:02 pm

ST. LOUIS Organizers of Occupy protests around the Midwest will gather next month in St. Louis,
pledging to emerge from a winter lull as a bigger and stronger force.

Occupy Midwest Regional Conference will start with a gathering at 7 p.m. March 15 beneath the Gateway
Arch, organizer Chuck Witthaus said Tuesday. A mass occupation will continue through March 18, but not
on the Arch grounds. Organizers arent disclosing the location.

Witthaus, of St. Louis, said peaceful protests are also planned, but he declined to discuss details.
Occupy movement supporters from about a dozen cities in seven states Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana,
Oklahoma, Minnesota and Wisconsin have confirmed they will attend. Participants in nearly 20 other
cities may also be there, Witthaus said. He projected that up to 3,000 people will participate.

Another organizer, Rachael Perrotta of Occupy Chicago, said the conference will build stronger ties between
the various Occupy movements and allow for better coordination of regional and national protests and
commemorations.

In order to move forward we need to build stronger ties between occupations, and between occupations
and their allies, Perrotta said.

The Occupy movement began in September in New York and spread to dozens of cities with protests
some drawing thousands of participants and tent cities. Protesters cite concerns about economic issues,
particularly high corporate profits and income inequality.

At the peak of the fall protests, more than 100 tents were set up in Kiener Plaza, a downtown St. Louis park.
One rally, a march to a Mississippi River bridge, drew more than 1,000 participants here.

But police in many cities shut down encampments late last year. There have been scattered protests over
the winter, but with mixed results. Just four people showed up for a planned protest last month at St. Louis
City Hall.

Perrotta said protesters arent as visible during winter but have been preparing for a busy spring.
In terms of massive physical actions, theres been a winter lull, but every occupation I know has been
organizing like crazy, getting ground work done to do actions in the spring, Perrotta said. When spring
begins I think youll see us back bigger and stronger than ever.

Occupiers in St. Louis came up with the idea for the conference, which Witthaus said will allow for a re-
emergence for the whole Midwest.

It wasnt immediately clear just how close to the Arch the protesters will be allowed to gather.
Ann Honious of the National Park Service, which operates the monument on the St. Louis riverfront, said a
permit required for gatherings and protests. The gathering will likely be in a designated area on the
sprawling Arch grounds, not directly beneath the structure.

We would need to talk to them because most of our areas dont hold that many people, Honious said.

Read more: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/occupy-midwest-regional-
conference-set/article_290044f2-5747-11e1-8770-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1oTPDf54l

22
OCCUPY CHICAGO PRESS RELEASE REQUEST FORM

This form is to help organize the writing and timely release of press announcements and
releases. Please do your best to have this formed filled out correctly and sent to the
press committee at press@occupychi.org NO LATER THAN 5 DAYS BEFORE THE
EVENT. This is important to ensure enough time to write, vote on, and edit our releases.
More notice also means more time to spread the word.

POINT OF CONTACT
Name:
Profession/Title:
Email:
Phone:

Has this event been approved by the GA?

Is this event on the Occupy Chicago Calendar?

Is there a Face Book page for this event?

WHO: What committees and/or organizations are involved?

WHAT: What will be taking place during this event?

WHERE: The address of the events location?

WHEN: What time does the event start, and when does it end?

WHY: Why is this event being held?

EXTRA: Anything additional about the event not covered above
2S
Occupy Chicago Press Release Request Guidelines & FAQ

1. What is a press release used for?
Occupy Chicago uses press releases to invite the media to events. They can also be
used to inform the media of issues and stories we would like to see covered, or to
update them on issues we are working on.

2. What are the Occupy Chicago rules and process for sending out releases?
Occupy Chicago only sends out a press release for events that are formally endorsed or
approved by the GA, and listed on the official Occupy Chicago calendar. We ask that
Committees and event organizers send us a press release request form at least five
days in advance.

