An old tradition is coming to the United States. Publicly demonstrating against the periodic World Trade Organization meeting of fat cat billionaires (and the politicos who enable them) who seek to make the world a safer place to become rich beyond reason or sanity. The WTO gathering (a spin-off of the GATT) will take place Nov 30 - Dec 3 in Seattle, WA, USA. This is the first time the meeting has taken place in North America.

The national and international media attention will be intense, to say the least. Though it is extremely important to let these fat cats know the general public is on to them by putting on huge, noisy protests right outside their well-catered banquet meetings, it is just as important to convey to the average Joe/Jolene out in TV watching land exactly what it is the protestors are upset about. The people stuck in traffic when Interstate-5 is shut down by protestors need to know they are being inconvenienced for a good cause. Since these folk likely WON'T be joining in the protest, the only way to get the message to them is via the media. And, as you know, the majority of the media is now controlled by the same large corporations who have sent representatives to Seattle to eat crab cakes and discuss how much of the world they own. On the US corporate media stations there most likely won't be a lengthy discussion on the evil things the WTO has done or intends to do in the name of profit. However, this doesn't mean there will be an entire information blackout... hundreds of foreign correspondents and representatives of smaller, alternative US media will be on hand to help inform the masses.

It is highly likely demonstrators will have a microphone or two jammed in their faces and be interviewed by a roving reporter representing some media somewhere. This is why it is SO important for protestors to, first of all... know precisely WHY they are there and, secondly, have their ideas winnowed down to something easy to understand. Your viewpoint doesn't need to be simplified to the point of a bumpersticker slogan, but PLEASE spare the newsroom editor your poli-sci speech. Think like the modern politician. Make your ideas short, poetic and VISUAL. Long winded monologues about the sad state of geo-political climates and Third World bla bla bla bla... will end up on the editing room floor of most media news services. This isn't because the viewing audience is too dumb to understand your ideas. It IS because the EDITORS think the viewers are too dumb to understand. Further, sponsors actually ARE too dumb to understand and often pull their commercials if a topic goes over their head.