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                REACTIVE RESPONSE AND PROACTIVE ENCOUNTER
                        Dealing with the Media
 
        This is a description of what WindFire Coven does to attract
    positive media coverage:
 
        During the latest period of Satanism hysteria the energies
    were flowing in a negative direction as far as Wicca is concerned.
    The media loves controversy and knows that to have controversy
    they must present more than one side of any given issue.
    Consequently when planning some report that may be negative in
    context they will go out of their way to present another view of
    that same issue.
 
        Reactive Response
 
        This, of course, is reactive not pro-active in nature. This is
    how WindFire got the media exposure the last two times. I'll start
    with the Denver channel first.
 
        It was a few weeks after File 18 was given to each member of
    WindFire that we dedicated a full moon ritual for magickal work
    toward a solution.  WindFire is not structured so every member got
    to focus their power in their own way toward the solution. The
    solution was to promote a positive understanding of Wicca in the
    local mundane communities.
 
        The very next day, not 24 hours after the ritual, we got a
    call from channel 7, Denver. They were in the Springs and wanted
    to talk to some witches about ley lines and power spots.  The two
    person crew was at Celebration Book Store but the attendant didn't
    want to be on. Fortunately the store attendant had our number and
    called us. We talked with the camera crew and arranged an
    immediate interview.
 
        Two considerations are important here. The first is that just
    like any other form of magickal work the magick takes it's own
    form.  So be ready for anything. And two, when the media calls
    they usually will not wait around for interviewees. Be prepared
    for anything, at any moment. When the lightning strikes...
 
        Channel 7 told us that they were doing the interview to
    balance out some of the reporting on Satanism, but they didn't
    stress the fact that the report was about Satanism. Further we
    didn't know enough to ask what the focus and content was for the
    report.  Always ask what the focus of the report is.  You may find
    yourself, just like WindFire, shocked that we are being visually,
    if not verbally, associated with Satanism.
 
        For the interview, be positive. I can't stress that enough.
    Smile and let them see that you are sincere in your faith in the
    Goddess. Laugh. All the reporters see in Satanism is somber faces,
    confessing their sins. Let them know that you are happy with your
    path. Stress the difference between patriarchal monotheism and
    pre-Christian, pre-Hebrew Goddess religion.  Have your resources
    ready for the reporter to look at if they need a quote for
    something. Trot out your tools and instruments if you feel
    comfortable with that.  They love to see the various tools. You
    don't have to show them all or any of your tools but it sure helps
    them get a picture of what is going on.
 
        The media people like robes so wear your best. Covert groups
    that have fears about discovery of illegal activities will not don
    their robes or show their tools. By doing so you show that you are
    not aligned with covert, illegal, fearful groups. And by
    disassociation you show that you are doing nothing illegal or
    dangerous.
 
        There are three parts of the interview: the preview, the
    personal interviews and the ritual. In some or perhaps most cases,
    the ritual can be left out. [Please note that these terms are
    descriptive of their function, not their technical names. The
    reporters may have a different technical name for them.]
 
        The preview is a time for the reporter to get to know the
    members of the group, circle or coven. They will talk to you for a
    period of time. For WindFire that was about an hour for each
    camera crew. Please remember to be civil as a group and not blurt
    things out all at once. Believe me it's hard not to do that in the
    excitement. During the preview the reporter will select who they
    want to interview.
 
        Personal interviews last about 10 minutes. The reporter will
    generally select different questions for each interviewee. Be
    prepared for some hard and personal questions. At the end of the
    personal interview the reporter will sometimes ask if you have
    anything particular to say to the public.  Please don't waste this
    opportunity. Have a personal message ready for the public.
 
        The ritual can be anything you feel comfortable with. We
    generally choose a related focus such as increasing understanding
    in the mundane public. The camera crews seem to like this. Be
    patient, they may want you to duplicate some particular action for
    different camera angle. Accommodate them when you can.  We got
    through a partial ritual before the second camera crew ran out of
    tape. Don't forget to complete the ritual before them before you
    let them leave. Be complete.
 
        Remember that there are generally two people in a camera crew,
    the reporter and the camera operator. When the reporter is
    previewing the coven have another witch talk to the camera
    operator, telling them what the tools are for and what incenses
    and crystals are used. Be discrete but talk to each and every
    camera crew member because they all have input into the editing of
    the tape. If the reporter has a good feeling about the coven but
    the camera person thinks you stink you may have visual problems
    later. Make sure each and every camera crew member goes away with
    a warm fuzzy feeling.
 
        Offer them refreshments. They will generally refuse alcohol
    but water, sodas, coffee and fruit juices are welcomed.  Help the
    crew as much as they will let you. If they need cables or
    furniture moved, do so.
 
