event organizing guide

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1 www.bradleymanning.org Organizing Toolk

Organizing an eventis a key wayto educate community members,gather signatures for the Stand WithBrad Petition (standwithbrad.org) andI am Bradley Manning photo petition(iam.bradleymanning.org), enlist othervolunteers to take action, solicit mediaattention, and raise funds for the BradleyManning Defense Fund. Thank you fortaking this crucial step!

To notify us of a planned public event orif youd like assistance in organizing one,please contact us at [email protected]. Tell us the date, time and location of your event and well helppromote it via website, social networks and afliates. Additionally, we can send you promotional materials such asstickers, info cards and buttons.

Welcome

Dear Supporter,If you have opened this guide, you have taken an enormous step towardsdirect political action. You have made a choice to support Bradley Manningby organizing an event in your community. This is a courageous action and we

applaud you for it.

You are not alone, and putting your event together does not have to be amonumental task, even if youve never organized a community event before.Weve put together a few helpful documents to get you started. Even if onlyyou and a few of your friends stand together to support Bradley Manning, youare making a difference. You are standing up for human rights for all. You arestanding up for the rights of all prisoners suffering right this moment at the hands ofa government that wants to silence them. You are standing up for all people whobelieve that the world should and can be different, and will not be silent until it is, no matter what it takes. People likeyou have been changing things since the beginning of recorded history. Together, we can do it again.

Here are some ways to ensure you will receive the latest news, information and updates from the Bradley ManningSupport Network:

Sign-upfor weekly newsletter at bradleymanning.org. Enter your e-mail and click get updates.

Joinour Facebook page: facebook.com/savebradley

Followus on Twitter: twitter.com/savebradley

Organize!Organizer kits are available without charge to activist group leaders. E-mail [email protected] for more details.

Also,Free Bradley Manning gearincluding: shirts, stickers, buttons, whistles and more are available atcouragetoresist.org/shop/bradley-manning.html

NO SECRET TRIAL FOR AN AMERICAN HERO!

EVENT ORGANIZING GUIDE


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Organizing Toolkit www.bradleymanning.org

We hope this guide will help you as you take action to help save Bradley Manning.

Our sincerest regards and thanks,

Th Bradly Mning Supo Netwk

Host a house party for Bradleys defense

Hosting a dinner party can be a simple and fun way to raise funds and awareness forBradley Manning Support. Friendly conversation over dinner is a good opportunity toreach out to connections who might not already know about PFC Mannings plight.

1. Register your eventVisit http://www.bradleymanning.org/dinnerto register your event and well send you a copy of our fundraising videowhich features Pentagon Papers whistle-blower Daniel Ellsberg. You can also download and modify our dinner partyinvitation.

2. RecruitmentYou can host an event in your home and invite friends and family. Or youcan choose to make it a public event. If you want to open the event up to alarger crowd, it might make sense to request permission to use space in a localcoffee shop, art space or a public facility such as a library.

Set a goal for the number of event attendees youd like to have. A goodrule of thumb is that youll need at least twice as many RSVPs, becausemany people cancel at the last minute. See the pages with RecruitmentTips for some ideas to help you reach your goal. Keep a list of all the peopleinterested in coming to the event, along with their contact information. [email protected] youd like us to invite other BMSN members inyour area to your event.

3. Plan Refreshments

Two good sources for dinner party recipes are:

Food.com Dinner Party section: http://www.food.com/recipes/dinner-partyDelish.com, Dinner Parties: http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/

parties/dinner-parties/

4. RemindersTwo to four days before the event, make reminder calls and send e-mails to allof your event attendees, with the event date, time, directions to the location, and your phone number in case theyget lost.

5. Prepare discussion points

After guests have had plenty of time to settle in and enjoy themselves, you can use the factsheets we provide at theend of the toolkit to guide discussion. You could also show the Collateral Murder video of a U.S. helicopter gunshipattack that killed a dozen unarmed Iraqi civilians as party of your event: collateralmurder.com/en/download.html. Bradley faces decades in prison for allegedly reloeasing that video alone. Afterward is your opportunity toallow people to express what theyre feeling, as well as to help them turn those feelings into positive action. Somesuggested discussion questions and talking points are provided on the next page.