Exceptions to the five-day lead will be considered depending on the circumstance, with a
hard deadline of 48- hours notice. No releases will be sent out for events not on the
calendar 48-hours before they are to occur, except in emergency situations. However,
we are more than willing to help write content for social media events and calls to action,
no matter the time frame. Internally, we write and edit over our listserv, and require three
approvals inside our Committee to send a release to the media. To publish a release or
call to action to the front page of the web site, we need three additional approvals from
other Committees as well.

3. When should a release be sent out?
The media should be invited to well-planned events that are newsworthy. For actions or
protests, this can include big numbers, flashy signs & banners, interesting street theater,
or to highlight our solidarity with a union or community organization. Other events that
may be release-worthy include special workshops or educational conferences,
fundraisers, and internal events (like special GAs, 100th day of Occupation, etc). If we
invite the media to an event, they should be able to walk away with the visual elements
they need to put together a good story.

4. When is sending out a release questionable?
If an action or event is planned at the last minute, there may not be enough time for
promotions and decent turnout. Some actions, like mic checks, work great with small
numbers and quick planning. Small numbers can make a newsworthy protest, as long as
there are strong visual elements, like costumes, or die-ins with fake blood, or arrests.
We want to stay away from sending out releases about 15-person single-issue protests,
with people in every-day clothes carrying signs. As an alternative to pre-event releases
for these types of events, you can request that a post-event release be sent to the
media. For this option, we still need advance notice of 5 days in most situations, and the
event organizer will need to coordinate video/photo coverage of the action, ideally
working with OC Visual Media.

5. What is an emergency situation?
The Press Committee will work with event organizers to get info to the media about
emergency situations and events. Emergency situations include actions where police
violence looks imminent. The media may not have been invited to these actions, or may
have already left. In these cases, please call the press hotline at 773- 417-6491 and we
will do everything we can to get cameras out right away. Emergency actions can include
solidarity actions when other Occupations are attacked, responses to big events in
Chicago, and late notice of appearances by mic check targets. Actions that do not fall
under these or similar categories will not be considered for press releases less than 48
hours before the event.

24
5. Sending your Press Release

Youi ielease shoulu be sent fiom you 0ccupation's piess team email account. You
shoulu nevei senu an email to moie than 2uu auuiesses at one time, oi you will be
maikeu as a spammei. If you meuia list is big, make suie to bieak it up into two oi
thiee emails.

In the To: fielu, put the email auuiess foi youi piess team
In the BCC: fielu, put the email auuiesses of the meuia outlets (You can copy the
whole column fiom youi spieausheet, paste it into the BCC fielu, anu hit TAB)
In the Subject: line, tiy to incluue the uate, time, anu location of youi action.
(ie. Tues 228, 4pm Enu Suppiession of 0ccupy Novement! }ackson & LaSalle)
In the bouy of youi email, paste youi ielease as plain text.

Some meuia outlets block attachments anu images. Nany iepoiteis aie too
busylazy to open an attachment. Plain text isn't flashy, but you can be suie it will
get thiough.

The best time to senu a ielease is eaily in the moining, just as iepoiteis anu euitois
aie getting to woik. This will put you at the top of theii inboxes.




2S
6. Making Follow-Up Calls

Aftei you senu youi ielease, you shoulu call thiough youi list to make suie it was
seen. Place a call to the numbeis you collecteu on youi meuia list. You shoulu ask foi
the contact you sent the email to, oi if you sent it to a geneial news auuiess, ask foi:
Newspapeis - The Local oi City Besk
Wiie seivices - The Assignment Besk
Nagazines - The News Euitoi
Television - Assignment Besk
Rauio - The News Besk

You can say something like, "Bi, this is Kate calling fiom 0ccupy Chicago to make
suie you saw oui ielease about Tuesuay's action calling foi an enu to the iepiession
of the 0ccupy movement." Tiy to keep it as shoit as possible.

