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ARRL Public Information Officer's Handbook By Gene Pressler, W3ZXV An ARRL Field Services Department Publication ABOUT THE AUTHOR Gene Pressler, W3ZXV, has been licensed since 1955. A newspaper reporter for some years early in his career, he is now retired as Senior Vice President/Human Resources for a major Pennsylvania bank. Former president of several area radio clubs in southeastern Pennsylvania, he is currently President of the Telford Area Repeater Association (TARA) in suburban Philadelphia and a member of the Warminster Amateur Radio Club. Gene Pressler is an Assistant Director for the ARRL Atlantic Division and Public Information Coordinator for the League's Eastern Pennsylvania Section. He has been a contributor to the League's QST magazine and is the author of a number of articles and publications in his professional field. TABLE OF CONTENTS ONE INTRODUCTION TWO THE ARRL PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER THREE THE MEDIA - AN OVERVIEW 3.1 The Right Place 3.2 The Right Time 3.3 The Proper Form 3.4 Needs of the Media 3.5 Print Media 3.6 Electronic Media 3.7 Get To Know The Media QST reprint, "The Media Game" FOUR KNOWING AND USING YOUR RESOURCES 4.1 Media Resources 4.2 Amateur Radio Resources FIVE THE PRESS RELEASE Sample press releases SIX HOW TO HANDLE MEDIA INTERVIEWS 6.1 Meeting The Press 6.2 Damage Avoidance SEVEN GETTING YOUR NEWS PUBLISHED 7.1 Preparation and Assessment 7.2 Contacting Media Staff EIGHT HANDLING THE BIG STORY 8.1 San Francisco Earthquake 8.2 The Big Story In Your Backyard 8.3 Guidelines 8.4 Be Prepared 8.5 News Gathering, the Media and Part 97 8.6 ARRL On-The-Air Operating Guidelines NINE OTHER PUBLIC RELATIONS IDEAS 9.1 Amateur Radio Public Awareness Day 9.2 Club "Fact Sheet" 9.3 Public Service Events 9.4 Invite Local Officials To Field Day, Club Meetings 9.5 Proclamations 9.6 Recognition Awards 9.7 Cable TV 9.8 Other Organizations 9.9 The Workplace 9.10 Speakers Bureau 9.11 Public Programs TEN RADIO AND TV ELEVEN ON RADIO AND TV TALK SHOWS 11.1 Celebrities Only? 11.2 Types Of Talk Shows 11.3 How To Handle the Tough Interview 11.4 How To Get Invited 11.5 Conclusion 11.6 Broadcast Industry Directories TWELVE WRITING FOR NON-HAM PUBLICATIONS 12.1 Target Your Story To The Audience 12.2 What Should and Shouldn't Be Included In Your Story 12.3 Target Your Story To the Magazine 12.4 How To Make Professional Submissions 12.5 Article Ideas THIRTEEN WRITING LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Chapter One Introduction You're proud of being an Amateur Radio operator, right? You recall how hard you worked to get there, aware of our proud record of technological development and public service. You feel sort of special, right? We all do. And then what happens? Someone asks what kind of radio that is under your dashboard and you puff up and say, "I'm an Amateur Radio operator." How quickly do you deflate when that person responds with a blank stare or by confusing you with, say, a Citizens Band operator? Have you ever introduced yourself as an Amateur Radio operator and had the other person respond by saying, "Oh, you're one of those people who messes up television reception." Does your community have an emergency preparedness plan in place which doesn't include a role for Amateur Radio, probably because the people who planned it didn't know you existed? How about that parade you watched downtown a while back? You know, the one you noticed really could have used radio as a means of helping its organizers coordinate its movements? And did you ever call the local newspaper with what you thought to be a worthwhile story, only to find a deaf ear? These are failures in the Amateur Radio community's public relations efforts, and, unfortunately, they are all too common. We need to correct those mistaken images and the way to do it is by improving the public's understanding of who we are and what we do. And we can do that best by doing what we do best, communicating. The problem is that we communicate mostly with ourselves and too little with the public. This is what the American Radio Relay League's public information program is all about and the reason you chose to become a Public Information Officer or Coordinator. The purpose of this publication is to help you do the job. Chapter Two The Public Information Officer Improving the public's understanding of Amateur Radio has to be an effort "from the grass roots up." Neither the League HQ nor any other body or group of individuals can do it alone. That's where you, the ARRL Public Information Officer (PIO) or Coordinator (PIC), come in. By taking on the job of Public Information Officer, you've made a commitment to communicate Amateur Radio activities to the public. Grass roots public relations involves the regular and frequent publicizing of these activities through your local news media. But, even more than that, it should embrace a wide range of other activities including community service, school programs, presentations to local service clubs and organizations, exhibits and demonstrations and other efforts. The idea is to help improve the public's awareness of who we are and what we do and to create a positive image for Amateur Radio. It's in our interest that we be perceived as performing vital public services, not just in times of communications emergencies but in our day to day activities: from training young people in electronics and communications to being good will ambassadors the world over. We don't want to be seen as troublesome nuisances or just as a group of people pursuing a little-known and slightly peculiar hobby interest. We have a public relations problem when the only times we are heard from is when we're protesting a restrictive antenna ordinance or are on the short end of an interference controversy. You are not expected to do all of this by yourself, of course, but, as a Public Information Officer, you can and should be a critical part of this process and a key player in making it all work. Doing the job really well can be a great challenge, an exciting one and a source of great satisfaction. The PIO qualifications are simple: you need to have (1) the interest, (2) the ability to write simple declarative sentences and (3) membership in the League. Following this chapter, you will find official ARRL job descriptions for the Public Information Coordinator and Officer positions. They contain additional, specific information on performance expectations and should be reviewed carefully. Chapter Three The Media -- An Overview To be effective in your public relations efforts, you must get your message to the right place, at the right time, and in the proper form. If any of these elements is missing, your message may not accomplish the desired results. 3.1 The Right Place If you are trying to publicize the election of officers at your local Amateur Radio club, for example, there is little point in sending a story about it to your local network-affiliated TV station because the station is unlikely to consider it as having enough significance. Try a community newspaper instead. 3.2 The Right Time Even if your story is one that does have substantial significance, there is usually no use in sending it after the actual event. By then, the opportunity for reportorial or photographic coverage (in cases where those may be appropriate) will have been lost. Get your story to the right place in a timely manner as set by the medium's own standards. 3.3 The Proper Form Always use the proper form for your submissions. For example, newspapers generally shun color photographs because they do not reproduce as well in that black and white medium. Unless you are really proficient with a camera, you are going to need all the edge you can get for a newspaper to consider your photos of high enough quality to use. So, the proper form for your submission of photographs is B & W film (except Polaroid, which is not of sufficient quality for this purpose). Much of this may seem like common sense -- and it is -- but you would be surprised at how many times these basic considerations are overlooked. And, generally, when they are, it is at the cost of having the opportunity to tell your story lost. There are guidelines for dealing with the needs of various media which we will cover, but there are few hard and fast rules. For example, you might be considering how to approach a newspaper editor with a story. Should you make a request of him to send a reporter to cover an event or would it be better to send him a press release describing it? The truth is that some editors respond better to one approach while some prefer the other. Most editors will respond to either, however, depending upon how a particular story idea strikes him at the time. Newspapers are generally considered to be print- oriented black and white news media but to stop there would be to sell them short. In addition to the news aspect, every newspaper has sections or articles devoted to things like neighborhood news, community events, feature articles and the like, some of it in color with handsome graphics. If your article isn't big "front page news," don't be discouraged. Cast your story in a way so that the editor might find a place for it one of these other forums. The story below appeared in a big metropolitan daily, The Philadelphia Inquirer. It is a homely story by "news" standards but it earned space in the newspaper's weekly Neighbors magazine which regularly carries a potpourri of local interest items like garden clubs, people, hobbies, women's groups, and civic activities. HAM RADIO OPERATORS MARK DISCOVERY OF THE TELEGRAPH -- MORRISTOWN, NJ (AP) - About 30 ham radio operators gathered Sunday at the factory where Samuel F. B. Morse's telegraph was first publicly demonstrated to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the revolutionary technology. Today is the anniversary of the day the telegraph sent the message, "Railroad cars just arrived, 345 passengers". The ham radio operators sent a