        Now for Channel 13 in Colorado Springs.  This reporter was
    doing a report on Satanism alone. Unfortunately the ONLY resource
    she had was James McCarthy in Boulder. The reporter used the "S"
    word, the "W" word and the "P" word all in the same sentence
    without differentiating between the three. Admittedly the context
    of the sentence was ritual. Still no differentiation was made. We
    started a telephone campaign and had about 15 people call the
    newsroom at the station and complain.
 
        Here it is especially good to not bitch unless you have a
    solution. If you complain to a reporter do not leave them hanging
    with no way to clean up the mess. Talk to them, give them your
    phone number so they can call you back later. They are busy
    people. Try to make sure they can successfully reach you, not your
    children, not your message machine, not your dog. If you give them
    your number and they don't call you back, call them. Find out what
    the problem is.
 
        During the phone campaign we left the reporter numerous ways
    to contact us.  She did and we scheduled a time for the
    interviews. We scheduled it for our regular weekly meeting time so
    that all the members could be there and a generic ritual could be
    filmed.  Members who didn't want to be on film were situated so
    that their faces were not on camera. The camera crew will do this
    for you. They don't want to inadvertently expose unwilling and
    innocent people to possible harassment.
 
        On the appointed day the camera crew showed up fashionably
    late. We went through our usually horror story about being
    butchered by the media in the past and they (both crews) were
    sympathetic to our concerns.  Don't be afraid to stress how badly
    the media has treated witches, but don't bore them; everyone has a
    story to tell but boredom is out these days.
 
        Let them see a generic ritual with a generic focus. The
    immediate focus was understanding in the local community. That
    works well so you might want to try that with your group or coven.
    It impresses the camera crew so that they will be a little more
    interested.
 
        Proactive Encounter
 
        Proactive means acting before something happens and puts you
    in reactive response mode.
 
        Perhaps the best thing to do is to put together a packet that
    you can send to your local media: Tv. stations, radio stations,
    and newspapers, which also include your local neighborhood
    weeklies if you're brave enough.
 
        Send a well put together packet to these medias and be sure
    they can get in touch with you on a few days notice. You might
    have more than one contact for your group, circle or coven.
    WindFire has three or four.
 
        I suggest for this packet that you include three or four brief
    statements from willing coven members, a longer essay on Wicca
    with resources, the New Woman article, some artwork and poetry.
    Include also a reading list of your favorite Wiccan authors. Be
    sure to include names and numbers to call back.  While the
    reporters won't read everything they will probably read the brief
    statements from your coven members and look at the reading list.
    You might suggest book stores the reporters can find the reading
    list books at.
 
        The main time of the year for reactive procedures is
    Halloween. Funnymentalist just love to hammer us during Samhain.
    So be proactive and let the media know how you view Samhain. Send
    the media an article about Samhain about two weeks before. Let
    them know that there are other views and that the funnymentalist
    are slandering a perfectly good holiday.
 
        In fact you could emphasize any holiday/s that seems
    appropriate for your area or group. Include your resources and/or
    xerox copies of other articles you may find, with copyright if
    needed, on any holiday you deem appropriate.
 
        Reactive Response Summary
 
        Be prepared to act at any moment if they should call you. Be
    positive, smile and laugh a lot.  Talk to all the camera crew
    members. Let them know your concerns, stress the problems of the
    past but don't offend the media people.  Make it a magickal time
    for all the people involved including the camera crews. Remember
    to augment your mundane activity (interviews) before hand with
    magickal work.
 
        Proactive Encounter Summary
 
        Prepare a good information packet. Sound like you know what
    you are talking about. Don't be mousey. Be aggressive and call
    them if you feel the need.  Make sure they can return a call to
    you successfully. If you get an interview be positive and firm.
    Media people are strong people, they like other strong people. Be
    prepared to act at any moment when they call you.  Devote some
    personal and collective magickal time for magickal work to attract
    positive media attention.
 
        I'm sure that you will be challenged by the opportunities your
    magick will bring you.  The Goddess will bring your efforts to
    full fruit if you are ready to support Her when the time comes.
    It's not an overused saying to state that we should be prepared
    for the effects of our own magick.

        AN UPDATE OF IMMEDIATE CONCERN
        
        Just before Halloween Channels 5/30 in Colorado Springs
    interviewed WindFire Coven in the pro-active mode. The reporter
    was concerned that her boss wanted a sensationalized segment on
    witches to go with segments on Satanism and various local New Age
    groups and psychics. She told us that she would try to talk her
    boss out of sensationalizing the segment. No guarantees were given
    and we accepted her word that she would try her best to represent
    us fairly. WindFire Coven was filmed for four or five hours for
    the 3 minute segment and some promotional footage.
        
