How to Talk to Reporters at Your Tea Party
As a brand-new fiscal conservative and Republican, I notice some of my new friends have little or no experience with political protests. They could use a few tips on how to talk to reporters and how to make the most of their tea party demonstration experience. I was a newspaper reporter for a couple of years in the 1980s, and because lesbians and women have had to fight for equality, I’ve participated in picketing, demonstrations, and marches since around 1974.
The most important thing you can bring to your tea party is your 30-second answer to the following question: “Why are you here?”
The tea parties will be covered by reporters and bloggers, who will be professionals or amateurs, for news outlets running the spectrum of conservative, libertarian, and liberal. (Among the amateurs may be people who will turn in their written and video interviews and digital photos to Pajamas Media. Pajamas Media is looking for citizen reporters — to sign up, click here.)
You must be able to tell a reporter in 30 seconds or less why you are participating in a political protest.
The funny thing is, the more you know about the damage President Obama and the Democratic Congress are doing to the U.S. economy, the harder it may be to give a simple answer. But a simple answer is the one that will get quoted. It will help if you write down your thoughts and rewrite them until you have a short list or statement that you can deliver in 30 seconds or less.
For example:
I am at the (name of place) tea party because I believe in the power of individuals and the businesses they create to generate the products, services, and jobs that will bring our economy out of the recession. President Obama and the Democratic Congress have got it wrong — the government can’t create good jobs or grow the economy. Money and jobs come from the opportunities that thrive when government is limited and lets you keep enough of your own money to make your own dreams come true. (Time: 25 seconds.)
Another example:
The Democratic Congress passed stimulus legislation no one read before voting on it. President Obama signed it into law without reading it. The House just passed “cap and trade” legislation that no one read before voting on it. If “cap and trade” passes in the Senate, President Obama will sign it without reading it. “Cap and trade” is designed to make electricity prices skyrocket to force demand for unreliable alternative energy sources. We have got to put conservatives into Congress and the White House to restore responsibility to how we run this country. (Time: 28 seconds.)
If the reporter is scornful or disrespectful, just give your 30-second speech, thank them, and walk away. Do not argue. The game is rigged in favor of the reporter.
While everyone is involved with the Tea Parties (and they should continue – this is grass roots politics at its best), remember to also talk about and demand that your State Legislature & Governor invoke the 10th Amendment – see here http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/ for more on that! If you are not sure what the 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution says, here it is:
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
That is to say, the United States is supposed to be made up of 50 self-governing States… and it’s time we took back the Constitution from those that would denigrate and reinterpret it’s meaning for their own purposes!
A powerful statement: “a democrateic republic powered by capitalism and individual liberty.” That is what the teaparties are about.
Will be interesting to see the coverage of this round. The MSM is possibly a little better prepared now and will probably have a better defined game plan on how to make the Tea Party goers look bad. Of course there is always the outside chance that they will actually do their job and just cover the events and report the facts but I would doubt that.
I do hope that the party goers remember to conduct themselves with a manner of respect and dignity that will bring credit to the movement.
Firm resolve and a clarity of purpose along with a little dose of good manners will help.
And don’t forget to enjoy the event, showing everyone how wonderful it is to be living in a country that allows gatherings from all sides to express their support for different points of view.
Let’s work to keep it that way.
Happy 4th of July everyone.
Try saying “Because 2/3 of our workforce are public sector employees who spend their workday playing with the internet. And 2/3 of them are collectivists who sabotage any movement toward our Founding Principles. And I want it stopped!”
Thank you for this timely advice. I’ve passed it on to everyone I know who is attending.
If Canada had started Tea Parties when Trudeau was in power, we may still be living in a free society. Forty years of Socialism and state-sponsored multiculturalism has killed the once-proud Canadian. My advice to Americans is fight, fight and fight some more. You are the only true democracy left.
The fact is that the newspapers do not cover the Tea Parties. Was in one yesterday and did not see any news organization during the whole time I participated. Lots of honk response from the traffic though.
Priceless . . . It reminds me of Limbaugh who told a caller, “The next time somebody tells you that you can’t think for yourself, here’s what you say . . . ”
In that spirit, here are a few more suggestions:
“Tea Party? I thought this was a chili cook-off.”