message around the world in Morse code and in voice to other hams to commemorate the occasion. "Morse code is very important to ham operators," said Peter Glenn, one of the ham radio operators transmitting at Historic Speedwell, the 7.5-acre estate where Morse tested the telegraph. Although it has been largely replaced by voice and data transmission, "Sometimes there may be times when the only type of message you can use is one of Morse code," he said. Those times include emergencies such as the Mexico City earthquake, when there is so much interference or the signals are so weak that Morse code is the only available form of communi- cation. The gathering of the ham radio operators was part of a year-long series of events to mark the telegraph's contribution to technological progress, said Sarah Haskins, executive director of Historic Speedwell, now a museum. The museum formed a corporation to coordinate activities this year and, along with the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, was a co- sponsor of the weekend events, she said. While Morse invented the telegraph, he was supported financially and technically by a Morristown family. Alfred Vail, the son of a wealthy Morris- town entrepreneur, was intrigued by a demonstration of Morse's telegraph and persuaded his father to invest $2000 in the invention. Ham radio operators Sunday celebrated the anniversary by transmitting this message: "We are commemorating the 150th anniversary of the first public demonstration of the electromagnetic ... The point is that you should not be afraid to try to get your story across. Editors respond in different and very individual ways. What works in one instance may not work in another and there are no absolute, sure-fire answers. There is really only one rule you should keep in mind and that is: Not every effort you make will be rewarded with success but be sure to put your best into every effort you make. 3.4 Needs of The Media Now that we have established that the footing here is a little spongy, what are some of the things we need to consider in getting our story out? The media we are most likely to deal with include various print media such as newspapers and magazines, and electronic media, normally radio and TV. How do their needs differ and what do we need to know about those differences in order to deal with them effectively? Let's take a look at them, one at a time. 3.5 Print Media This category actually includes quite a variety of slightly different printed media. You need to expand your thinking a bit to appreciate the array of options available. Newspapers, for example, consist of a number of sections and cover everything from local to international news. Newspapers contain sports articles, feature stories, advertisements, want ads, editorials, letters to the editor, advice columns, "how-to" articles, obituaries, comics, puzzles, and more. Many of them, like The Philadelphia Inquirer mentioned above, contain supplements and magazine sections and publish Sunday editions. The point is that newspapers are not monolithic wholes but consist of a great many parts, some of which present excellent opportunities for you to get your story in print in other than a straight "news" context, as discussed above. The only item they have in common, of course, is that they all rely on the printed word. Because they do, you need to reduce your message to words, present it with a natural "angle" which makes it interesting and perhaps plan to supplement it with one or more photographs. Try to get your story there two or three days before the date when the event will actually occur. 3.6 Electronic Media The electronic media are a lot more fickle. You should not plan to put all your efforts in one basket. Radio and TV stations work on schedules measured in seconds and a late- breaking, important news story can result in the need to cut out your most carefully-conceived and executed effort to get coverage of your story. As with newspapers, you need to consider that the radio and TV media also consist of parts. Their news programs cover everything from international to local news and many "news" programs routinely include feature sections which present opportunities for covering a story on a local Amateur Radio event like Field Day. Some stations have "news magazines" which, like their print media cousins, offer similar opportunities. The advice on timing discussed in the print media section above, applies equally well to the electronic media, although here, because of the more cumbersome logistics involved in assigning camera crews, for example, two or three weeks' notice may work a lot better. Editors tend to know a lot more about things like parades, bridge collapses, political campaigns, automobile collisions and the like than they do about Amateur Radio. Lace your efforts with some information educating them about the basics of Amateur Radio. In making your presentation, for example, you may want to supplement a Field Day story idea and request coverage with a good quality audio tape as possible background sound from the prior year's on-air operations to provide a "feel" for the event in the editor's mind. You could also consider adding "still" photographs to further help him visualize the story's potential and capture his imagination. And, if you have not planned that far ahead, tape some current on-the-air activity and use that, along with some still photos of a few typical radio shacks. 3.7 Get To Know The Media It is important to get to know the local media. If it is a newspaper, what sections offer the best opportunities for your story and, if it is a radio or TV station, where would a particular type of story "fit" best? Try to think like an editor and, when you sit down to plan your approach, consider the "style" used in presenting similar pieces and try to cast your story in a similar mold. If you are calling an editor with a request for coverage, name similar stories you have seen him cover when you make your appeal. The important thing to remember in considering the special needs of the media is not so much a set of rigid rules that should inhibit your efforts but that your target is pretty broad and can be approached from many different angles. With a little commonsense consideration of how the various media work, any of several possible approaches can be successful with the application of a little imaginative, intelligent and timely effort. And, finally, remember the old adage, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained". Failure comes only from not trying. We have been looking at the "big picture" in an overview of "public relations." As you can see, this covers a wide spectrum of means and techniques to communicate newsworthy things about your activities or your organization to others in our communities. It means developing an on- going relationship with various public media, including radio and TV and print publications up to magazines with wide readerships. In the real world which nearly all of us inhabit, however, the possibility of our ever gaining access to the national media is both beyond our means and the intended purpose of this publication. That's a job for experts and not even they are always as successful as they would like to be. Our actual possibilities are considerably more limited but the truth is that very few Amateur Radio organizations will ever even approach those limitations. Most of us, in fact, are not meeting the potential we do have and that is something on which we can realistically focus our efforts. Chapter Four Knowing and Using Your Resources When a PR opportunity knocks, your immediate problem is to organize your resources quickly so that you will be able to use them and respond most effectively. What do we mean by "resources"? What kinds are there and how do we use them? We need to think of resources on the Amateur Radio side as "sources" of information, while resources on the media side can carry that information for you to the public you want to reach. These media resources are the "purveyors" of news. While your role may at times be that of a broker or middleman in the process of conveying information across from one side to the other, there are other times when you will yourself be the source of the story. Let's look at the resources you have available to you as a public information specialist. How well you are able to use these resources will determine how effective you will be. 4.1 Media Resources For most of us, learning the news business is not all that difficult. Most towns, except for the largest, have a local newspaper, possibly a radio station and maybe even a TV station. Getting to know who is who at each one is usually a simple matter of paying attention or making a phone call. Newspapers list their editorial staffs on the editorial page. Individual reporters often have by-lines. Also, a simple phone call to the local radio or TV station will almost always produce this information easily. Unless you enjoy working under the handicap of a cold start, don't wait until a story hits to uncover that information and cultivate these resources whenever and however possible. Picture yourself with a hot story, trying to explain it to an editor who has never heard of Amateur Radio. You will be expecting him to absorb a lot all at once and he is likely to think that it is all just too complicated and esoteric to catch his readers, listeners or viewers. It is better to start earlier by feeding him articles whenever you can on more mundane things like the election of officers at your club, a ham flea market or an annual banquet. These will help open a channel of communication as well as establish yourself in his mind as a source of information. Then, when you need him, you will be able to call on a reservoir of knowledge and good will you have helped to build. News people and editors are not strange gnomes hidden away in unapproachable recesses of their offices or studios. They cannot afford to be and, in fact, they probably need news sources like you more than you need