You’re more than a little bit nervous about the press scrum that awaits you, but Jessie your old team leader has been coaching you and says you have nothing to worry about. Still, you fear that their confidence in you may be a little unfounded.
“Don’t stress, just stick to your main talking points and you’ll be fine. Remember, some reporters are going to try and make you say things that can be taken out of context. They will try and lead you there by the way they phrase their questions. If you see this happening, don’t answer their question, just repeat your main message over again.”
“Will that work?”
“They have to quote you saying something, so make sure it’s something you want to be quoted as saying.”
“It sounds dishonest.”
“Don’t worry. Politicians do it all the time.”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“Look. The press are piranhas. It’s not in their best interest to accurately report the news, it’s their objective to stir up as much controversy as possible to fill paper with ink.”
“Ok.” You say resigning yourself to the wolfish position you find yourself in. “I just need a minute or two to collect my thoughts.”
“You’ve got five.”
When the moment arrives you don’t have time to be nervous. In the spot light and the camera lens, all eyes are on you.
“On behalf of the Green Earth Society I’d like to thank you for coming and showing your concern for our water safety. This river is the lifeblood of our eco-system. It is habitat for literally thousands of species and it is the source of water for all our agriculture, not to mention the origin of this city’s drinking water. This demonstrates the fact that the eco-system is not something alien to us but something that we are a part of. In fact the water from this river is literally in all of our hearts. You can see then, the importance of ensuring the long-term health of this vital resource. Unfortunately, our laws do not provide adequate protection from polluters. This is why the Green Earth Society is mounting a campaign to toughen environmental regulations, not for moral or ideological reasons, but for our very own health and safety.”
“Are you suggesting that yesterday’s illegal attacks on local businesses are somehow justifiable in the context of environmental protection?”
“No. That is not what we’re suggesting, that is what you just suggested. This unfortunate event highlights the fact that our laws are not working to ensure that toxic chemicals don’t end up in our drinking water. We need to change that so the laws reflect the wishes of our fellow citizens.”
“So you find fault with the law but not with criminal saboteurs?”
“Again, your words not mine. The Green Earth Society respects the rule of law as the only thing that can keep us safe from would be polluters. As an organization, we work within the legal system to help ensure that our laws are strong enough to keep the public safe.”
“And what if the government is unwilling to draft tougher environmental legislation? Would you propose that people go outside the law in order to protect the environment?”
“We will continue to push for legal reform by educating the public about the importance of environmental protection, and offering our assistance to politicians who wish to do that. If parliament is unable to offer the public assurance that the water they drink is free from harmful contamination, then we hope they will bring that frustration to the ballot box and vote for a parliament that is capable of delivering that promise.”
The media continues to circle you like wolves, trying to trip you up by making you give them something shocking to print, but you aren’t fazed at all. You handle them like they were schoolchildren and you’re the teacher at the front of the class: here’s the lesson kids, take notes. Eventually the questions stop coming, the reporters pack up their cameras and microphones and head back to their newsrooms.
“They’ll just have to write that environmentalists aren’t scary after all,” says Jessie congratulating you on a job well done. “You owned that.”
There’s still one last person from the scrum lingering around. As they approach you beaming with false sincerity, you flash them your best ‘Pleased to see you’ smile, though the opposite could not be more true.
“Hi. I work for the office of Dr Morgan Lawrence, the local candidate for the Social Democrats.”
“Oh, Hello,” you say extending your arm to shake their hand. “I’m sorry. I thought you were another reporter.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not here to grill you, though I must say you did handle those newshounds quite well. Would I be able to have a word with you in private?”
You look over their shoulder at Jessie whose raised eyebrows, and furrowed brow seem to be telling you to watch out, but you smile a reassuring smile and return your gaze to the person you’ve just met.
“Sure, let’s take a walk.”
In the back of your mind you know that Jessie has your back if you’re feeling cornered, so the two of you take a few steps towards the river where the sound of the current drowns out any possibility that someone may eavesdrop on your conversation.
“So? What is it you wanted to talk about?”
“I have a proposal for you about maybe working together with Dr. Morgan Lawrence and the Social Democrats to protect the long-term health of this river.”
“That’s what I’m here for. What did you have in mind?”
“Well. If elected, Morgan would introduce a bill to increase the frequency of water quality monitoring, and at the same time lower the threshold for issuing fines. This would act to deter people from disposing of harmful pollutants into the river and to help pay for the additional costs associated with extra environmental enforcement. It’s been such a hot topic recently that we were considering making it a campaign issue, and we wondered if you would be interested in working with our PR team.”
“While I’m sure that most Green Earth members are Social Democrat supporters, we are a non-partisan organization. We can’t be seen to be openly backing one candidate or another.”
“Of course. You would be working for us as a private citizen, not as a representative of the Green Earth Society. You would still be able to continue your work here, and at the same time you’d be bringing your experience over to the campaign. It would be a great opportunity to help create change and we could really use someone with your skills on our team.”
“It sounds interesting, but I’m going to have to think about it.”
“Certainly. Here’s my card. Call me any time if you have any questions or if you make up your mind.”
“I will, thanks.”
You walk away feeling a little stunned by the speed of this turn of events. First the protest, then the prison, the Green Earth Society and now this. It’s amazing the serendipity of it all.
“What was that about?” asks Jessie, meeting you at the bike rack.
“They just asked me to campaign for the Social Democrats.”
“That’s amazing! How about we go grab a coffee and you can tell me all about it?”
“How about a beer instead?”