“I’m here to protest whatever Obama is doing today.”
“I’m mad as hell, and standing around listening to Hank Williams Jr. on my boombox is all I could come up with.”
“I’m actually the porta potty vendor.”
“I’ve got a thing for skanky white trash chicks in halter tops.”
“I heard Todd Palin is going to be standing by mutely like a whipped puppy.”
“I want to be part of the 79 people who are described by Neil Cavuto as a crowd of 11,000.”
“I feel the need to dip.”
Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of parking.
Have fun.
sheesh:“I’m here to protest whatever Obama is doing today.” which is:
Apologizing
Signing something into law which hasn’t seen the light of day
Making up history
travelling to Europe
Taking credit for GWB’s accomplishments
did i leave something out
I agree with Emphasis that this time around there won’t be any reporters. The media believes it already made them look like fools, and frankly I haven’t heard ONE thing about them other than at this site. The only reason it made news was because FOX covered it and they aren’t doing it this time.
..well, that was what I was waiting for. The mindless, zit-covered shee[t]sh to show up with an inane, puerile comment.
I can’t guarantee that if you follow my advice of calling and e-mailing the assignment editors at your newspapers, TV and radio stations that they will send reporters. But that’s what you’re going to have to do to prove to them that something important is going on. If enough people call, they may start to figure they better send a reporter just in case.
Also, if enough people call about the Tea Parties, they aren’t going to get anything else done. That’s worth something.
Passive people do not get results. Get busy!
I have signed on as a PJ Citizen Reporter. It will be interesting to attend as both a participant and observer.
My line is simple (borrowed from Milton Friedman): The government doesn’t have any money. It doesn’t create wealth and it doesn’t reduce debt. Only people have money. The government gets its money by reaching it hand into your pocket and taking it out. They don’t pay for anything: we pay for everything. It’s time to stop the unrealistic, unsustainable spending, and make the government take steps to encourage free enterprise, not stifle it with over-regulation.
That’s probably longer than 30 seconds, but as Cynthia said, there’s just so much to cover – it’s hard trying to pick any one particular complaint.
9. john from cincinatti . . . Tell me, who was the last president to NOT travel to Europe? And if you can pint to an Obama quote apologizing for America, you’d be the first to be abel to do it.
11. Войска ПВО: . . . You lack my insight and style and charm and humor. But that’s no reason to be bitter. I’m sure you have other skills . . . typewriter mechanic perhaps, or designing vaguely Slavic glyphs. Maybe you can take Dick Cheney’s advice and “make a living on ebay.” I’m sure there are all sorts of jobs and hobbies you can build on without resorting to professional envyist. By the way, thanks for keeping the conservative scat fascination alive. You’re a real trooper.
How about, “You are the problem! Begone, media scumbag!”
Valuable advice, Ms. Yockey. The average teabagger would surely embarrass the movement if required to express his or her own thoughts.
As a service to PJM readers, though, I will boil it down to one simple sentence:
“We are sore losers.”
davidt,
‘Media scumbag’ is too tame to my thinking.
With the way the last tea parties’ attendees were portrayed as ‘teabaggers’, I say call them the Fellatio Media, and designate some, like Chrissy ‘Thrill Up My Leg’ Matthews, or Katie Couric, or Charlie Gibson, as having the Order of the Presidential Kneepad. And state unequivocally that the Fellatio Media is not a free and independent press, and has itself betrayed the principals of the Constitution, no different from the politicos.
My gut feeling is, if reporters give attitude, as happened the last time, mock them, and mock them mercilessly. Just like Obama needs to be mocked. A malignant narcissist seeing later reports of all these ‘distractions’ will only become infuriated, hopefully revealing his true self sooner than he’d like.
This is serious, the beginning of the fight for all the marbles. Of whether we have a working constitutional representative Republic or not.
My gut feeling is, if reporters give attitude, as happened the last time, mock them, and mock them mercilessly.
This is also excellent advice. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were all media consultants or public relations professionals.
#2 *****outstanding*****
Sheesh, you really don’t want to go CBDR with Cynthia.
You always have something to say, but never constructive. And apparently we here don’t also have your finely honed sense of modesty. Or your excellent spell-checker.
http://www.sfgate.com. Has article about the tea parties. The comments for it are way ahead of those who don’t. San Fran???