them. Their livelihoods depend upon being able to tap knowledgeable and credible sources of information on a wide variety of subjects. The idea is to make yourself one! What do you do if a reporter calls on you for information or even an interview? The answer probably depends to some extent on the type of media involved and how much notice you get. With a little notice, it is probably a good idea to prepare a statement or a press release in advance. This will give you a crutch to lean on during the interview and help channel your thinking, and the reporter's, so that you cover all the points you want to make. Reporters appreciate people who make their jobs easier by giving them handouts, especially on subjects about which they may have only an imperfect understanding. If the reporter plans to bring along a photographer, he will usually tell you that in advance. If he does, dress for the occasion, clean up the shack or do whatever else is appropriate so that you will present yourself and Amateur Radio in the best light. The same considerations apply to radio or TV coverage but the emphasis changes subtly. In radio for example, the focus is on voice timbre, vocabulary, elocution and the like, while on TV, personal appearance, expression and mannerisms are added dimensions. Each is important and each should be considered carefully, even to the point of selecting spokespersons or settings whose images will be conveyed best in the particular medium. The task of getting yourself known, and respected, is obviously simpler in a small town and it is not a bad idea to call at the local newspaper office to introduce yourself to the editor. Take along some information on Amateur Radio and explain what we do, who you are and the kind of activities you, your club or group conducts. Ask him for his support and how you can help him: He may tell you how he would prefer you to submit stories, what the paper's deadlines are and provide you with other information which could make both your jobs easier. 4.2 Amateur Radio Resources You need to develop your own resources, on the Amateur Radio side of things. This requires quite a bit of effort. Your experience and knowledge of other hams and clubs in the area will need to be tapped. A little attention here -- before an actual need arises -- can be a godsend when a story does break. Years of experience do not necessarily invest any of us with all-encompassing knowledge. If a story were to develop involving packet radio, for instance, would your understanding be comprehensive enough to answer questions intelligently? If it is, how about other aspects of Amateur Radio such as UHF, space communications, DX or traffic handling? Could you speak with equal expertise on each? Few of us are competent in all the diverse areas of Amateur Radio and, for that reason, you need to develop a list of resources available to you in covering the broad range of our interests. There are a couple of ways to develop an "inventory" of experts. A good place to start is to prepare a list of subjects which you might be called on to cover. You can proceed from there by trying to match each subject with the name of an individual who is expert in that area. At the same time, get the name of a backup to call on in case your first choice is not available. Develop a skills inventory list for members of your club. Be sure to get telephone numbers and any other information you might need to work with your resource people so that you will be able to reach them on short notice. You may need quick access to your contacts at unpredictable times. Be ready. Be sure to let the people you pick know that they are on your list of experts so they might be better prepared when a story develops and, just as importantly, to let them know of your interest. Pick people who are knowledgeable, of course, but be mindful, too, that they may become spokespeople for Amateur Radio when a story breaks. Whenever possible, pick people who will be seen as articulate and responsible and who will be as agreeable-sounding and -appearing as possible. Give some thought, too, to the settings used for your stories. Invite the media to meet with you at a well- organized, photogenic shack where the background is going to help you convey the image you want to project. At first thought, it may seem that you cannot always control location but, even on a Field Day story, which is going to be set in whatever spot the group happens to have selected for the activity, there are a number of things you can do. You can clean up the site before the news people arrive, steer them to the best-looking setups and away from ones establishing new lows in unsafe wiring, which will probably show up with remarkable clarity in the background of any photos taken. (And clear out the beer cans, too. Same reason). The whole idea here is to go about your task with as much prior preparation and as much professionalism as possible. The more work you do "up front," the easier it will be to react quickly and effectively when the need arises. For most people, "meeting the press" is a stressful situation which is confronted seldomly in their lives and thorough preparation is a certain way to remove most of this stress from these encounters. If you can accomplish that, you will be able to deal more effectively with the opportunities presented and make the most of them. You will be shaping the reporting rather than simply being part of it. Chapter Five The Press Release "Press Releases" are the most common ways of communicating information about our activities to the public and, fortunately, they are the easiest to master. Newspapers are the most accessible of all the different types of media available to us; the best way to get your story into print in a newspaper is to do part or all of the editor's work for him. A newspaper's resources may be limited in the sense that reporters are not always available to cover every story. None are expert in every field of human endeavor. Particularly in cases like ours, where many of the stories are a bit esoteric, editors tire quickly of callers with lengthy explanations about their "news." Many also conclude quickly, perhaps too quickly, that if the story is all that complicated, the paper's readers will not be that interested. News releases help solve these problems and, even more importantly, they help to assure that your story will be told the way you would like it to be told. 5.1 Structure The press release consists of four parts: 1) the heading, 2) the opening sentence or paragraph, 3) the body of the story and, 4) the press contact. The heading should simply communicate to the editor that the paper or papers he is holding constitute a press release, so the words, "Press Release" should appear right at the top of the first page. (Incidentally, whether you prepare your press release on plain paper, on a club letterhead or your personal stationery is not important). You might follow that up with information on when it would be appropriate for the editor to use your release. Depending on the circumstances, you could say "For Immediate Release" or "For Release on (Date)." It is not necessary but you might elect to give the press release a title which the editor might decide to use as the headline for your story, for example, "AMATEUR RADIO CLUB ELECTS OFFICERS". The opening sentence or paragraph is the most important part of the press release because this is where you must catch the editor's (and the reader's) attention. Get this part right and the rest of the story will write itself. Let's give you an example and then work backwards to explain this: "At its annual reorganization meeting on June 1 at the Hilton Fire House, the Hamrad Amateur Radio Club elects new officers for 1990-91." This sets out the "meat" of the story and tells the reader what he can expect as he reads further. It tells "What," the annual meeting of the Hamrad club; "When," on June 1; and "Who," that it elected new officers. In the opening as well as in the body of the story, you have to follow one of the most basic journalistic imperatives and that is to be sure your story covers the "Five W's" - Who, What, When, Where and Why. Some of these were covered in the opening of our story: The body of the story will deal with these in more detail. For example: "The Hamrad club, comprising over 80 federally-licensed Amateur Radio operators in and around Amok County, elected Mike Rochip, president; Farad Aye, vice president; Iona Sphere, treasurer; and Ann Tenna, secretary. "All of the club's new officers are residents of Amok County and its members are active in the county American Red Cross disaster service. "Incoming president Rochip said on Tuesday that he expects to continue the club's commitment to providing radio emergency communications to Red Cross". In the first paragraph of our story, we name the Whos and Wheres while the second and third paragraphs elaborate and cover some of the Whys. The story covers the event - the club's election of officers - and provides an opportunity for us to tie in what happened with some human interest and public service angles. Finally, the press contact is an easy but too often forgotten ending. [The contact can also be listed at the outset of the release]. It goes something like this: "For Further Information, please contact Clark Kent, Hamrad Amateur Radio Club, 1234 Metropolis Street, Amok City. Telephone 555-5678." The purpose, obviously, is to let the editor know whom he should contact for more information. A less well understood reason to include this information is so the editor will be able to check the authenticity of his source. Few editors will publish a story without being able to verify that the source of the story provided is reliable and that the information involved is accurate. Well, there you have it, a complete how-to guide to writing a press release. As you can see, there is nothing mysterious about this, there are no skills you don't already have and it is all really pretty simple. Now, take a look at the samples at the end