G8/G20: An independent journalist's guide to getting the story

While the G8 and G20 meetings at the end of this month will focus on global austerity measures, foreign journalists will be getting the full Muskoka experience, sipping brewskies by a newly constructed man-made lake inside the luxurious G20 Media Center in downtown Toronto at the expense of $1.9 million from Canadian taxpayers.

If, like myself, this strikes you as odd, maybe you should consider getting out there to cover the events yourself -- as an independent journalist.

The doors to the meeting inside may be closed to the public (and reporters who don't pass the security check), but there's still a wealth of stories to cover outside the fenced-in meeting. Independent media plays an important role in highlighting key issues often left out of mainstream coverage of the summit while keeping leaders and police accountable.

It's imperative to have independent coverage of the G8 and G20 "because nobody else can be counted on to communicate the perspective of the angry people in the street," says Jesse Freeston, The Real News journalist who will be covering the G20 convergence and first exposed to the world the falsified voter turnout numbers during the post-coup Honduran elections [1].

If you're going to be out in the streets from June 25-27 trying to relay a similar message, there are some precautions and preparations to take into consideration.
Security surveillance and harassment does not exclude independent media makers. Some tips on what to do if you find yourself visited by CSIS can be found here [2].
The People's Commission in Montreal has also prepared these YouTube videos entitled "If CSIS Comes Knocking" [3].

If you're going to be crossing the border into Canada you could be detained, questioned and denied entry into Canada, as happened to Democracy Now's Amy Goodman and other leftist journalists in the lead up to this year's Olympics in Vancouver [4]. More information, including lawyers' phone numbers, can be found on the Movement Defence Committee website [5].

If you're taking video footage of anything cops might consider "suspicious," the police may try to confiscate it. If the police try entering your property, you don't need to let them in without a permit. If they confiscate your video footage you have the right to place it in a sealed envelope and insist that they don't open it in court.

For this reason, you may want to avoid filming the faces of protesters defacing or damaging property or engaging in other illegal actions. Doing this will also piss off activists. You should be considerate of their needs and requests, because they can be a sensitive bunch at times, as NOW editor Ellie Kirzner learned after she was recently kicked out of a Community Mobilization Network meeting [6].

If you catch police brutalizing civilians on camera you should put an unedited version on multiple platforms, keep a few copies of it in different locations and make sure it doesn't go missing. This can be used as evidence in court.

Police expect to see a press card, badge or a label somewhere on your body stating that you're a member of the press. However, identifying yourself as a journalist when cops approach is certainly no guarantee that they'll give you an easier time. If asked, you don't need to tell them where your work is being published or broadcast.

Due to heightened security during and leading up to the G8/G20 non-video-taping measures may be implemented near the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, where the G20 meeting will be taking place. Press for Freedom videographers tried shooting in the financial district during the time of a terrorism drill and found this out the hard way, after they were handcuffed and detained.

The area around the Metro Toronto Convention Center will be an "interdiction zone" during the G20 meeting, meaning you will only be allowed in with a security pass. This zone includes everywhere South of King St. down to the Harbourfront between Yonge Street and Spadina Avenue.

This will be cordoned off by a fence, which at some point during the summit protesters will likely attempt to scale, topple and cut through. View the map here [7].

To get into the high security zone you must apply for media accreditation through an online registration form [8] with a letter of assignment from a media organization, your photo and a government issued ID before today, June 11, at midnight. After this, they'll do a background security check. I was told by the office that it "usually" takes 72 hours from the time you apply to get accredited.

Access for journalists to the G8 in Huntsville will be limited, since it's at the sequestered Deerhurst Resort. A pool of journalists will be chosen to board a shuttle from Toronto to Huntsville for the day of the meeting. The rest will watch it through a live video feed from the media center in Toronto (I hope they also supply the popcorn).

If you're planning to drive there on your own, keep in mind access along Highway 60 and Muskoka Road 23 near the resort will be inaccessible.

Any other questions regarding security and access during the summit, Integrated Security Unit media relations should be able to answer: 1-888-338-3738.

If you witness an arrest or are looking for someone who has been arrested, the temporary holding facility will be located at Toronto Film Studios on 629 Eastern Avenue.

The "designated" protest zone is completely out of sight from the G20 leaders at Queen's Park. While some protests are planned to start at Queen's Park, most of the rabble-rousing will take place elsewhere.

In the lead up to the G8 and G20 some important dates to keep in mind are:

June 18-20 People's Summit [9] 
June 21-24 Themed days of resistance:-

• June 21: Rights for All
• June 22: Gender and Sexual Equality
• June 23: Climate Justice
• June 24: Day of Action for Indigenous Sovereignty

For a full list of events and demonstrations click here [10].

If you're covering demonstrations, come prepared - bring earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones for sound grenades; onions or lemon juice and a bandana for teargas; and shoes and pants for running.

If you're looking for an outlet for your reports, there are lots of opportunities:

- Reporting for rabble [11] or pitch directly to Features and News editor Cathryn Atkinson by clicking here [12].

- The media co-op's [13] public reporting tool and live twitter feed [14] (use hashtag #G20report).

- File for the National Campus/Community Radio Association program Groundwire [15]

- Connect with other media makers at the G20 Alternative Media Centre. The centre doesn't have a website, but you can email them [16] or fill out an online form to volunteer there [17]. The G20 AMC will be holding a wide range of skills-building workshops in the lead up to the G20.

For rabble's coverage of the G8 and G20 click here [18].

Carmelle Wolfson is a Canadian journalist based in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. She is a contributing editor of The Daily Nuisance [19] and on the editorial of Briarpatch Magazine [20].

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