        Some problems arose in the promotionals and broadcast that we
    didn't anticipate.
        
        In the promotionals various members were visually associated
    with Satanism by default, that is, Wiccans and Satanists were
    shown together in the same promo without distinction. This caused
    quite a lot of concern when clients and associates of those
    involved either refused to speak to the involved or blamed them
    for some unspecified hardship in their lives.  To complicate the
    matter one members face was overdubbed with a hags cackling.  This
    hurt the member greatly as she is nothing like the voice
    indicated.
        
        MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PROMO IS YOUR OWN WITH NO VISUAL
    ASSOCIATION TO ANY OTHER SEGMENT WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND
    PERMISSION. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR MEMBERS FACES AND VOICES REMAIN
    INTACT THROUGH THE PROMO AND BROADCAST. GET IT IN WRITING UNLESS
    YOU ARE WILLING TO SEE THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR COVEN. REFUSE THE
    INTERVIEW IF NECESSARY.
        
        During the broadcast and promos various tools, icons and
    artifacts, including a piece of copyrighted artwork, were used in
    others segments without our permission.
        
        MAKE SURE THAT YOUR TOOLS, ICONS, ARTIFACTS AND ARTWORK ARE
    NOT USED IN ANOTHER CONTEXT WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND PERMISSION.
    GET IT IN WRITING UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO SEE YOUR TOOLS, ICONS,
    ARTIFACTS AND ARTWORK PROFANED BY USE IN AN INAPPROPRIATE CONTEXT.
        
        Another problem arose when the editors inserted a Christian
    into our segment who said that Wicca was inappropriate because it
    is not Christian. When asked why such was done the reporter
    replied that it is good journalistic practice to offer two sides
    of an issue. WindFire Coven feels that should a contemporary
    religion be represented, such as the Jewish or the Mormon faith,
    the station would not be as quick to put in dissenting views. We
    feel that Channels 5/30 leaned toward promoting the stereotypical
    image of witches by having a Christian define what we are and are
    not. Such cannot be allowed to continue any longer.
        
        MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SEGMENT IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE. DO NOT
    ALLOW THE EDITORS TO INSERT DISSENTING VIEWS IN YOUR SEGMENT.
    DISSENTING VIEWS CAN BE PRESENTED IN ANOTHER SEGMENT DEDICATED
    ENTIRELY FOR DISCUSSION OF DIFFERENCES. MAKE SURE THAT WICCA IS
    REPRESENTED BY WICCANS, NOT BY CHRISTIANS, NOT BY NEW AGERS, NOT
    BY LOCAL PSYCHICS. TAKE CONTROL OF THE INTERVIEW BEFORE IT TAKES
    CONTROL OF YOUR COVEN.
        
        Blessed Be!
 
        Copyright (c) Ammond Shadowcraft Oct. 1988

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        This is an sample form to be used when reporters come to your
    home to interview your circle or coven.
    
        --------
   WRITTEN AGREEMENTS AND GUARANTEES FOR INTERVIEW WITH WINDFIRE COVEN
                    Dated: ________________________
 
        Note: For the purpose of this Agreement WindFire Coven is
    termed the Interviewee and ______________________ is termed the
    Interviewer.
                
        
        The Interviewee agrees to accept reporters from the
    Interviewer into their homes and/or sacred space to witness and
    report seasonal and/or generic rituals, to photograph and film
    tools, icons, artifacts, artwork, poetry and songs, to interview
    the Coven and individual members, for a period not to exceed 24
    hours, providing that the following agreements are made:

        
        The Interviewer will employ the usable or airable video
    footage filmed, photographs and/or recordings of/during this
    interview for any segment and/or report as a singular complete
    segment and/or report and in such a way as to retain the original
    context and atmosphere intended by the Interviewee.  No other
    individuals, religious faiths and/or religious groups will be
    included in this segment/report without the express permission of
    the Interviewee.
        

        The Interviewer will employ the usable or airable video
    footage filmed, photographs and/or recordings of/during this
    interview for any promotion as a singular complete promotion and
    in such a way as to retain the original context and atmosphere
    intended by the Interviewee. No other individuals, religious
    faiths and/or religious groups will be included in this promotion
    without the express permission of the Interviewee.
        
                        
        The Interviewer will treat all persons, tools, icons,
    artifacts, artwork, poetry and music filmed, photographed or
    recorded as integral parts of the interview and will not use any
    cassette, video or photographic representations of these
    persons/items in any other context or external segment, report or
    promotion without the express permission of the Interviewee.
        
       
    ____________________________________________________
    For WINDFIRE COVEN                     (Interviewee)
        
        
    ____________________________________________________
    For __________________________________ (Interviewer)

        
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    Witness
        
        
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    Witness
        
        
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    Witness