of this chapter. They'll give you a head start on your own first release. .pa (Sample release #13 General interest Hams Honor Mayor [The following is a type of release your club could use to highlight an award given to a city or emergency management official who, like our fictional mayor, has done something noteworthy deserving of recognition by your group. This news release could be expanded upon by mentioning other amateur organizations such as RACES or ARES, which may have been active in the flood emergency, individual members who contributed, or more background on the club itself.] For Immediate Release HAM OPERATORS HONOR AMOK CITY MAYOR Mayor Lamont Cranston was honored this week by area Amateur Radio operators for his recent unveiling of the Amok City Disaster Plan. City council adopted the plan at its meeting last month. The plan provides for the mobilization of various Amok City emergency service organizations in the event of a natural disaster. Mayor Cranston's initiative in forming and leading a task force which led to the adoption of the plan was sparked by last year's flood. Occurring last May 11-12, the flood caused extensive damage in the Witch Hazel section of town along the Amok River. The mayor received a framed certificate of appreciation from members of the Hamrad Amateur Radio Club at a meeting on Tuesday at the Hilton Fire House on Arson street. The club is made up of over 80 federally-licensed Amateur Radio operators in the city and surrounding Amok county. In presenting the certificate to the mayor, club president Mike Rochip noted, "We should be better prepared to deal with future disasters now that we have a plan in place to deal with them. "We thank Mayor Lamont Cranston for supporting these efforts and for his leadership", Rochip continued. "His active support helped produce this plan in a much shorter time than expected." The Amok City Disaster Plan provides for the coordination of the community's emergency facilities and organizations including city officials; fire, police and rescue organizations; Amok Memorial Hospital; and others which might be needed to cope with a disaster. Mayor Cranston used the opportunity on Tuesday to thank Rochip and other members of the Hamrad radio club who aided during the flood emergency. "Amateur radio operators provided us with the only communications we had with the stricken area for several days when the telephone company's central office was damaged by rising waters from the river," Mayor Cranston said, "and the Hamrad radio club plays an important role in our emergency preparedness plan". FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, please contact: Clark Kent Hamrad Amateur Radio Club 1234 Metropolis Street Amok City Telephone: 555-5678 (Sample release #14 General interest Field Day [This Field Day event has a little different "twist" than most since it contains an invitation for the public to attend. In addition to the fact that this increases the possibility that the newspaper will be interested in covering this story, the invitation turns the event into one where there is an opportunity to inform members of the community about the club's role in its emergency management plans. It's an added opportunity to make friends for Amateur Radio.] For Release On or Before June 20 AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS TO DEMONSTRATE SKILLS Amateur radio operators will be gathering at the Amok County Fair Grounds on Saturday morning, June 22, for their annual Field Day exercise. Part of a nationwide emergency preparedness exercise in which the local radio enthusiasts will be participating, members of the Hamrad Amateur Radio Club have invited local residents to drop in on the event and witness some of their unique activities this weekend. Club members will begin early Saturday morning to erect temporary antennas, two-way radio stations and portable electric generators to power their equipment. That afternoon they will begin participating in this national drill to test their ability to provide radio communications under emergency conditions. The Hamrad club is associated with the Amok County American Red Cross Chapter and has been assigned the role of providing emergency communications in the event of a natural disaster. Last May, when a destructive tornado struck in the Bumbleville area of Plodder county, members of the Hamrad club supplied communications into and out of the area for several days until regular telephone service could be restored. The Field Day exercise emphasizes the Amateur Radio operators' ability to set up and operate their equipment in a minimum amount of time and operate from batteries or portable generators. During the 24-hour period of the test the five "ham" stations which will be operated by the club will contact other Field Day stations operating all across the country. Last year, the Hamrad club made contact with over 9,000 other stations. Club president Mike Rochip suggested that members of the public interested in learning more about Amateur Radio and this weekend's activity stop at the fair grounds after 2 pm on Saturday or before the same time on Sunday afternoon while the stations are actually operating. Members of the club will be available to explain more about the event and a special tent will be set up to welcome visitors. Rick O'Shay, 333 Main street, Amok City, will be in charge of the Amateur Radio event at the fair grounds this weekend. Nationally, the Field Day exercise is being sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, a national association of Amateur Radio operators located in Newington, CT. .pa (Sample release #15 General interest Feature story) [This is an example of a "feature" story highlighting, in this case, a husband and wife team who share a common interest in Amateur Radio. There are many other story ideas which could be developed as newspaper feature articles. You could either submit your idea as a press release or suggest it as a feature story possibility to the editor of your local paper. In many cases, the editor will want to include photos as part of his newspaper's coverage of the story. It may not be necessary to remind you of this but be sure to get permission for the story from the subject or subjects of your story before you submit it.] For Release As Needed Popular Amok high school teachers Nick and Nora Charles share a number of common interests. On Saturday afternoons each fall Mr. Charles can be found coaching the Amok "Scapegoats" football team at Amok stadium while Mrs. Charles is nearby leading the school's marching band. Last year the team had a 3 and 8 record in the Independence football division while the band placed third in the state championships held last November in Bumbleville. Nick and Nora Charles were there. During the off-seasons, Mr. Charles teaches civics while Mrs. Charles heads up the school's music program. Both graduated from the Amok City high school before moving on to their college studies at the state university. Mr. Charles graduated in 1980, Mrs. Charles in 1981. Mrs. Charles later returned to earn her M. A. degree in Musicology in 1984. While the couple share their interests in teaching and their jobs compliment each other's, especially during football season, their shared interests go beyond that to a common interest in the same hobby. Mr. Charles became a licensed Amateur Radio operator while still in high school. After they met and married, Mrs. Charles became interested as well and she received her Federal Communications Commission radio license in 1984. "We both lead pretty active lives," Mrs. Charles says, "But we always find time in them for ham radio. Nick and I both have transmitters in our cars and it's a good way to keep in touch when one or the other of us is on the road". The Charles' home on Weaver street near Bumbleville pike is distinguished by several unusual-looking antennas. One, a 45-foot steel tower in the back yard, provides support for a large rotatable antenna structure which the couple uses to talk to other Amateur Radio stations around the world. Nick and Nora Charles can often be found inside the house in their "radio shack," a fully-equipped Amateur Radio station, where they operate. The walls of their converted den are covered with the "QSL cards" which Amateur Radio operators trade with each other as proof of the fact that a contact between them has been made. The Charles' collection includes contact confirmations with such exotic places as the South Pole, Sri Lanka, China, Mozambique and the Soloman Islands. "Since I teach civics", Mr. Charles reflects, "It is very interesting for me to be able to talk to people in other countries, people with different cultures, languages and backgrounds. And I am usually able to work some of the perspectives I gain into my classes." For Mrs. Charles, she says, "I may not be able to use much of what I learn into my school work but it's helping me prepare a list of places Nick and I would like to visit when we retire one day." Mr. and Mrs. Charles are both members of Amok City's Hamrad Amateur Radio Club. The couple worked side by side in Bumbleville following last year's tornado, which disrupted telephone communications for several days in that city. They relayed messages for the Amok County American Red Cross Chapter to help with the relief efforts. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, please contact: Clark Kent Hamrad Amateur Radio Club 1234 Metropolis Street Amok City Telephone: 555-5678 Chapter Six How To Handle Media Interviews The press release is a great tool, but some reporters, and some stories, will require face-to-face or telephone interviews. When there are several reporters or several types of media involved, this becomes a "press conference." Again, you need to be as well prepared as possible. Preparation, depending on how much advance notice you get, should include writing a press release, a statement or at least some written notes as a "crutch" to use during the interview. (Having on hand some ARRL literature or descriptive material explaining the organization you represent may help, too). A press release is also something the reporter can walk away with and use later when he's writing his 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 his final story. 