Messaging & Assets

Consider how you want to use social media to promote your action. Make this part of your action planning so on the day there is a clear plan for your M&M coordinator to follow, ensuring your action reaches the widest audience. Here are some examples of social media posts from previous CUT THE TIES actions:

Don’t forget to give XR UK M&M team notice of your action to ensure they push it out to wider channels.

Press Release

How is your group’s capacity to write and distribute a press release? We can always help brush up a PR you have written and help with distribution lists. If you are happy to write and send out your own, brilliant, please Cc. us at cut-the-ties@proton.me when you release it.

See an Example Press Release from a Previous Cut The Ties action Here

Writing your press release

Aim to finish drafting it a week before the action to share it securely within your M&M group. Tip: make a secure chat group for each action and include the key people e.g. photographer, live streamer and/ or someone grabbing social media friendly video clips, PR writer, distributor, press contact, on the ground press handler (if you expect TV or Press to attend).

Start with title, date (leave blank on drafts for security), name and phone number for your Press Contact.

Write a concise description of what is happening in the present tense. This must include who, when, where, what and finally why? It’s good practice to add footnotes to support what you say in your ‘Why’ section- to support the facts you want to give about the target otherwise these might not be believed and so will be left out if the story gets used.

Finally add quotes from the activists involved in the action (not necessarily saying what any individual did). These quotes should carry your key messaging and demands, so if a news outlet wants to rewrite the whole story from different angle the one part of the PR they can’t change are the quotes. You need to include at least two of the following: the activists name, home town, age, profession. Top tip- write these quotes yourself so they cover the intended messaging accurately, then offer to attribute them to the individuals taking action.

Pictures for the Press Release

Good pictures help a news editor make the decision to run the story, so attach early pictures of the action to your PR.

Your photographer should send them to your Media group directly from the action within 30 minutes of the start. Some photographers can send DSLR pictures otherwise they should send smartphone pictures. They should include “live” elements like spraying a building, smoke flares going off, and shots with the banners and placards carrying your key messaging. Banners are good for wide scene setting shots, placards for human focussed images.

Include a link to a google drive share folder- to be updated with more edited images during the day and short video clips. Pictures should also be uploaded to the Pics.io XR image archive.

Timing for Media interest

Weekdays are best time to get media attention, early in the week is better, and early in the day maximises your chance of getting media attention. If your action is ongoing into the afternoon that will give news crews a chance to come out to you for a lunchtime news story.

But whether a story gets picked up always depends on what sort of news day it is, there are no guarantees. Regional actions with local media outlets are much more likely to cover you and to use more of your press release.

Even if not taken up the PR will help guide social media and livestream content, and remember your action will have a direct impact on the employees and directors of the company you have targeted, members of the public and the rebels taking part. It’s always good to have people assigned to outreach with leaflets available.

Embargoed Press Releases

As a rule do not send a PR for a spicy action in advance, wait until the action has started, this is good security and allows you to get word of any changes to the way the action went off and allow a last minute edit.

Email your PR out then call to follow up to ask if the story is being used, offering interviews with a spokesperson.

M&M Get Started for further help

Design assets

CUT THE TIES branded fire extinguishers, fake oil barrels have been used extensively across previous actions and are available for rebels to use again.

All the information you need to create banners, stickers and flyers

The links above should give you everything you need to get your assets created, should you require any help please reach out and ask.

Photography and videos

To have a greater impact for the press and social media, having professional photography and videos is a great tool. There is a network of XR photographers, live streamers and spokes persons across the nations and regions. If you would like one then make sure you put in a request with plenty of notice (at least two weeks).

Please remember to take your photos and videos in landscape!

Think about how to take your shots in advance. Your photographer / videographer may need to be in a slightly different location in order to get the best shots.

Before you start the action, make sure your local/regional M&M folk are geared up to get your content onto social media channels. You may wish to livestream your action! Add your best photos and videos to the Live Action Channel where they will be seen by Rebels far and wide.

If you’re in this channel please don’t swamp it with every image, choose a selection of your best ones to upload. Once they’re in the XRUK Live Action Content channel your images will be viewed by approx. 1500 members who may be inspired to take part in the next wave.