0se common sense foi the timing of youi calls. Eaily moining is best. You shoulu
nevei call a Tv oi iauio station to check on a ielease close to oi uuiing theii news
bioaucast. You shoulu not call newspapeis neai the enu of the uay when they aie on
ueauline to finish up the next uay's papei.

If youi ielease was ieceiveu, say "uieat! We hope to see you theie, let us know if you
have any questions." If not, say "What is the best email auuiess to senu that ielease
to."
26
7. Collecting Your Clips

You will be able to finu most of youi clippings using uoogle News anu Yahoo News.

uo to www.google.com anu put the name of youi 0ccupation oi gioup into the
seaich box. Select "News" as the type of seaich, chose "past uay" oi "past houi"
uepenuing on when you last seaicheu, anu click "soit by uate" to make suie you'ie
seeing aiticles as they appeaieu. You can also set up a google aleit foi youi
0ccupation that will foiwaiu all of youi news aiticles to youi email account.

0thei ways to seaich foi clips incluue seaiching foi youi town's name anu the
woius piotest, uemonstiation, oi aiiests.

Tiy the same seaich on Yahoo news, which sometimes tuins up uiffeient aiticles
than google, notably Spanish-language piess.

Not all Tv clips make it to google iight away. To seaich foi those, go to the website
foi each outlet anu put youi 0ccupation's name in the seaich box oi look aiounu on
the fiont pages of the site.

0nce you've founu youi clips, post them to youi facebook page anu tweet them. If
you get coveiage of an event oi action befoie it staits, it can help get people exciteu
anu uiive them out foi the event.

Keep a iecoiu of the iepoitei anu outlet that coveieu you. If the iepoitei's email
auuiess is incluueu in the aiticle, auu them to youi meuia list.

27



28
8. Messaging and Talking Points

When you think about messaging to the meuia, ask youiself what the most
impoitant iueas behinu an action oi event aie. Tiy to put these into one sentence
each, anu iepeat them as many times as possible when speaking to iepoiteis.

Take a look at the Tv news. No one ieally gets moie than two sentences out. In
newspapeis, you'ie lucky to get a paiagiaph of youi inteiview quoteu.

Piess ielations is all about contiolling youi message. If you keep things shoit anu
simple, the meuia has a bettei chance of iepoiting the infoimation that is impoitant
to youi 0ccupation. If you speak at length, you aie moie likely to have less
impoitant info bioaucasteu, oi to have youi woius cut in a way that may uetiact
fiom youi oiiginal message.

Following is an example of the messaging anu talking points useu by 0ccupy Chicago
at the beginning of oui 0ccupation. You shoulu constantly upuate youi talking
points as the issues youi 0ccupation faces change. In auuition, you'll finu some
woiksheets anu tips on messaging.

29
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These talking points weie compileu with input fiom at least twelve membeis of the
piess committee. Theie is not space to use eveiy woiu eveiy peison saiu oi wiote,
but the *is* something in heie fiom eveiyone.

They ARE N0T:
- The "official" woiu of 0ccupy Chicago
- The only things people shoulu be saying to the piess
- Finisheu. This is a woik in piogiess!

They ARE:
- A iefeience foi anyone who woulu like to speak to the piess, oi anyone else, about
0ccupy Chicago. Auapt them foi youi own use.
- 0seful when wiiting piess ieleases, pamphlets, face book posts, tweets anu othei
communications


OP -C#D $* ;11<+& JC$1#37 #%% #B7<DQ

1. "It's about builuing community. We'ie cieating a foium foi uiscussion, wheie
giievances can be aiieu, engaging in the kinu of constiuctive uebate that no longei
takes place in politics, oi in the meuia. The people of this nation have much moie in
common with each othei, than we uo with oui leaueis."

2. "It's about hope, in a non-campaign kinu of way. We have no political agenua.
We'ie not all like-minueu people, but we have come togethei to solve a common
pioblem. We believe we can tuin Ameiica into a ieal uemociacy, wheie people have
powei, not politicians anu coipoiations."

