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● Introduction & Index ● What is PR ● Job Expectations ● Types of Media ● Building Relationships ● Media, Hams & FCC Rules ● The Basic News Release ● Interviews and Live ● Making your own show ● Easy P.R. ● Public Service Events ● Piggy-back to Events ● Pictures NOW! ● P.R. Research Aids ● Making Friends ● ARES® PIO ● Final Exam Information |
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Preparation, depending on how much advance notice you get, should include writing a news release, a statement or at least some written notes for referral if you get an interview. (Having on hand some ARRL literature or descriptive material explaining the organization you represent may help, too). A news release is also something the reporter can take away and use later when he’s writing his/her story. If you have done your job well when you put it together, it will contain the points you want to make and increase the probability that the reporter will include them in the final story. In the case of a radio or TV interview, having prepared notes for the interviewer may help things along. In this way, you can suggest discussion areas that are in your area of expertise. Remember, when dealing with electronic media, condense your thoughts into brief “sound bites.” If you don’t understand what a question is about, try something like, “As I understand it, you are asking…” and then repeat or paraphrase the question until you get it right. Avoid one-word answers: They make poor quotes and leave you open to a reporter’s misinterpretation. Remember that your interviewer probably doesn’t know much about radio or about our Amateur Radio activities. You will be lucky indeed if he knows that electrons were responsible for having heated his morning coffee in the microwave oven. And, if he knew as much as you know about the situation you are discussing, there would be no need for him to talk to you at all. Make sure you don’t take off on windy and complex explanations or lapse into ham radio jargon or technical dissertations! A trick that works is pretending you are talking to your grandmother. (…Which may indeed be about right depending on who sees the final story.) If you mention others, be sure to have the correct spelling of their names and call signs. Also, be careful not to get over-enthused. It’s tempting to over-promise Amateur Radio’s ability to communicate into disaster areas. Have a club “Fact Sheet” If your club or organization doesn’t already have one, prepare a brochure or “fact sheet” giving a little of its history, describing its mission, listing its officers and outlining the programs and events it sponsors. This is a great handout to use when you meet with the media or with government and emergency management officials. It can also be a neat thing to use in recruiting or orienting new members. |