6. Prepare for actionYour event should end with attendees taking some form of action. This should include having everyone sign thepetition and donate money towards the cause, writing letters to military and government ofcials, and/or creating acommittee of volunteers to help plan a larger event.

Critical componentsof a successful event: well-planned event promotion

an accessible andcomfortable location

informed discussion leaders

refreshments

Optional: music/entertainment



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Host a public education event

Organizing a structured public event can be quite effectivefor educating community members and raising money forBradley Mannings defense.

1. Establish an event agenda

Ideally, you should start planning your event a monthor more in advance. In order to draw a good crowd, ithelps to have a few notable speakers, such as prominentactivists or community ofcials. Additionally, your event mayinclude entertainment or refreshments. If you already knowpeople who could make ideal speakers or entertainers foryour event, contact them right away to make sure theyare available on your desired date and time. Otherwise,you can make phone calls and send letters to prominentcommunity members requesting their service at your event.

2. Consider logistics

Major areas to consider and plan for include: size of space

or building used, utility support needed, setup (tablesand chairs, tents, portable toilets, parking, signage),coordination, cleanup, transportation.

3. Budgeting and fundraising

The logistics of your event will depend somewhat on thebudget you have to work with. If you can recruit multiplecommunity organizations to help sponsor the event, theywill hopefully be willing to contribute to your budget. Localstores are often willing to donate supplies and food forcharity events if you explain the cause to store managersand offer to promote their establishment. Chain businessesoften have established rules for donations, and requiremore advanced notice than independent businesses. If

your event agenda includes a substantial refreshmententertainment portion, you may choose to raise money bycharging for tickets. Alternatively, to encourage a largercrowd you can host a free event and pass around donationjars at the end. Either way, dont be shy about asking formoney and clearly explaining why it is needed! All fundscollected, minus your expenses, should be submitted to theBradley Manning Defense Fund.

4. Plan publicity

Promoting a special event takes creative thinking balanced with practicality.

Brainstorm all the available media including marquees, school newsletters, church announcements, social media,listserves of supporting organizations, popular event websites, and cable and commercial stations. Make a detailed

list with names of whom to contact and when, and create event descriptions tailored to specic audiences. Beginpromoting your event as early as possible.

Sample discussion points for lmscreening:

What have you already heard about BradleyManning and/or WikiLeaks?

What does freedom of information mean to

you?

Are you familiar with any cases of other famouswhistleblowers?

In internet chat logs attributed to Bradley bythe FBI, he says that he wants people to knowthe truth, no matter who they are, becausewithout information you cannot make informeddecisions as a public. How do you feel aboutthat statement?

How do you feel about our overseas wars?How do you think the public and politicaldebate would change if the public had access

to information of the sort revealed by Wikileaks,such as causes of casualties and exact bodycounts?

How do you feel about the idea of votershaving more decision-making power overU.S. foreign policies? Do you think that U.S.diplomats should be more transparent abouthow foreign policy decisions are made?

Bradley Manning is being charged with Aidingthe enemy through indirect means for makinginformation public. This is a rst in U.S. history.What do you think would happen if he isconvicted?

How can we effectively reach out andeducate other members of our community ina compelling way so that they see this issue asrelevant to them and want to take action?



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Plan a demonstration

Dozens of Bradley Manning support demonstrations have alreadybeen held around the world.

1. Getting started

First, decide how many attendees you want at your event. Choose

a location that is both easily accessible and highly visible to manymembers of your community. Remember, the more time you giveyourself for planning, the more likely your event is to be successful.

2. Decide the format of your event

You can gather 10 or 20 people to hold signs with clear, simplemessages by a busy highway to educate people driving by. Or, if youhave more planning resources, you can rally a large crowd in the citysquare and invite speakers. You can also have musicians perform atdemonstrations.

Note: We are currently asking people to focus actions on Obama campaignofces to encourage President Obama to do the right thing by letting Bradley go.

Visit bradleymanning.org/news/obama_campaignfor ideas on how to do this.

3. Planned public resistancePublic resistance can take many forms. Peaceful collective actions designed tograb attention by disrupting the public order often take place at the end of largerallies. Some of the most common include marches on major streets, picketinggovernment buildings or recruitment centers, and guerilla theater such as die-ins.(Note: If you are contemplating organizing a form of civil disobedience thatmight result in arrests, please check out United for Peace and Justices How-toGuide: unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=112.)