6.1 Meeting The Press When you meet with the press, you should try quickly to evaluate the reporter. How much does this person know about Amateur Radio? About the event or situation you are talking about? What is the reporter's agenda or, in other words, what preconceived notions does he bring with him to the interview? And are those correct notions? Next, listen to the questions you are asked, make sure you understand them and then answer carefully and thoughtfully. There are different types of questions and there are different ways of answering them. If you are lucky, the questions you get will be simple, straightforward and aimed at the right target. There are also poor questions which are wide of the mark. In these cases, try to help the reporter rechannel them into intelligent, useful or constructive veins by your answers and explanations. If you don't understand what the reporter is getting at, try something like, "As I understand it, you are asking..." and then repeat or paraphrase the question until you get it right. Watch the reporter's "body English," eye movements and expressions for signs that your answers may not be getting through. Take a little more time and provide a little more information until you are certain your message gets there in the way you intended. Avoid one-word answers: They make lousy quotes and leave you open to the reporter's misinterpretation. He may think he's asking one question while you may be answering the one you think he's asking. Did you ever hear the one that goes... "I know you believe you understand what you think I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I meant." Remember that your interviewer probably doesn't know very 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 muffin 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. And make sure you don't take off on windy and complex explanations or lapse into ham radio jargon or technical dissertations over everyone's head except another amateur's. Do try to control the direction of the interview by staying focused on the subject. You actually have a big advantage here and you should use it. After all, you know the subject; your interviewer probably does not. Because he's groping his way through unfamiliar territory, you can probably lead him pretty easily in the direction you want by your informed statements and knowledgeable replies to the questions asked. 6.2 Damage Avoidance If you don't know the answer to a question, don't be afraid to say so. It is a lot better to do that than it is to blunder into sheer guesswork or a wrong response. If it is appropriate, refer the reporter to someone who may have the answer or offer to try to get the information needed. Whatever happens, don't "lose your cool". There is no provocation, no situation or circumstance in which you can afford to be rude, arrogant or offensive in your handling of the media. They, after all, have the last word...and it will be in print or on the air. Do not present your own personal opinion in such a way that it might be interpreted as an official ARRL position or the position of your club or organization. Know how the policies of these organizations are formulated. When you think something you say might be interpreted that way, qualify what you say with "In my personal opinion..." or, better yet, avoid expressing them at all. If you feel yourself getting in over your head, dummy up until you can get some help or guidance from your Section Manager, Public Information Coordinator or organization leaders. Statements critical of other persons or organizations can cause real grief, whether or not they happen to be true. They may damage hard won reputations, undo someone else's hard work and cause irreversible damage. They could even lead to a law suit or other such nastiness. If you feel tempted, run for the nearest exit. If you find yourself giving credit, make sure all the organizations or individuals involved are included. Don't risk offending someone through oversight. Expect that, no matter how good a job you have done, there will be no shortage of people ready to find fault. Just do the best job you can and develop a thick hide. Chapter Seven Getting Your News Published Earlier, we considered the nuts and bolts issues of preparing press releases. How can you be sure they will actually be published? 7.1 Preparation and Assessment The answer depends on how well you do your homework and, strangely enough, to some extent on where you live. A small town paper will probably be grateful for anything you send in and the chances are excellent that most of your articles will be used. The larger the town, however, the more difficult it will be for its newspaper's editor to see your items as "news"... unless they are actually news. Let's take these two situations separately. First, small town papers focus on local people and events which generally are not of sufficient interest to be considered news by a larger city's newspaper editor. As a consequence, in a small town paper, events like a club meeting or an election of radio club officers will probably appear in print. Newspapers in larger towns, depending on how much larger, may be interested in an announcement of your club's election but, almost certainly, a meeting announcement will likely find its way into the editor's "round file." There are just too many organizations vying for attention in larger towns and, because the editor cannot accommodate them all, he will use that type of article for only the most newsworthy community activities -- and then, usually, only after the fact if the outcome of the meeting is considered newsworthy. All is not lost, however. With a little thought and some patient salesmanship, larger papers can be interested, for example, in feature articles such as a story about a Field Day exercise. Newspaper editors respond first to news but they have other "hot buttons" which can be pressed. Human interest stories have a high degree of potential: A blind ham, someone who participated in a communications emergency, or one who performed some sort of unique public service are all good stories. These are all possibilities to consider and explore. Your club may have among its members a "ham family," one where several of its members are Amateur Radio operators. One of your members or perhaps your club as a group did something that would get an editor's juices flowing because of some human interest angle. You need to think about what those possibilities are in your particular case and try to get them into print. Study your local newspaper. One large daily, located in one of the country's major metropolitan areas, publishes a weekly "Neighbors" newsmagazine. A regionalized newspaper supplement, this is aimed at local happenings. Articles appear there from time to time on amateur events and individual amateur activities and this is the very type of thing on which you can focus your efforts. In a smaller suburban home town paper, there may be a column on "Community Happenings" and, while your club meeting announcements may not get a rise out of the editor for his general coverage space, press releases directed at the "Community Happenings" section usually end up with meetings being announced. 7.2 Contacting Media Staff Newspapers are really rather individual and the best suggestion, as we said before, is to do your homework. Study the contents of your local paper and take careful aim at the most likely targets, depending on the story you are trying to get across. Think like a newspaper editor. If you take a little time to study it, you will find your local newspaper is a gold mine of information -- about itself -- and the people who put the paper together. Check the editorial page: In most cases that is where you will find a box listing the names of the publisher, the managing editor and editors of the newspaper's various sections or features. Most people, and most newspaper editors, too, react more favorably to well-directed personal approaches. Try sending your press releases to a specific individual rather than "To the Editor, Amok County Gazette." Especially if you live in a small town, you might poll your friends and other club members to ask if any of them personally know the editor or any of his key staff members. You may be able to use that information to get yourself known and raise the probability of getting your stories published. The important things to remember are patience, persistence and the will to try again when one of your efforts fails. Chapter Eight Handling The Big Story If you have read this far you should be pretty well prepared to handle routine, small-scale stories. But what about the BIG stories that come along once in a while, like a hurricane, earthquake or other major disaster? If you have developed the recognition we have been advocating in this book, you should be expecting a call from the news media, asking for the Amateur Radio perspective on events. What do you do then? Well, first and foremost, don't panic. You are probably better prepared for this than you think. 