S. "It's about uiveisity. We come fiom a vaiiety of social, ethnic, political, anu
ieligions backgiounus. We see a common ioaublock, that the wealthiest 1% contiols
moie than half oui wealth, using it to influence the uemociatic piocess anu the
meuia. That is not ieal uemociacy."

4. "It's about equality. We'ie saying that, just because you have moie money than
someone else, uoesn't mean you shoulu have moie of a say in the political piocess."

:P -C#D $* DC( 37#% 7? DC( ;11<+#D$75 >70(>(5DQ

1. "It's about finuing solutions. We uon't have a voice in oui cuiient political
stiuctuie, so we have taken to the stieets, occupying moie than 1,uuu cities aiounu
the woilu. We aie beginning a conveisation about how to put powei back in the
hanus of oiuinaiy people, taking it away fiom coiiupt politicians anu coipoiations.
Togethei, we will cieate a new system, built on social anu economic equality."

Su
2. "This movement is only a month olu. Right now, we aie opening up conveisations
with people of uiveise backgiounus, all aiounu the countiy. uive us time, anu we
will give you solutions."

JP -C#D $* DC( 7,3#5$4$53 *D,<1D<,( 7? ;11<+& JC$1#37Q

1. "To best channel talents, we have oiganizeu ouiselves into comities, incluuing
Piess, Aits anu Recieation, anu 0utieach. Comities aie empoweieu to make
uecisions on questions that fall unuei theii aiea of inteiest. Big questions that effect
the whole movement aie put to twice-uaily geneial assemblies, anu voteu on by
91u consensus. This is a non-higheiaichial, flat line system wheie eveiyone is able
to paiticipate at the level they woulu like to."

2. "Recently, a call came fiom Pennsylvania, asking foi an assembly of
iepiesentatives fiom each 0ccupation. This movement will oiganize itself in an
open, uiiectly uemociatic way, cieating a new system base on economic anu social
equality."

S. "We aie not a leaueiless movement, but a movement of leaueis. 0ui oiganizing is
fun, open, inclusive, life-affiiming, anu hopeful!"

4. "Piotests can be intimiuating, anu some people may be ieluctant to join in. We aie
cieating a movement that is a community, with a 24-houi-a-uay piesence. Anyone
can paiticipate by uiopping by, helping spieau oui iueas thiough woiu-of-mouth oi
on the inteinet, oi calling on electeu officials to iespect oui iights to fiee speech anu
assembly."

"P -C#D $* ;11<+& JC$1#37R* ,(%#D$75*C$+ )$DC DC( +7%$1(Q O,( DC(& +#,D 7? DC(
SSTQ

1. "The police aie pait of the 99%, anu we'ie heie to piotect theii pension, just as
much as we aie heie foi woikeis in the teachei's union. We iecognize that the police
have to enfoice city policies oi lose theii jobs."

2. "The police aie pait of the 99%. They aie affecteu by cost-cutting measuies, anu
theii pensions aie thieateneu. Eveiy police officei has family anu fiienus who have
lost theii homes anu jobs, who aie stiuggling with stuuent loans anu cieuit caiu
uebt."

S. "We aie exeicising oui constitutional iights to assemble, anu to auuiess oui
giievances. We ask the Chicago Police Bepaitment to allow us to uo that in a uiiectly
uemociatic way."

4. "In oui inteiactions with the Chicago Police Bepaitment, we have been kinu,
couiteous, anu iespectful. We aie a non-violent movement."

S1
GP -C& #,( &7<U +(,*75#%%&U +#,D$1$+#D$53 $5 ;11<+& JC$1#37Q

1. "I'm a stuuent. When I giauuate, I'll be going into the woist job maiket in uecaues,
anu I piobably won't eain enough to live on while paying my stuuent loans."

2. "This countiy is woith fighting foi, anu oui futuie uepenus on iestiuctuiing oui
society towaius economic justice. Without it we iisk becoming a thiiu woilu
countiy."

