(1) Visibility - Organizing depends on building leverage for the working class. Leverage is increased with public support. Making campaigns visible to the public helps build that support. Publishing news of our activity makes these campaigns visible. It is not the only means (and may not even be the best means) by which we increase our visibility, but it is still a very useful tactic.

(2) Inspiration - Many members of the IWW, including isolated members and members in less active branches are inspired by the activity of their fellow workers. Likewise, workers unsure about joining the IWW are more likely to be inspired and join if they see signs of positive IWW activity (even fighting back against an employer with hard-line anti-union tendencies can be inspirational).

(3) Possible Drawbacks - If your campaign is not yet "public", you do not want to draw attention to your activities. Therefore it is best to wait to publicize your campaign until you are ready.  

(B) Basic steps for effective press releases (this applies for most cases, not just iww.org):

(1) K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Stupid) - Stick to the basic facts, be concise and direct. One goal in promoting ourselves is to be carried by the mainstream media (MSM), because--like it or not--they still dominate the media sphere, and the MSM prefers sound bites and blurbs. A simple, concise press release is more easily digested by the MSM.

(2) Be sure to discuss who, what, where, when, why, and how - These are the essential points in any press release. "Who" is us, the IWW, though you should probably specify what branch, industrial union, shop, and/or campaign is specifically organizing the action. "What" refers to what type of action we have organized, such as strike, picket, teach-in, etc. "Where" obviously refers to the location(s) of the action and/or target(s). "When" refers to the time(s) and date(s) of the action. "Why" is the most important information; this is the place to list grievances, goals, mission, and strategy (at least that which is public). "How" is a description of how our tactics seek to advance our strategy. All of these points should be included in any press release.

(3) Always provide links and/or contacts for those seeking further information - List names of organizers, contact information for organizers, mailing and website addresses. Make sure that you identify these things in advance.

(4) Include an announcement about any further actions you have planned, or list a contact and state that further actions "will be announced later". Be sure to note where these further actions will be announced.

(5) Be sure to give information on how others can express their solidarity with your campaign; list things they can do to help, such as sending money, messages of support, etc.

(6) If possible, provide images. For the web, .jpg, .gif, or .png images are best.

(7) Likewise, if you have PDFs, include these as well.

(C) Specific types of IWW.ORG Content - For the purposes of publicizing campaigns, organizing, actions, and events, it is recommended that the following tools be used:

(1) Article - a news article or press release. To publish news articles, you must have an iww.org web account with editing permissions. Once logged on, select "create content"; then select "story". In the "edit" screen under "options", uncheck "in moderation queue" and check "published" instead. Follow the remaining steps (but do not use "Path alias:"; leave that blank or it will make your article show up as "page not found").

(2) Event - a listing on the iww.org calendar. To publish events, you must have an iww.org web account with editing permissions. Once logged on, select "create content"; then select "event". Follow all of the steps on the editing screen, but do not use the "Path alias" function.

(3) Email lists - a complete list of iww.org email lists can be found here: http://lists.iww.org/mailman/listinfo.

(D) Beyond iww.org, other useful websites - The following list is useful, but not inclusive:

• www.indymedia.org - choose from one of over 60 local IMCs;
• www.transportworkers.org - useful for Department 500 news;
• www.craigslist.com - reaches a wide audience;
• www.labourstart.org - visit this site and contact the admins about becoming a "correspondent"; that allows you to publish news there yourself.

(E) Beyond the web, other steps for increasing visibility:

(1) Send press releases as faxes - the best way to send a press release to the MSM is still a fax; it is received instantly and draws attention. Email works, but can get lost in the noise.

(2) Develop a list of media outlets useful to you; big name media outlets, local alternative weekly papers, websites that serve your community.

(3) Develop a list of press contacts - individuals who cover you once will likely be more accessible to you in the future. Get contact information for specific individuals who work for the MSM. Use them strategically. Do not overwhelm them.

(4) Be prepared to publicize every action, no matter how small. (see (A), above).

(5) Be sure to promote our own media, like iww.org and the Industrial Worker.

(F) Other reasons why it is important to increase participation in publishing IWW news online:

(1) Currently the IWW website is vastly under used. A more vibrant IWW.ORG website will increase visibility, interest, and strengthen democracy in the IWW.

(2) Using iww.org to promote your campaigns / news helps strengthen and build the IWW in your community.

(G) Last words:

(1) To publish on iww.org, you need to have an iww.org website user account with editing permissions. If you already have an account, but don't have editing permissions, request them by responding to this message. If you do not currently have an iww.org user account, you may sign up for one by visiting the iww.org website.

(2) To promote your article to the front page of iww.org, you must request that from the sysadmins. Send an email to <www [at] iww.org> if you want your article promoted. Express why you want it on the front page in your message. Your article may not actually be promoted. Reasons for denial include the following: The article is a lot like another, recently published front page article; the article is not directly relevant to the IWW, the article is overly sectarian or unjustifiably negative. Also, your article may be promoted to the front page, even if you don't request it, because the sysadmins think that it's urgent or useful.

(3) As always, iww.org can always use more donations and regular donors. Please visit this page and make a donation to keep iww.org online: http://www.iww.org/en/help/donate

(H) In conclusion - publishing content on iww.org is easy and useful; don't wait. Start now! :-)