8.1 San Francisco Earthquake Let's talk about a couple of possible scenarios and consider first an event occurring remote from your own area. In the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, for example, local newspapers all across the country reacted exactly as you would expect them to, by looking for local tie-ins to this major national news story. As far away as on the east coast, reporters scoured their sources for these local tie-ins. The idea, of course, is logical from the media's point of view. You are a source of a little local spin on the event. You might have received a call from a reporter, probing for that kind of information. What do you do then? The reporter probably imagines that, when an event like that occurs, Amateur Radio operators across the country fire up their rigs and begin communicating with the stricken area. You know that's not the way it happens. The reporter also probably assumes that health and welfare messages are a high priority but you know they are not and that, to an area caught up in an actual disaster, they are just clutter that may get in the way of saving lives and property. The reporter's purpose in these circumstances is not to give free column space or air time to Amateur Radio. The story line he has in mind is probably something like, "tearful relatives wait for word by ham radio about the fate of former area resident living in the stricken area." Explain the facts to the reporter, nicely. You could tell him that local amateurs are following the event closely by listening in on communications activity in the affected area to see if any help is needed. Then, go on to explain something about the role of local Amateur Radio. Tell him that local amateurs may become active in health and welfare or other types of message traffic once the crisis stage has passed and that you will call him back if you should learn of any newsworthy activity between your area and the affected one. Then follow through on that promise by checking your own sources over the next few days or weeks to see if anything of interest is actually happening. 8.2 The Big Story In Your Backyard What if the story involves your own area? A disaster striking in your own backyard is a whole different matter. For one thing, you can count on a call from the local media, looking for information. This is where having already done your homework is really going to become critical. Hopefully, in such an event, you will already be known to your area's amateur and public emergency service groups and, just as importantly, they will know who you are. In these situations you need to understand thoroughly the emergency communications facilities operating in your area. Hopefully, you are already participating in RACES, ARES and/or NTS activities and able to explain, in simple terms, what amateur operators are doing in support of government and relief organizations in the affected area. You need to set and follow your own agenda in these matters, not the media's. Don't allow yourself to get wrapped up in the media's agenda. You should know what's right, what it is you want the media to say about amateur activity and then try to steer it along that line. You should be aware that in these kinds of dynamic situations, roles may shift far from the norms you are accustomed to or are prepared to deal with. Chaos to a greater or lesser extent is an inseparable companion to any serious disaster. Sometimes there are changes in roles and relationships which occur unpredictably, sometimes subtly and sometimes graphically. Be prepared to roll along with events: Things are unlikely to occur just the way you might have imagined beforehand. Your role in an emergency may shift from your usual one as a news source to that of a news coordinator or liaison between the media and Amateur Radio communications organizations. Depending on the exact role you usually play in your local ARES organization, you may or may not be in a position to actually speak for it in the circumstances in which you find yourself. Your role may be one of simply referring the news media to the proper ARES official and perhaps helping by offering explanations which will help the reporter understand the group's operation. The ARES official becomes the source in this situation: your role in this case becomes that of a liaison. 8.3 Guidelines We cannot anticipate every situation in which you might find yourself during an emergency but there are a few simple guidelines that should be universally applicable: 1. Move quickly to get on the scene once an emergency occurs. The more time you have to find out what's happening, the better prepared you will be to deal with the questions you might be asked. 2. Move slowly enough, once you get there, to be sure about anything you do say. Don't let a reporter lead you or your news source into saying something you didn't intend to say. 3. Know who you are speaking for. You may be the spokesperson for your local ARES group, for example, but not for the Red Cross Chapter with which you are closely working. Know where the boundaries are and recognize your limitations: If you are not the designated Red Cross spokesperson, don't presume to speak for it. 4. Check your facts. This may be the fourth on this more or less chronological list but it is really first in importance. Unconfirmed rumors abound in nearly every disaster situation and they spread with remarkable speed and persist with great tenacity. Become a tyrant with regard to facts; insist on confirming every bit of news and pass along only those you know to be true. 5. Check the rumors. Rumors may simply be facts reported early, before they can be properly confirmed. Check out each one until you can speak with authority to either dismiss those that prove to be unfounded or confirm those which prove to be true. 6. Know the limits of your authority. In the wake of Hurricane Hugo in 1989, one Amateur Radio operator's transmission from devastated St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands was rebroadcast on network TV demanding that the National Guard be activated to help stop looting. The looting turned out to be relatively minor but less clear was on whose authority, if anyone's, the amateur was acting? This type of request is clearly in the domain of civil authorities and not that of an individual Amateur Radio operator. And, don't forget, Part 97 of the regulations has some things to say about the proper use of Amateur Radio in newsgathering situations. You are going to have to know what they are and keep these regulations in mind. (See discussion at end of chapter). 8.4 Be Prepared In sum, preparing for the unexpected is largely a matter of keeping your head and having done your homework well in advance of an actual need. Beyond that, there are no precise rules to follow and getting through a communications emergency is largely a matter of careful improvisation (the emphasis here is on both words). The care needed in your approach to these events will be a matter of foresight and self-discipline: Your ability to improvise on the scene will be a product of your preparation before an actual event. Have you ever watched someone throw a ball and then lean this way or that, trying to "steer" the ball on its way to the target? Bowlers, in particular, seem to do that a lot. It is the mark of an amateur athlete: Professionals don't do that. They know that, once the ball leaves their hand, no amount of "body English," eccentric gyrations or muttered oaths is going to affect the ball's trajectory. Similarly, once an emergency occurs, it is too late to get prepared. With some advance planning, you can affect your public relations box score. The things that count in being prepared are your involvement in and understanding of Amateur Radio and disaster service organizations operating in your area. You need to know who they are, what their missions are and who the responsible officials are in each one. And they need this same information about you and the organization or organizations you represent. Disasters are scary things and being on the front lines with a serious responsibility like yours can be a stressful experience. Advance preparation can soften the stress involved and help you function better when an event does occur. 8.5 News Gathering, the Media and Part 97 You must not allow your amateur station to be used for any activity directly related to program production or news gathering for broadcast purposes. There is only one exception: You can transmit news information about an event if the following requirements are met: (1) the news information involves the immediate safety of life or individuals or the immediate protection of property; (2) the news information is directly related to the event; (3) the information can't be transmitted by any other means because normal communications systems have been disrupted or because there are no other communications systems available at the place where the information is originated; and (4) other means of communication could not be reasonably provided before or during the event. FCC completed a sweeping review of the relationship between broadcasting and Amateur Radio in June 1985. A number of rules in both the Broadcast and Amateur services were modified or overturned altogether. One change was the elimination of the requirement that broadcasters obtain permission from amateurs to rebroadcast amateur signals: Such permission is no longer required, and broadcasters are no longer obligated to advise FCC that any such retranmission has occurred. This arises from Amateur Radio's exemption from the secrecy of communications provisions of Section 705 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. The FCC felt there was still sufficient protection against Amateur Radio stations being used for broadcast program production and news gathering. 8.6 ARRL On-The-Air operating Guidelines Face it, chances are that sooner or later your amateur activity may come to the attention of the media. For example, a local TV station may want to interview you at your station concerning the latest ham transmissions from a hurricane-devastated Caribbean island. News reporters can be pushy, to say the least. To help you cope with one breathing heavily down your back, asking you to sell your soul (and license) for his evening edition, ARRL has come up with a set of guidelines to keep in the back of your mind when under the hot, bright camera lights: * Amateur Radio operators may assist news media representatives in their efforts to gather information for relay to the public from areas where normal communications have been disrupted. * Amateurs may ask questions of, or relay media questions to, amateurs in the emergency area. The responses may be electronically recorded by media representatives. * Amateur Radio must not be used to assist the news media in gathering information when telephones or other commercial means of communication are available. * Amateur Radio must not be used to facilitate the operation of any business. * Amateur Radio operators should depend on their own judgement when dealing with the news media and when operating their station in the public interest, convenience and necessity. Chapter Nine Other Public Relations Ideas Here are a few additional public relations tips you might try in getting your message through: 9.1 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 season. The weather is generally good enough for outdoor exhibits at fairs and town parks. For a comprehensive tutorial on putting together a good exhibit, see the ARRL Special Events Communications Manual. 