4. Material preparation

After you have envisioned your ideal event, you can work on creating eventmaterials:

5. RecruitmentOnce you have created event descriptions and yers, you can begin gettingthe word out about your event. See Tips for Event Recruitment below for somespecic tactics that have proven to be effective.

6. Media timeline

(Check out the Guide to working with the mediasection for more information)

Three weeks before your event:Have who, what, when, where, why down...

and start telling folks!

Two weeks before your event:Research.

Conduct research to compile a list of local news sources and contactinformation for specic reporters/editors who might be interested in your story.

Event yers

Press advisories

Colorful, largesigns and bannerswith campaignmessaging

Petition clipboards

Educational factsheets

Catchy slogansthe group canlearn quicklyand chantloudly.

Slogans:* Blowing the whistle on war

crimes is not a crime

* Truth is the foundation ofdemocracy

* Together we stand fortruth, transparency, andaccountability

* No secret trial for anAmerican hero

* The people have a right toknow

* Whistle-blowers are heroes

* Shine a light on war andoccupation

Chants:Exposing murder is not a crime,Bradley should not be doingtime!

Bradleys conscience was hisguide,We are here to take his side!

Hey Obama! listen to me,

Bradley Manning should befree!

Please set Manning free today,Hes the greatest hero in theUSA!



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One week before your event:The Media Advisory.

See media packet for sample media advisory. Send out your pressadvisory to your media list again two days before the event.

Three days before your event: The Story Pitch.

Come up with a 30 second pitch to reporters.

Its best to pitch print reporters in the morning between 9-11am, beforethey have afternoon deadlines. Radio reporters and News Editors arealso easiest to reach in the morning. Pitch TV assignment editors anytime,a few days in advance of a media event, or the morning of the eventbetween 8:30-9:30am, when they hold meetings to decide on coveragefor the day.

The day after your event: The Press Release.

Early in the morning, send out press releases to your media list, both toany reporters who joined and to those who did not.

7. Document your eventMake sure to take photos and videos to show the world!

8. Post-event follow-upSend us a story about your event, or email us and well interview youfor a story on our website. For help with your story, email [email protected].

Send us your photos to share online. Email [email protected].

Thank your organizing team, speakers and other helpers. Follow upwith phone calls, thank you emails, short notes or texts thanking themfor their help.

Finding help for organizing your event

Gather a teamWorking with a team to plan events, especially ones you hope to bewell attended, is highly recommended. Not only does working with acommittee allow you to share the work of planning the event, but foreach new person you involve in organizing, you expand the groupsimmediate social network.

Where to start?If you are not already working with an established organization, beginforming your event organizing team by talking to people you know:friends, family, fellow church and club members, etc. Remember, a face-to-face conversation or a phone call is more likely to result in a positiveresponse than an e-mail. After trying your personal network, you can givein-person talks at meetings of related organizations. (See Outreach to

Allies below)

When approaching people about taking a leadership role personalizeyour ask, so that others understand why you think it is important toorganize an event to support Bradley. Make sure potential team membersare clear about what youre asking them to do and what sort of timecommitment is involved. You can establish specic team roles basedon individuals abilities and interest, for example Promotions Manager,Fundraiser/ Donations Manager, Materials Producer, etc.

Sample event:On February 24, 2011, Berkeley activistsorganized a speaking event at theUnitarian Universalist Church, featuringfamed Pentagon Papers leaker DanielEllsberg, which drew 40 attendees and

raised $3000 for the Bradley ManningDefense Fund.

Sample event:A student from Sonoma State Universitycreated a facebook event posting fora Bradley Manning rally in a downtownSan Francisco park and invited theirfriends. Another organizer decidedto share the event link on a few localevent websites. Within a week, RSVPsfor the event grew to 50 people. On

March 20, 2011, a crowd met at thepark and after 4 people gave brief

speeches about why they cared

what happened to Bradley Manning,everyone moved with their signs andfyers to spread awareness near a busy

sreet. Cars honked in support andseveral new volunteers were recruited.

Sample event:Leafetting about Bradley Manning oncampus.



