Media Support

Each group should have a media person or task group to work on getting local and specialist media coverage. If possible have someone back home co-ordinating and making the contacts with local media a week before, then a few days before and on the day after having gotten an account of the action, including photos from your media person at Faslane. Media people should find out deadlines and try to arrange radio interviews before, on the day or upon return. It's also possible to get regional TV stations to cover your group by letting them know in advance. People may want to write their own story, e.g. “Why I am going to risk arrest in Scotland”, and submit to local paper, with their media person making contact and promoting coverage.

The media person can already have the bones of a press release prepared ahead of time with quotes from members of the action group, and their details. This can incorporate brief biographical information indicating age, standing in the community (such as professional position or any membership in community organizations) which will appeal to local journalists' need for an angle.

There will be limited facilities for uploading photos, use of media laptop for writing press releases and wireless access on the Faslane 365 Bus at Faslane Peace Camp. Try and bring your own wireless enabled laptop with a charged battery and card reader. Try to have the draft press release already composed ahead of time, with a few blanks to be filled in as indicated above. This can then be emailed out with a few good photos to your media person at home who can then send on to media outlets. Alternatively be prepared with email addresses and phone numbers of local media, send out press release and call from your charged mobile from Faslane (Vodafone works here) on the day.

The Faslane 365 Steering Group will coordinate, as far as possible, national media coverage, connecting reporters with a diversity of people from the groups. Please indicate on your registration form if you are willing to speak to press, especially if you have experience and a penchant for doing so. If you need help with any of this or have questions the F365 media team will try to help ― contact Brian (brian at faslane365 dot org or 07768 312676) or Adam (adam at faslane365 dot org)

For more details on dealing with media including sample press releases see the Getting your message out section of the Faslane 365 Resource Pack