Furry Weekend Atlanta is a private, membership-only organization, not unlike a fraternal organization or country club. Our first priority is the safety and security of our members.
However, we realize and understand the curiosity many media outlets have about our organization and event, and that some in the media desire to learn more about Furry Weekend Atlanta and the "furry" or anthropomorphic fandom in general. As such, a balance must be found between the safety and security of our members and the interests of the press and media, and Furry Weekend Atlanta has attempted to satisfy both the requirements with our Press Membership policy.
Furry Weekend Atlanta, Inc., will be willing to grant interviews and requests for information to authorized agents of the press and media prior to the convention, and will have Press Memberships will be available for media outlets wishing to cover Furry Weekend Atlanta 2009. These memberships will only be available to those who can prove that they are employed by a reputable broadcast, print or Internet media organization, and must be arranged in advance with our Media Relations Representative prior to February 15th, 2009 (sorry - we're too busy after that point to do the necessary checking).
When applying for a Press Membership, please be able to provide us with the following information: your name and full contact information (address, telephone and email - the telephone must be a direct, non-recorded telephone line), full contact information for your editor and publication, the nature of the story you are writing and what type of information and media you will be gathering at Furry Weekend Atlanta.
If you have been granted a Press Membership, you must check in at Registration on the day of the convention to receive your badge. You must do this before ANY media-related activities can take place at the convention; failure to check in will result in revocation of the Press Membership and you being asked to leave. When you check in at Registration, please have the following with you: a business card, a government issued picture ID, a letter on your organization's masthead stating the nature of your story and including contact information for your assignment editor should we need it to validate your credentials before issuing you a pass.
When you check in at Registration, you will be given a list of official convention sanctioned events that you will be permitted to attend. You will not be permitted to attend any events on behalf of your organization that are not on the list. You will be permitted to conduct interviews and Furry Weekend Atlanta can, at your request, provide you with a quiet area to conduct them if you arrange this with us prior to the event. You will not be permitted, however, to harrass, intimidate or otherwise force anyone who does not wish to be interviewed or photographed to do something against their will.
Note: All attendees purchasing memberships are required to sign and abide by our Policies while at the convention. A portion of these policies governs media activities at the convention and reads as follows: "Attendees bearing a membership not specifically designated as a 'Press Membership' agree not to act as agents of any media organization in any way, shape, or form while attending Furry Weekend Atlanta. This includes, but is not limited to: interviewing, photography, and audiovisual recording." Failure to abide by these provisions constitutes Breach of Contract and may result in legal action.
In summary, we are willing to let you into our pivate event at the risk of damaging ourselves and our reputation, and all that are asking of you that you play by our rules and get the whole story while you're here - not just what will get the ratings.
To apply for a Press Membership, please contact our Media Relations Representative at media@furryweekend.com.