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Once event plans have been established and organizing taskshave been divided up, your role as team leader is to maintainregular contact with each of your team members, helping toremind them of when tasks need to be completed, and makingsure they have all the resources they need to perform their role.You should also show your continued appreciation for theirwork.

To sustain a movement, the Bradley Manning Support Networknot only needs teams that help organize a single event, but alsolocal leaders who can continue organizing future events. If youare interested in being one of these local campaign organizers,

please e-mail [email protected]. After thankingother team members for their work, ask them to consider takingon a specic role in helping organize future events as well.

Invite people to attend your eventRemember: When you are inviting strangers to a large event,only a small percentage will actually wind up attending. Startearly with promoting your event, and think expansively. If youcan write advertisements that relate your action to recent

headline news, that may help you gain a wider audience.Begin by inviting friends and members of organizations withwhich youre active. Face-to-face conversations and phonecalls should be used, when possible, in addition to e-mail. Thinkof a 60 second elevator speech explaining why participatingin the event is important, and then make personal calls. Yourgoal should be concrete commitments.

Sample elevator speech:Bradley Manning is the young soldier who is alleged to haveleaked the famous Collateral Murder video to Wikileaks, alongwith documents detailing war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan,and diplomatic reports discussing corruption in a number ofgovernments. The effects of the release of this material havebeen far reaching and journalists say they contributed to the

recent celebrated pro-democratic protests in the MiddleEast. Bradley Manning has been imprisoned for over twoyears without trial. We want to join Pentagon Papers leakerDaniel Ellsberg, U.S. Veterans for Peace, and a number ofother prominent peace leaders and groups in protesting theconditions of Bradleys treatment and his charges. Can you joinme on [date, location]?

Outreach to allies

Groups to contact:

National Organizations with Local Chapters - CodePINK,Peace Action, Iraq, Veterans Against the War, Amnesty

International, and Veterans for Peace

Local Organizations of All Stripes Most mid-sized or largercommunities have local peace coalitions. Its also worthcontacting progressive and libertarian wings of the Democratand Republican Parties respectively in addition to localbranches of third parties like the Libertarian and Green Parties.

Traditionally Sympathetic Churches - For example, the Friends (Quakers), Peace Mennonites, or UnitarianUniversalists.

Sample outreach letter tocommunity group alliesYour NameYour AddressYour Apt. #Yourcity, ST 00000

Dear Mr./Mrs. Contact Name:

My name is [Your Name]. I am a resident of City, STand am writing to ask your organization to supportUS Army Private First Class Bradley E. Manning, whois currently imprisoned in Fort Leavenworth, KS,awaiting an Article 32 pretrial hearing.

A 24-year-old intelligence analyst, Pfc. Manningfaces decades in prison for allegedly leaking avideo of a US helicopter attack that killed at leasteleven Iraqi civilians to Wikileaks. Among the deadvictims were two working Reuters reporters. Twochildren were also severely wounded in the attack.In addition to this Collateral Murder video, Pfc.Manning is suspected of leaking the Afghan WarDiary, Iraq War Logs, U.S. Diplomatic Cables, andGuantanamo Filesall documents which containevidence of corruption and war crimes around theworld.

In the 21st century, information is power; thetruth cannot be hidden; and the legitimacy ofgovernments will ultimately depend on active andinformed citizens noted President Obama in May,2011. While he was referring to the revolutionsin the Middle East, the sentiment should applyequally to Americans and to the alleged actions ofPfc. Manning. Indeed, Amnesty International andPBS have named the documents Pfc. Manningallegedly leaked as one of the catalysts of thisArab Spring. If the chat log attributed by the FBIto Bradley Manning is truly his, it shows that he hada reasonable belief that war crimes were beingcovered up, and that he took action based on acrisis of conscience. If Pfc. Manning is indeed thesource of these materials, the nation owes him ourgratitude.

As an organization known for [cite reasons why youfeel this organization would be open to supportingBradley], I feel that your public support for Pfc.Manning would help shed light on his plight. I

would welcome the opportunity to speak to yourorganization about this matter and join you in suchan effort.

I appreciate your time and attention to this letter.

More information about Pfc. Manning can befound at the website of the Bradley ManningSupport Network (bradleymanning.org).