BTW It has been on the homepage all day. There are pages and pages of comments. I repeat.. SAN FRAN????
Don’t forget to ask San Fran Nan why she hires illegal aliens to work in her Vineyard, and how many more Hospitals will close in SOCL. due to illegal aliens invading the ER room.
I could go on, but you get the picture.
What reporters? They are not going to show up to a group of a half-dozen sore losers whom just repeat right-wing talking points learned from their hippocrit heros Rush and Hannity. Give it up, you lost. It’s over, move on.
35% of the vote is what the one got. Should the rest of America never write anything because usafirst said so?
Half-dozen? Did you just pull that number out of your arse, or are you so stoned you can not write? Stop living with your mother, and get a job.
The media is Obama’s lapdog, not our watchdog. When a reporter shoves a mike in your face tell them “I don’t know why I am talking to you because you are not on my side.”
Remember:
1) Any equivocation you make will be edited to imply to the gullible that you approve of what is going on.
2) Any angry or “over the top” statement you make will be used to discredit you and those around you.
3) Keep it simple, and keep it directly critical of what you don’t like about today’s government.
4) The charming and friendly person interviewing you probably works for Obama as surely as if they were paid by him, because his or her bosses boss probably is.
I can’t help noticing that there has been a lot less interest in the July 4th Tea Parties than there was in the April 15th ones.
Before anyone blames the “liberal media establishment” for the lack of publicity, let me mention that there has been a lot less coverage and discussion on conservative web sites as well.
April 15th was not a huge sucess. The nummbers were a fair bit lower than many of the left-wing protests in the past. But the Tea Parties were the first time out for many activists on the right. The only question was would the movement gain strength or fizzle out.
It’s a pity, really. I wanted to see more Tea Parties in the future. July 4th will probably mark the end of wearing tea bags and a return to simply drinking the stuff. I’m a coffee drinker myself.
Seems way too early to conclude they are fizzling out. Lots of pictures today at Instapundit. Some pretty big numbers, too.
I was impressed by the 5,000 people at the Boston Tea Party in April. The numbers were under-reported, but there were some news mentions. I’m planning to go tomorrow, and barring serious thunder showers, I predict we’ll have a big crowd. There are actually two events, one at noon on the Common and another down at the wharf, close to the original Boston Tea Party spot, I understand. I bet that one will get some coverage.
Great advice, Cynthia, thanks for a very useful story.
I understand where people are coming from with the desire to give attitude right back to the reporters, especially if someone is rude and hostile as CNN was. But it really can be very unhelpful. All it takes is one hothead on the news to make the whole event look bad. On the other hand, one clear, compelling statement from someone bright-eyed and bushy-tailed can make the jaded public sit up and take notice.
Let’s take Cynthia’s advice and make the most of the events tomorrow.
I’m actually more interested in the fact that the Tea Parties have been showing up in more locations, more than their size.
Left wing protests always seem to show up in the same locations every time. LA, San Fran, DC, NY, places like that. But the Tea Parties seem to pop up everywhere, especially in the “smaller towns” like Las Vegas, Denver, ABQ, and the like.
Unfortunetly I work on the 4th, so my support is with you guys, enjoy the 4th and voice your concerns! Never forget you have the RIGHT to assemble and say what you want. It doesn’t matter what Sheesh or anyone else says. Just as the Anti-War, anti-Bush guys could say what they wanted for 8 years, now you can to.
I suggest recording on tape your dialogue with the reporter. This allows two advantages:
1. If the reporter lies about your answer, or cuts out some important portions, you can destroy him by posting the relevant portions on internet.
2. If the reporter chooses the dumbest answer – we can post better interviews with same reporter and ask him why he made a biased choice.
It’s time for Americans to become the press.
I am just as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!!!
Our socialist government is spending money like there was no end
It’s time to bring and end to the word “public”
An end to public health care
An end to public education
An end to public parks
An end to public roads
An end to public libraries
An end to public police
An end to public firefighters
An end to public military
An end to public politicians
It’s time to get rid of every socialistic institution in this country and hand it back to the private sector.