9.2 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 press or with government and emergency management officials. It can also be a neat thing to use in recruiting or orienting new members. Here's a sample: HAMRAD AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Would you enjoy a hobby that will last a lifetime? A hobby that will expand your horizons and challenge your intellect, one that will help you build lasting friendships at home and even around the world? Are you looking for ways to become involved in worth- while community service? Then we have something unique and exciting to offer. WELCOME TO THE HAMRAD AMATEUR RADIO CLUB! Amateur Radio is a challenging high-tech hobby offering service to the community, life-long opportunities for learning and the excitement of communicating with other Amateur Radio operators around the world. Amateur radio operators today can explore many different communications modes, including all the more familiar methods of voice, computer and Morse communication as well as more exotic techniques involving Amateur Radio television, earth- satellite and moon bounce communications. The Hamrad Amateur Radio Club, founded in 1968, is a general interest radio club having over 125 members. Although membership is concentrated in the greater Amok City area, the club's members also come from many other areas in and around Amok County. While an Amateur Radio license is required for full voting membership in the club, unlicensed individuals are invited to join as associate members. The Hamrad club is affiliated with the American Radio Relay League, the national association of Amateur Radio operators. MEETINGS are held on the second Wednesday of every month at 8 PM at the Hilton Fire House on Arson Road. Short business meetings are followed by regular programs of interest to Amateur Radio operators. Refreshments are served. Anyone with an interest in Amateur Radio is welcome to attend. The club's service activities include public safety communications for the annual Amok County Firemen's Parade, cooperation with the county's American Red Cross Disaster Service and the operation of a weekly net to drill members to prepare for providing emergency communications in natural disasters such as the 1989 Amok River flood which devastated Bumbleville. Other activities include an annual Field Day emergency communications exercise, a hamfest (an Amateur Radio flea market), an annual picnic, maintaining a repeater station serving amateurs in Amok County and conducting Amateur Radio licensing classes. The club conducts 8-week licensing classes each quarter during the year. Qualified instructors and volunteer examiners certified by the American Radio Relay League administer periodic examinations leading to Federal Communications Commission licenses. Telephone Edgar Bergen, 555-6286, for the next class schedule. For more information on the Hamrad Amateur Radio Club, or on Amateur Radio in general, write to Clark Kent, 1234 Metropolis Street, Amok City. 9.3 Public Service Events Public events present unique settings for a "captive" audience to become more aware of Amateur Radio. They are ideal for attracting inquiries and promoting interest in our hobby. After a club has committed to providing communications for an event, ask for support for the public information and public relations effort. Most every event sponsor is eager to help us promote Amateur Radio at their events. Ask for space for a paragraph on Amateur Radio in the event brochure, program and Press Kit. Depending on the event and the circumstances, this can range from mere acknowledgment of Amateur Radio operators to a brief description of our hobby and contact information such as the ARRL (for the prospective ham mailing with list of local clubs, classes and exam sessions). In most cases, it is better for the promotion of Amateur Radio to refer to the group "generically" as Amateur Radio Operators or Ham Radio rather than using your club or group name (if you have one). The idea is to get the words "Amateur Radio" or "Ham Radio" in front of the public eye as much as possible. The Wireless Association of Greater Norfolk County may be a super club but the name doesn't convey Amateur Radio to the general public. Make your activity and participants visible! Position a station in a highly visible and well traveled (with regard to spectators and participants) location. The Net Control Station (when feasible) or an Information station with a LARGE sign or banner displaying Ham Radio or Amateur Radio is a good attention getter. You may find someone in your area or club who has one to loan or who can generate one with computer banner or sign programs. Ask to have the Public Address Announcer make a few announcements regarding Amateur Radio. Have "prepared" copy to be read, thanking the amateurs for their participation and inviting people to get more information about Amateur Radio. You or one of your crew can hand this to the Public Address Announcer directly. Ask for space on the event information table or for your own info table. Handouts can include: Address of ARRL for prospective Ham mailing, list of local clubs or classes, and a brochure describing Amateur Radio. You may want to collect names and addresses of interested persons and forward them to ARRL for the prospective ham mailing (using sign-up slips and a "bucket" or other methods). Arrange for visible means of identifying each ham participant and station. Signs on mobile communications vehicles and caps with the words Ham Radio on them are excellent. The general public should be able to read these from a distance. Buttons, ribbons, vests, arm-bands, sashes and badges are also good, but in a crowded environment, baseball caps stand out well. Some event sponsors find it to their advantage to have the Hams easy to locate in a crowd and may provide reimbursement for such items. Ask them! Do arrange for a press release of some sort to the local press and media before and after the event. Again, this is to get the words Amateur Radio in front of them. Who knows, you may find that someone wants to get more of the story on the Amateur Radio involvement at the event. 9.4 Invite Local Officials To Field Day, Club Meetings Adopt selected key government officials and invite them to attend a Field Day exercise or other activity where you can show off your capabilities. Invite them to a club meeting to talk to your members about the community's emergency planning. Invite local emergency management officials to your meetings, too. 9.5 Proclamations If your club or organization has a significant anniversary like, "The Hamrad Amateur Radio Club's 25th year," ask the town fathers or even the state's chief executive to issue a proclamation commemorating the event. They are usually happy to oblige. Follow up with a press release. These are considered newsworthy events: Don't miss the opportunity. Here's a sample of a proclamation recognizing Amateur Radio Public Awareness Day: Arizona Recognizes Public Awareness Day Here are the words of the August, 1990 proclamation of the Governor of the state of Arizona: Office of the Governor PROCLAMATION * AMATEUR RADIO AWARENESS DAY * WHEREAS, the American Radio Relay League, the backbone of Amateur Radio in the United States, has declared September 15 as "Amateur Radio Public Awareness Day"; and WHEREAS, "ham radio operators" are often the first to get word out of an area hit by a hurricane, earthquake, or some other major disaster; and WHEREAS, Amateur Radio organizations, in cooperation with those in public service, also provide much needed communications for local events such as the Multiple Sclerosis Best Dam Bike Ride, the Palo Verde Siren Tests and Evacuation Drills, the Phoenix Jaycees Rodeo of Rodeos Parade, and the March of Dimes Walk America event; and WHEREAS, September 15 from 8 AM until 4 PM the Arizona Repeater Association, along with several other Amateur Radio organizations in our State, are planning a major show-and- tell operation for the public, the largest in the Phoenix area taking place at 16th Street and Indian School Road; and WHEREAS, several clubs will be demonstrating what amateur radio is all about at this event by giving people an opportunity to try their hand at operating some of the equipment; and WHEREAS, Amateur Radio operators, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, are forbidden by federal law to change for services, and any organization that requires their services may call on them; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Rose Mofford, Governor of the State of Arizona, do hereby proclaim September 15, 1990, as * AMATEUR RADIO AWARENESS DAY * 9.6 Recognition Awards Give a recognition award of your own. If you can identify a local government or emergency planning official in your community who deserves recognition, give him an award. A classy-looking certificate can be made up easily by one of your computer-literate members with a laser printer, a decent piece of paper and a suitable frame. Invite your honoree and the press to a club meeting to make the presentation. If the local garden club can do it, so can you! 9.7 Cable TV Your meeting announcements, club auction date or an invitation for the public