[Mr./Mrs.] Contact NameOrganization TitleOrg Address1City, ST 00000



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During the event

Bring materialsStickers, fact sheets, Free Bradley Manning info cards (available from Courage to Resist as part of a Bradley Manningorganizer box, or separately).

Organize a photo-opGive some thought into creating an interesting visual for the media and your own reporting about the event. Dontbe afraid to ask participants to stage a group photo with banners and signs.

Get signatures for the petition

Make copies of the We stand with Bradley Manning petiton for your event. Ask everyone who attends the event tosign the petition. Those who sign will receive campaign updates and information on how to take further action.

Bring a sign that says I am Bradley Manning and a digital camera, so you can take pictures of all of the attendeeswhile holding the sign, and then upload them to iam.bradleymanning.org.

Ask for donations

The Bradley Manning Defense Fund is hosted by Courage to Resist in collaboration with the Bradley Manning SupportNetwork. With the increase in legal expenses due to the death penalty charge, tax-deductible donations are

urgently needed. Funds are split between public education and support activities, and legal costs. Donate online atcouragetoresist.org/bradley

Send tax-deductible checks payable to Courage to Resist to: Courage to Resist, 484 Lake Park Ave #41, OaklandCA 94610. Please note Manning defense on the checks memo line.

Or, to make a non-tax-deductible contribution to Bradleys legal trust, send checks payable to IOLTA / Manningto: Courage to Resist, 484 Lake Park Ave #41, Oakland CA 94610. The legal trust is managed by Bradleys attorneyDavid Coombs under regulation of the Massachusetts Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program and theAmerican Bar Association. All funds offset Bradleys legal expenses.

There are several organizations that are collecting donations for the defense of PFC Bradley Manning. The onlyorganization that is contributing funding to PFC Mannings legal defense is Courage to Resist, explains Bradleysattorney David Coombs.


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Creating a media advisory

What Is a media advisory?

A media advisory alerts the media, in a concise manner, to upcoming events (like a press conference). Think of itas an invitation that answers only the important questions: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Have your mediaadvisory ready to go a week before your event.

Key elements of a media advisory

-It should be brief and to the point.

-It should contain a headline detailing the most important information.

-It should include the ve Ws mentioned above.

-It should include contact information for reporters to get more informationfor their pieces and the contact information you would like to be published ifthis is for a listing.

The format of a media advisory

-At the top left side of the page, write MEDIA ADVISORY.-Underneath MEDIA ADVISORY, include the date of your event; for example,For Sept. 19, 2011.

-At the top right side of the page, include your contact information.

-At the bottom of the page, type # # # indicating the end of the advisory.

Pitching the story

When to pitch

Its best to pitch print reporters 2-3 days before the event, in the morning between 9-11am, before they have afternoondeadlines. Radio reporters and News Editors are also easiest to reach in the morning. Pitch TV assignment editorsanytime, a few days in advance of a media event, or the morning of the event between 8:30-9:30am, when they holdmeetings to decide on coverage for the day.

Research

You want to do your research and know your target. Do a Google search to see what the reporter or news outlet haswritten about your topic or related topics in the past. Make sure theres not someone else at the same news outlet

who is more sympathetic/likely to cover your story. If you can tie Bradley Mannings story to what that reporter likesto cover and atter them a little bit about their past work, you will be more successful. Some possible topics of focus:democratic protests in the Middle East, Wikileaks, freedom of information, critiques of the justice system, anti-warpublic opinion

You also have to prepare yourself for the pitch by getting familiar with your talking points and having resources likeFact Sheets and background materials ready if reporters want more information.

Helpful tips for crafting a newsworthy story:

Localize it Your pitch should mention what is going on in your community and which community organizations are involved.

THE PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW!

GUIDE TO WORKING WITH THE MEDIA


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Organizing Toolkit www.bradleymanning.org 1

Conict- A story with a hard-fought conict makes news.Describe to reporters who the good guys and bad guysare and how the struggle is playing out.

Strange bedfellows- We can often garner increasednews coverage by building a coalition of strangebedfellows. Try expanding your coalition to include

partners outside the traditional anti-war movement.Visuals- Striking images and locations can make newsas well as words that paint pictures. Try to incorporateinteresting visuals into your event.