The private sector and market principles can do a better cheaper job than any government entity.
Show your support. Pull your children out of public schools. Avoid public libraries. Refuse to play in a public park. Don’t ride on public roads. Don’t call a public police if your house is robbed. Or a public firefighter if your house is on fire. And most of all, on election day, refuse to vote for any politician who makes a living as a public servant.
Stand up for your beliefs!!!
Great Advice Cynthia Yockey.
The big media news is the Simon Group bluffing the Gwinnett County Tea Party into canceling the event scheduled for months in advance.
This revealed inexperienced soccer moms masquerading as political rally organizers. This is more of a battle in a war and these organizers thought it was just another picnic.
I do appreciate the investment of their time to organize all of this but when I receive an e-mail two weeks before the scheduled event claiming they spent an entire day and half trying to secure another location then canceled it with two weeks to go was very disappointing and WEAK.
They should have immediately recognized and questioned this management person at the Gwinnett Mall and threatened to show up at the designated time anyway and force the Gwinnett Mall to call the police which in turn would’ve generated huge media attention and exposed the Simon Group for the political activism that itself had engaged in.
A public boycott of all merchants at this mall in this economy would have caused the Simon Group to fold in a NY second.This Mall has been declining for years and this might have been a death blow to its future viability.
These Tea Parties are an excellent concept but the conservative grassroots need some training and not be so thin skinned.
31. Nori Hall:
Wow, do you really think that’s what we are talking about? Public parks are a socialist institution? That’s a first for me. An end to public libraries? Do you really think this is a site for Objectivist extremists? I have to say, you are the most creative troll I’ve seen on here. Thanks for the laugh.
Getting back to the issue of the Tea Parties, I can’t help but notice that the July 4th events show a serious decline in the movement.
CNN reported that 2000 people showed up in Washington. Even if you think CNN is biased (a comment I’ve read many times here) the event was pretty small.
FOX News practically ignored the events. On April 15th they were “All Tea Party, all the time.” Four of their top personalities were featured speakers at Tea Parties. But Fox gave scant coverage to the July 4th events.
In Dallas they predicted “tens of tousands” would attend the party that featured Michelle Malkin and a Monkee (Mickey Dolenz). In spite of high profile speakers, an impressive fireworks show, and virtual rockstar games for the kiddies, the crowd was a few thousand rather than tens of thousands.
On the site you are reading now as of Sunday July 5th there was one piece on the front page on Tea Parties (the one you’re reading right now) and three articles on Sarah Palin. The Palin articles combined have over 400 comments. As I am writing this the Tea Party article has 33 comments.
I am very disappointed. Huffington Post only has one mention of Tea Parties. Daily KOS has nothing. The enemies of the movement are saying nothing because they know what sort of horse they would be beating. If the left is scared of Sarah Palin and that’s why they keep bashing her, what does it say that the left is ignoring Tea Parties.
Supporters claimed that the April 15th parties would have been bigger but it was the middle of the week and most people had to work. But far fewer people work on July 4th and the numbers are down, way down. I’m going to keep looking around to see how individual events did, but it’s obvious that the movement is dying.
I suppose the corpse of the Tea Party movement will have a few more events on Labor Day (an appropriate day to complain about taxation for hard working people), but rather than seeing the movement gather steam, Tea Party protests resemble an balloon with a slow leak.
Fizzle
How about: “As a social conservative and devote Christian I’me here to protest gay marriage, pedophilia and the gay-liberal agenda. Obama has promised to infiltrate degenerates into our Armed Forces and is just biding his time with which to do so.”
Horrible Date Selection, Poor Planning and Killing the Leader.
Cynthia Yockey is not only spot-on she’s exposed the flaws and the weakness of these soccer mom lead events.
It’s all about the Media whether the grassroots “crossing all political lines & parties” tea partiers choose to recognize that or not.
I always thought this date choice was risky. Although Independence Day fits the meme of the Tea Parties it conflicts with long planned holiday vacations.
July 4th is a national holiday that is routinely recognized as the first chance to start summer vacations for families with school children. It is reasonable to assess that 35% of the population had left town by July 2nd for their summer vacations.