S. "At 0ccupy Chicago, people aie stiiving to be theii best selves, anu aie engaging in
open, constiuctive, thoughtful uebate. This is the only way to finu a uemociatic
solution to the pioblems oui countiy faces."

4. "I believe that ieal cultuial change can happen, that I can help make this countiy a
bettei place foi my chiluien."

S. "This is an impoitant step foiwaiu. People aie coming togethei, getting theii
voices heaiu, anu cieating a tiuly uemociatic movement. Since we aie leaueiless, we
attiact people of all opinions anu political beliefs."

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1. "0nions fought haiu to secuie woikei's iights. We aie iegiessing, woiking moie
houis foi less pay, with cuts in benefits anu pensions."

2. "We welcome suppoit fiom all woikei's movements. A numbei of 0nions
officially enuoise 0ccupy Chicago, many have helpeu us by spieauing oui message
to theii membeis, anu countless inuiviuuals fiom oiganizeu laboi have joineu oui
uemonstiations."

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1. "Aftei caieful uelibeiation, 0ccupy Chicago feels that, while chaiges aie penuing
against Chicagoans aiiesteu at oui uemonstiation, its not in oui inteiest to have an
open uiscussion with the Nayoi's office. We have a ueneial Assembly open to the
public eveiy evening, incluuing the Najoi anu his staff."

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1. "Theie isn't an asteiisk in the fiist amenument, wheie it says fieeuom of assembly
as long as it's convenient. We aie non-violent, anu have a iight to aii oui
giievances."

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1. We aie the 99%
S2

2. Y00 aie not alone. Y00 can make a uiffeience. Y00 have the powei to affect
change. Y00 aie the 99%.

S. We aie not a leaueiless movement, we aie a movement of leaueis

4. The 0ccupy movement is a non-violent, anu we aie ueteimineu to uemonstiate
peacefully.

S. We aie against coipoiate abuse of the political system.

6. Ameiican uemociacy began as an expeiiment, anu it's time foi a new one.


SS
9. Training Speakers and Giving Interviews

The best way to get goou at inteiviews is to piactice! Tiy to leain youi talking points
anu main messages by heait. Piactice with each othei, switching off between
"iepoitei" anu "inteiviewee". The numbei one, most key thing to iemembei is that
you uon't neeu to answei the question a iepoitei asks you. 99% of the time, you
won't be on a live news bioaucast, anu you can get away with thiowing out a talking
point in iesponse to a tiicky oi hostile question.

If a iepoitei is getting hostile with you, nevei be afiaiu to enu an inteiview. Simply
say, "Thank you, that's all the time I have foi touay. Please submit any fuithei
questions via email."

When you give an inteiview, make suie to get contact infoimation fiom the iepoitei
anu auu them to youi meuia list.


10. Managing Interview Requests

You shoulu tiy to iesponu to calls anu emails fiom iepoiteis as quickly as you can.
Even if you'ie not suie who is going to take the inteiview, get back to the iepoitei
iight away anu ask them what theii ueauline is to speak with someone.

Tiy to spieau inteiviews aiounu as much as you can, with the unueistanuing that
those who take them shoulu have piacticeu theii talking points anu uone some
piactice inteiviews with othei 0ccupieis.
S4
10. Setting up a Press Conference

A piess confeience shoulu be helu when you have big news to announce, oi befoie a
majoi uay of action. As fai as basic oiganizing goes, you'll neeu to:

1. Pick youi speakeis, anu an emcee. You shoulu tiy to keep the list as shoit as
possible. Remembei, the moie woius you give the piess, the moie easily they can
uistoit youi message. Tiy to stick with thiee oi foui speakeis who talk foi no moie
than thiee minutes each. Nake suie each peison knows the theme of theii speech,
anu be suie speakeis aie not iepeating each othei.