Timely news has to be relevant to whats happeningnow. Connect your protest to major recent events,domestically or abroad, that have gained wider newscoverage.

Practice your pitch

Tailored Ideally, you have done your research to ndout what someone usually covers so your pitch shouldreference their past work and make the reporter feel likeyou are pitching them something that is right up theiralley.

Concise Pitches must be very short around 30seconds. Practice and time yourself ahead of time,because thats about as much time as you get on thephone before someone cuts you off and asks for anemail. Be concise and pique their interest with the mostexciting elements of the story, such as the newsworthycriteria mentioned above, VIP speakers, unusual evententertainment, etc. Begin pitches by asking Are you ondeadline, or do you have a quick second? If they do nothave time to talk, ask when you can call back later.

Flexibleyou have to be ready to pivot or talk abouta new angle on your story, depending on the reportersresponse.

Well-organized not just in your pitch, but have all thenecessary information prepared. Anticipate questions,and be ready to send follow-up information.

Feedback and follow-upA good way to end your pitch is: Does this sound likethe kind of thing youd be interested in covering? Ifthe reporter says no, that is a great opportunity for youto ask, Well, what kinds of stories are you interested incovering? and gure out if theres a different angle that

works.

Tell the reporter when and how youre going to get intouch again to help them cover your story. Be explicit, e.g., Great, so Ill send you X,Y, and Z, and the contact infofor you to get in touch with A and B. Whens a good time for me to call back and follow up with you? OR Great.Well I hope to see you at the event on Wednesday, but Ill give you a call that morning to make sure you can makeit. If you have any questions or would rather set up phone interviews with A and B, please let me know.

Also beware of letting reporters off the hook if they ask for follow up via email, or claim that they havent yet seen themedia advisory or press release you sent. Agree to send an email, and get specic email address info (not a generalnewsdesk email), but also offer to set up a phone interview with key players, or set a time for you to follow up withthem.

Sample media advisory

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR

[date of event ]

For more information, contact:

[your name and all phone number(s) at which the presscan reach you ]

[Name of Town]

Rally in Support of Alleged Wikileaks Whistle-blowerPfc. Bradley Manning

Members of [name of supporting organizations] andother residents of [name of town] will join activists acrossthe country on [date of event] to rally for the release ofBradley Manning.

Bradley Manning, who is currently imprisoned in FortLeavenworth, KS, is accused of releasing to Wikileaks theGuantanamo Files, the famous Collateral Murder video,

the Afghan War Diary, and the Iraq War Logs, whichreveal war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as theU.S. Diplomatic Cables, which helped spark the Tunisianrevolution.

To protest the charges against Bradley, for which he facesthe possibility of the death penalty, an estimated 100people will rally with colorful posters and signs in supportof international democracy, government accountability,and the humane treatment of prisoners.

WHO:

WHAT:

WHEN:

WHERE:

Our goal is to raise awareness about the U.S. Militarysattempts to suppress a whistle-blower. For moreinformation on the conditions surrounding BradleyMannings charges and imprisonment, please visithttp://www.couragetoresist.org/ and http://www.bradleymanning.org/.

###

Courage to Resist is an organization that supports the menand women of the U.S. armed forces who are speaking

out about their refusal to ght in the wars in Iraq andAfghanistan.



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The post-event press release

What is a press release?

A press release has a different purpose than a media advisory. It should read like an article, with quotes and facts,to stimulate possible pick-up by small papers and to generate print and broadcast reports at larger outlets. Whereasa media advisory offers

basic information, a newsrelease creates an imageand story that journalistscan use alone or use asbackground when writinga story.

Key elements of anews release-Your release should bewritten like an actualnews story, in the invertedpyramid style of newswritingwith a headline

and the most importantinformation at the top.

-Your release shouldinclude quotes fromspokespeople.

The format of a pressrelease-At the top left side of thepage, write PRESS RELEASE.

-Underneath, write FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE and

under that, the date.

-At the top right side ofthe page, include yourcontact information.

-Type and center # # #indicating the end of yourrelease (located at thebottom of the page).