Striking up the home based barbeques for the entire weekend is long tradition for the very group of people that these protests are looking to draw from. July 4th vacation is a drinking holiday for a large remainder. Here in Georgia the State Patrol promotes heavily their annual planned ROAD BLOCK CHECKPOINTS and probably another 35% of the population had absolutely no plans to leave the safety of their abodes on this day.
Poor Planning includes the lack of analysis of this date selection. For example here in Atlanta where the largest of the April 15th Tea Parties was heralded we had the 40th Peachtree Road Race drawing 55,000 participants and another 100,000 fans. Traditionally this event drains tons of energy from the heat, humidity and the early starting times of the event. At 5 PM on that day most people are just waking up from their naps after attendance.
People are just not going to attend too many events in economic hard times. Even if you are not a drinker waiting for hours to go through one DUI roadblock is so indelibly burned into ones memory that’s enough to keep everyone off the road during the entire weekend.
The Simon Groups killing of the leader main event, combined with the rapid capitulation and submission of the Tea Party organizers of the Gwinnett PICNIC was the straw the broke the enthusiasm for the largest portion of these participants.
We must learn from these lessons and pay attention to people like Cynthia Yockey.
During the two tea parties I went to, I noticed a lot of people quoting Mark Levin, and the book “Liberty and Tyranny” I recognized the quotes, because I read the book. The conservatives were quoting that book more than the bible.
I notice many t-shirts with words on them from the book, and I notice many signs. The best speaker I heard at both tea parties was a man who has ragingelephants.org and I knew he read the book from his words, and he was a great speaker that got our crowd motivated and involved in his speech. I really enjoyed his speech and as the crowd stood and clap, and yelled, I realize everyone did know his words were true. As I said, people were quoting the book “Liberty and Tyranny”. It is a great book.
So did y’all have your little parties? The only thing on the news was Steve McNair and the public breakdown of the Wasilla Washout.
“Media fool, do you have the withto understand what I say?” works pretty well!
#25 Leatherneck wrote:
“35% of the vote is what the one got.”
Actually that is incorrect.
The Census Bureau cites the population of the US at 304 million, of which 230,917,360 are of voting age.
Obama got 69,456,897 votes, or about 30% of total VAP.
McCain got 59,934,814 votes, or about 26% of total VAP.
So that means 161,460,463 people either voted against Obama (not necessarily for McCain however) or didn’t vote at all. Also of Obama’s 69.5 million votes how many were dead, non-existent, or other voter fraud we’ll probably never know.
While symbolic July 4th was a REALLY bad date for the Tea Parties. Too many people with pre-existing plans such as vacations, cook outs, family events, etc.
Also there is a lack of polish when it comes to organizing. Make sure the events location is spelled properly, clearly marked and identified on MapQuest or Google maps, start and end times are helpful as well. Several events I looked up near my house suffered from such issues.
I wish I would have read Ms Yockey’s quips for the media prior to the 4th of July tea Party that we visited in my home town ( Perrysburg OH ). After a funfilled and boistrous Tea Party, many of us exiting the park were asked by a young lady if we would like to be interviewed on camera. I declined because I’m envolved politically on a local level and didn’t want to give any anti Tea Party people any ammunition but out of curiousity, I stuck around to see who would volunteer. We waited around for a few moments and when no one volunteered I left for lunch. Walking to a local pub I asked my friends why they didn’t go on camera. ” I didn’t see any press credentials or any news vans and there we’re no other reporters with her. It was odd” said my friend.
I had to concur. However, I was very pleasantly surprised to see at least 600 patriots of all stripes crammed into the tiny park and celebrating our great country’s founding.
I did monitor the local news stations and very little mention was made of the local Tea Parties which doesn’t surprise me because the media here is way too blue.
After the April 15th Tea Parties people said that the numbers should have been higher but people had to go to work so they couldn’t attend.
On the other hand, July 4th was a bad choice of dates because it was a holiday.
I remember after the Apr. 15th parties everyone said that there would be another round of protests July 4th so unless people had made travel plans months in advance they had plenty of notice that it was going to happen again. But I haven’t heard anything about future events this time.
Labor Day weekend sounds like an ideal time to have another round of parties. Does anyone know if anything has been announced about the future of the movement?
How did you tea baggers like your party? LOL
What a bunch of losers.