Acting as a Watchdog

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Acting as a Watchdog
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What is a watchdog?

• A watchdog is an individual or group (generally
  non-profit) that keeps an eye on a particular
  entity or a particular element of community
  concern, and warns members of the community when
  potential or actual problems arise.
• A watchdog may operate on the local, state,
  federal, or global level, and may deal with any
  issue or range of issues.

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You can decide what kind of watchdog to be by
considering

• Your resources
• Your philosophy of activism
• What or whom youre watching
• Whether you have opponents and who they are
• Your goals
• Whether youre the best individual or
  organization to take action

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Among the areas you might choose to monitor are

• Government.
• Corporations and business.
• Media.
• The environment.
• Human rights.
• Hate groups.
• American freedoms and civil rights.
• Public safety.
• Consumer affairs.
• The general public good.

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Why act as a watchdog?

• Self-interest.
• To defend those with little political or economic
  power, and help them learn how to gain and use
  that power.
• To keep citizens aware of what is happening in
  their community and their world.
• To maintain power in the hands of the community,
  rather than of those who have money or power or
  connections.
• To prevent bad consequences that could cost the
  community economically or socially.
• To promote social justice and social change.
• To maintain democratic ideals.
• Simple justice.

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Who can act as a watchdog?

• Agencies or organizations concerned with a
  particular issue.
• People affected by an issue or condition, or
  organizations that represent them.
• Professional organizations.
• Organizations that represent the general public
  interest.
• Agencies, organizations, and individuals
  concerned with the economic consequences of
  policies, practices, and actions.
• Those who are members of minority groups or
  represent minority interests, and want to make
  sure they arent discriminated against, and that
  their concerns arent ignored or forgotten.
• Those concerned with the maintenance of
  democratic ideals.

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When should you act as a watchdog?

• When youre seeking to institute or change laws
  or regulations.
• When a new project or venture is starting or
  about to start, and you have doubts about its
  impact.
• When you believe the public interest is
  threatened.
• When an entity or individual government or a
  government official, a corporation or industry, a
  police department, a human service program, etc.
  has proven untrustworthy in the past.
• When you receive information about actual,
  planned, or likely harmful or questionable
  actions or practices.
• When democracy is actually or potentially under
  attack.
• When simple justice demands it.

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How do you act as a watchdog?

• Do your research
• Learn everything you need to know to be able to
  explain and discuss the background and history of
  the issue(s), situation(s), and entities that
  youre concerned with.
• Gather the facts about the current state of the
  issue, and/or about the current policies and
  practices of the entities youre concerned with.
• Build a network and cultivate sources.

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How do you act as a watchdog?

• Decide what youre going to do with the
  information you have
• Nothing.
• Go public.
• Use it as a lever.
• Take official action.
• Keep up your watchdog stance for the long term