The following has been prepared by Bob Burton, an environmental consultant, with a long history with Australia's environment movement. It is distributed to prepare activists for possible media stories relating to this issue. If you hear/ read of an incident please contact Bob Burton on 06 277 3170 or immediately call your environment group.
1. Is the incident precisely modelled on something that is supposed to be in the Earth First! Manual ?
2. How is the 'news' being broken - by anonymous letter, anonymous phone call, on talkback radio, by politicians or police ? Why? What was the primary source of information ? Who received the tip off?
3. Who is not publishing their view on this issue ? Why not? (PR Crisis managers try to avoid being visible but ensure that their message is disseminated by others)
4. Why is the incident being published given the standard police advice that publicity encourages copy cat repeats ? (one estimate is up to 20 copy cats for each initial incidence)
5. Is there anything beyond 'circumstantial' evidence ? What alternative explanations are being examined > Is only one scenario being offered to the media ? Why?
6. Is there anything else happening that the 'sabotage' claim is aimed at diverting attention from ? Has the story broken close to deadline, or on a Sunday when it is difficult to get other views ?