When woiking with allies oi a coalition on a uay of action, you may feel piessuie to
allow a speakei fiom each gioup. Insteau, finu speakeis who can iepiesent the
inteiests of seveial gioups in youi action. Foi example, a piess confeience befoie a
mass action might featuie one union membei, one stuuent activist, one 0ccupiei,
anu one iepiesentative fiom a community gioup.

2. Pick a location. You'll want to be suie theie is ioom foi the meuia anu theii
equipment, as well as youi speakeis oi suppoiteis. If you aie going to have it
outuoois, think about pioviuing some kinu of sheltei foi iepoiteis anu theii
equipment in case of bau weathei.

S. Pick a uay anu time. Keep the meuia cycle in minu. If you want to make the
afteinoon anu evening Tv news, you shoulu have youi confeience on a weekuay, no
latei than 2pm.

4. Pioviue visuals. It always looks goou to have a ciowu of suppoiteis stanuing in a
semi-ciicle behinu youi speakeis. Biinging signs anu banneis that will be featuieu
at youi action is a plus. Befoie the foimal event staits, you can uo some chanting,
uiumming, anu mic checks to give the Tv cameias the B-ioll images they neeu to
make a gieat stoiy.

S. Senu a ielease to the meuia about youi piess confeience. See page XX foi a
sample. Be suie to pass out copies of youi ielease at the piess confeience itself.

6. Cieate a meuia sign-in sheet anu pick a peison to make suie all membeis of the
piess who attenu the confeience auu theii infoimation to it. Latei, you can auu
these people to youi meuia list.
SS
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Bave youi suppoiteis anu speakeis aiiive a half-houi befoie you invite the meuia
so you can get things set up anu take caie of any last-minute pioblems.

-Suppoiteis, emcee anu speakeis aie stanuing in a semi-ciicle-

Emcee steps to the fiont:

Emcee: "We will begin now. We have foui speakeis touay, each will speak foi thiee
minutes. Please holu all question until the enu. 0ui fiist speakei will be Naik Faii,
that's N-A-R-K F-A-I-R (say anu spell name) fiom the 0ccupy Chicago Laboi
Committee."

-Emcee steps back, Naik steps foiwaiu-

"Bi, I'm Naik Faii fiom the 0ccupy Chicago Laboi Committee . . . etc"

-Naik steps back, emcee steps up-

"Next is . . . etc"

-Aftei the last speakei, the emcee steps back up to the fiont-

"Now we will take questions. Please iaise youi hanu anu I will call on you. You may
auuiess youi questions to any of oui speakeis."

Allow thiee oi foui questions, then the emcee announces that the piess confeience
is ovei.
S6
11. Interacting with Reporters at Events and Actions

The job of a goou PR peison is to help iepoiteis get gieat stoiies. At an event oi
action, this can incluue:

1) Bave a team of people ieauy who aie willing to talk to the meuia. Know theii
backgiounus so you can offei iepoiteis uiveise voices. At least one peison shoulu
be stiictly focuseu on hanuling iepoiteis.

2) uieet each iepoitei oi cameiapeison when they aiiive, iuentify youiself as a
membei of 0ccupy XX, hanu them a piess ielease about the uay's action, anu ask if
they woulu like an inteiview. 0ften, cameia people will aiiive without an anchoi.
Ask them if you can give a few statements to the cameia, even if theie is no one to
ask you questions. This is a gieat oppoitunity to pull out youi favoiite talking
points.

S) Aftei you give a shoit inteiview, ask the iepoitei of they woulu like to speak to
anyone else, oi if theie is a paiticulai type of peison they want to talk to. Foi
example, they might want to speak to a paient, office woikei, union membei,
stuuent, etc.

4) Collect contact infoimation fiom each iepoitei theie anu tell them you will keep
them upuateu on youi movement. Keep tiack of cameia people who show up
without iepoiteis, as well, so you can follow up with the station's news uesk to see if
they neeu any auuitional infoimation to iun tape of youi action.

S) If the weathei is bau, holu an umbiella ovei the iepoiteis as they take notes.