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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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More tips Do communicate the excitement of the hobby and try to target this for your audience. For instance, “Technical professionals might be amazed to learn that we’re using sophisticated digital techniques, and that we have our own satellites.” Have a couple of interesting, local “hooks” ready. These are leads to further stories that, while not directly related to the event, are interesting and may generate follow-up interest. How about your coworker who recently won recognition for her help with public-service and disaster-relief communications? What about the seemingly ordinary doctor in your local medical association whose idea of a fun vacation is dragging a few hundred pounds of radio equipment halfway around the world for a DXpedition? And don’t forget the high-school student whose interest in Amateur Radio helped earn him a college scholarship. Try local sports figures, newscasters, and other celebrities. With 650,000+ hams in the United States alone, there are a lot of fascinating stories out there just waiting to be written. I bet your group has a few. The point is that there are innumerable angles you can use to make Amateur Radio interesting to all sorts of people. Let your mind explore the possibilities and you should have enough ideas to keep you going for a long, long time! Amateur Radio Public Awareness Day To make the public more aware of the existence, purposes, and benefits of Amateur Radio, clubs and Field Organization members set up public displays across the nation, in schools, libraries, town halls, parks - anywhere an imaginative group can think of - on Amateur Radio Public Awareness Day. The special day is held each September on the third Saturday. Why September? It’s a time when no other major Amateur Radio event is taking place. Schools are back in session, and clubs are looking for a good kick-off for their fall seasons. The weather is generally good enough for outdoor exhibits at fairs and town parks. Now Go Have Fun Participating in a public event is exciting. Ham radio has an important role to play, even if all we do is get ready and stand by. The PIO gets to see more of it than anyone else, maybe even more than the organizers themselves. Enjoy it! For a comprehensive tutorial on putting together a good exhibit, see the ARRL Special Events Communications Manual. |