Sample press releaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDate

Citizens Rally in Support of Alleged Wikileaks Whistle-blower Pfc. Bradley ManningSubtitle

[Organization names] hosted a rally with [number] attendees at [location] on Saturday tocall attention to the outrageous charges against alleged Wikileaker Bradley Manning, andthe militarys attempts to use him as an example to suppress war crime whistle-blowers.Currently the 23 yr-old Bradley is imprisoned in Fort Leavenworth, KS, after being transferredfrom the Quantico military brig where he was held in solitary connement for ten months.He has now been imprisoned for over a year without a trial.

Bradley is accused of releasing to Wikileaks the famous Collateral Murder video depicting

the killing of journalists and wounded civilians by an Apache helicopter in Iraq as well asthe Afghan War Diary, the Iraq War Logs, the U.S. Diplomatic Cables, and the GuantanamoFiles. The documents contain information about war crimes and government corruptionand have played a role in motivating recent pro-democratic protests around the world,in particular the revolution in Tunisia. Wikileaks has received much attention following therelease of this material, with its director Julian Assange named Readers Choice Person ofthe Year for Time Magazine in 2010 and Wikileaks being hailed one of the catalysts for theArab Spring by both Amnesty International and PBS.

Daniel Ellsberg has compared Bradley Mannings intent and actions to his own when hefamously leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971, exposing government lies and contributingto the end of the Vietnam War. The full charges against Manning, for his alleged role, werereleased on March 2nd, 2011. The tenuous charge of Aiding the Enemy means that hecould face the death penalty and came as a shock to many who feel whistle-blowers areinstrumental to holding governments accountable.

Quote from local activistOutraged activists gathered on [date] and [action] to raise awareness about theunprecedented nature of the charges against Pfc. Manning and to shed light on themilitarys fear of transparency regarding facts of the Iraq War.

On May 19, 2011, President Obama gave a speech on the democratic revolutions in theMiddle East in which he stated, In the 21st century, information is power; the truth cannotbe hidden; and the legitimacy of governments will ultimately depend on active andinformed citizens. These activists say they are questioning how this statement squares withthe Presidents hostile policies toward Wikileaks.

Regardless, it seems that the core sentiment in Obamas statement is shared by many. Ina conference call on May 25, 2011 on the topic of Pfc. Manning, Wikileaks leader JulianAssange was asked how Bradley Mannings arrest was affecting the willingness of otherleakers to cooperate with his organization. He responded Courage is contagious. We haveseen a dramatic increase in the number of sources willing to come forward, he said. Fear

no doubt is also restraining their activities. ... But there is an increased supply of materialscoming to us.

For more information from two key activist groups on the conditions surrounding BradleyMannings charges and imprisonment, please visit http://www.couragetoresist.org/ andhttp://www.bradleymanning.org/.

- # # # -

Courage to Resist is an organization that supports the men and women of the U.S. armedforces who are speaking out about their refusal to ght in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

CONTACT: NamePhone #



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Organizing Toolkit www.bradleymanning.org 1

Bradley Manning Support Network contacts

For assistance planning events and campaign materials: [email protected] 510-488-3559

For assistance promoting your local activities online: [email protected]

For national press contact: [email protected] 202-640-4388

Funds raised at any event should be made out to Courage to Resist and mailed to Courage to Resist, 484

Lake Park Ave #41, Oakland CA 94610. Make sure to note Bradley Manning Defense on the memo line.

Allied organizations

Courage to Resist (based in Oakland, CA): couragetoresist.org 510-488-3559

Veterans for Peace local chapters: veteransforpeace.net/chapter_contacts.html

Iraq Veterans Against the War: ivaw.org click on the Chapters button

War Resisters League local chapters: warresisters.org/localchapters

Code Pink local groups: codepink4peace.org/groups.php

Voters for Peace (based in New York, NY): votersforpeace.us

Occupy Camps (many contain Bradley Manning supporters): directory.occupy.net

Firedoglake online news website: redoglake.com

Places to fnd and advertise events

First, google.com is your friend. Try searching for [your city] events as well as more specic terms such as[your city] progressive events and [your city] activist calendar.

facebook.com

craigslist.org (Look in the community section)

meetup.com (anti-war, computers, LGBT, veterans groups are some suggestions for outreach)

Local free weeklies(event calendar listings often require 3 weeks notice)

Community radio stations

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event organizing guide

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