to attend your Field Day exercise could be sent to your local cable TV system's "Community Bulletin Board." All the cable companies offer this service by one name or another and most of them would be delighted to carry your message. Cable Television has become commonplace. In fact, many of us would be lost without our converter boxes and remote controllers. Few realize that there are many aspects of cable TV that are available to the subscriber aside from more channels to watch. Cable TV comes into a community by way of a franchise agreement. Cable companies bid for a franchise and one is selected on the basis of cost per customer, quality of programming and services to be provided to the community. Many subscribers do not realize that one of the services almost always a part of each franchise agreement is called "Public Access." Public Access is a channel reserved for residents' own programs. Some franchises provide production assistance including equipment and training. The best part is that Public Access costs nothing to the group putting on a program. Consider promoting your ham radio club or running a series of license classes on TV. Show the "New World of Amateur Radio" videotape. Show your recent hamfest videotape! Televise your Field Day or demonstrate OSCAR. These are all great ways to reach thousands of potential hams. By calling or stopping by your local cable TV company, you can easily get the information you'll need to get started. Instead of sitting home and watching all of those channels with color bars go by, why not see if you can activate one and bring ham radio into your community. Sample Letter To Cable TV Company [The following can be sent to the local cable TV station to appear on its "Community Bulletin Board". Different cable channels have different requirements as to format, in this case, each line is to contain no more than ten words and a maximum number of lines. Be sure to check this with your local cable company before sending your announcement to be sure it fits the company's requirements. Because these announcements are usually free of cost, be sure to thank the cable company that runs your messages.] Mr. Calvin N. Hobbs Butt and Head Cable Company 100 Main Street Amok City Dear Mr. Hobbs: I am writing you as a member of the Hamrad Amateur Radio Club, of which I am a member. Please accept the following announcement for the Channel 16 "Community Bulletin Board". We are asking that the announcement be run during the week ending September 20: THE HAMRAD AMATEUR RADIO CLUB WILL HOLD AN AUCTION OF USED RADIO PARTS AND EQUIPMENT AT ITS MEETING ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, AT THE HILTON FIRE HOUSE ON ARSON ROAD, AMOK CITY BEGINNING AT 8 PM. AREA RESIDENTS INTERESTED IN RADIO ARE INVITED TO ATTEND. IN ADDITION TO THE AUCTION, REGISTRATION WILL BE HELD FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING CLASSES TO PREPARE THEM FOR AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS' EXAMINATIONS. REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED. If you have any questions, please call me at the above number. Thank you for your past kindnesses. Very truly yours, Clark Kent 9.8 Other Organizations If your club meets in a church, a firehouse or a lodge hall, these organizations may be willing and interested in including your club's meeting announcements or other information about your activities in their newsletters or other publications. 9.9 The Workplace If any of your members works for a company or entity with a company house organ, consider communicating with its editor to suggest an article on the employee's amateur activity. Many company house organs often feature unusual employee hobbies. 9.10 Speakers Bureau Help your club start a speakers bureau and then promote it. Let your local schools and community service groups know it exists and that you have people willing to present a program. These groups need program material, too, to keep their meetings interesting. 9.11 Public Programs Consider having your club work on a project to develop a really interesting program about Amateur Radio using slides or a video format. This is a great idea for clubs looking for something interesting to do that will help them grow. Use the slide or video program you developed above to meet with your local service clubs and present programs to them on local Amateur Radio activity. These are just a few of the things you can do. With a little effort, you could easily add to this list of projects that have a positive public relations impact. Chapter Ten Radio and TV The print media, along with radio and TV, are what we collectively call the news media. They share the common purpose of being "agencies of mass communication" as described in a dictionary definition of the word "media." Nearly everything we have covered so far applies equally well to each of the various types of media but there are some differences. These differences are not so much in the way we deal with radio and TV but in the ways they communicate with their audiences. The print media appeal to our eyes, radio to our ears and television to our eyes and ears. Therein lie the principle differences between them. Operating in worlds measured in minutes and seconds of expensive air time, radio and TV are tougher to break into. Fortunately, it's not impossible. Once again, however, much of your success is going to depend on where you live. Small town stations are easier targets than large urban broadcast facilities. Whether you live in a small town or a large one, start by analyzing your local station or stations and their programming. Like newspapers, radio and TV station programming consists of parts, including news programs and segments of news programs, panel shows, interviews, documentaries and a whole host of others. There are also different types of stations - commercial, cable and public broadcast stations. Press releases, of course, are not going to be particularly helpful here, except perhaps as background information for the radio or TV station to use in evaluating your story's potential. A press statement or release may still be helpful to you in these situations as a crutch to help organize your thoughts. A word of caution: Don't try to write and present your own script. These are a whole different matter, one best left to station personnel who are experts at this. Emergency situations are the most likely subjects to receive coverage from the electronic news media. Field Day events may be another possibility, especially in smaller communities. There are others, of course, but the points to keep in mind are that the kinds of stories that will appeal most to the electronic news media are those with dramatic impact which appeal to the ears and/or eyes and those which can be told in a short time. One of the frustrations in dealing with the electronic media is the fact that only rarely are they willing to promise coverage in advance for a particular event. The reason for this is obvious if you think about it: They need to be ready to cover breaking news. Camera and radio remote crews may have to be pulled from one story to cover another, more important story. On most weekends, however, there is a dearth of news. The electronic media's usual newsmakers are at home, hopefully staying out of trouble. Politicians are usually relaxing, legislatures are not usually in session and there is generally less going on. Weekend news programs are often scratching for stories to fill the available air time. Weekends offer an opportunity for you to get coverage for your story. Most stations keep "HFA," or " Hold for Air stories" to draw on as the need arises to fill air time on weekends. There are real opportunities for you to exploit on weekends. As mentioned earlier, radio stations offer interviews and television has panel show formats which may offer possibilities to explore. Among the cable TV stations in your area you may have The Discovery Channel, or something like it, featuring documentaries on subjects in science and nature. The local Public Broadcasting System channel is another possibility. In Philadelphia not long ago, the PBS channel ran the ARRL film, "The World of Amateur Radio," as a result of the efforts of an area Amateur Radio operator. The ways you might use to get to your local electronic media are as straightforward as the ones you would use to get to the print media. In addition, radio and TV stations are run by engineers, some of whom may be Amateur Radio operators. If you have one of them as a member of your club or organization, discuss your story possibilities with him and ask the best way for you to make an approach to the station's programming people. If your local station nibbles at your bait or pulls the line off your reel, be ready to follow through quickly, intelligently and with as much prior preparation and professionalism as possible. Prior preparation is important in all of the contacts you will have with any of the media. In the electronic media, especially in "live" shows, it is absolutely imperative. Put your very best spokespeople forward and prepare them as completely as possible. Fumbling, erratic, unprepared or hesitant performances compound greatly in front of these media and you need someone who will be able to cope with the pressures and function well in these circumstances. You will be on your mettle in these situations and you may well have to be ready to improvise quickly to meet whatever challenge you are presented with. But, more than just a challenge, these are golden opportunities. Use them well. Chapter Eleven On Radio And TV Talk Shows By Joseph J. Carr, K4IPV More than 4,000 talk, interview and local public affairs shows are aired daily in the United States. They reach audiences totaling millions of people. According to the Washington, D.C. - based Broadcast Interview Source more than 350 of the 9700 stations in the USA are exclusively "talk." This forum represents a virtually untapped resource for you, the ARRL Public Information Officer. Here's how you can tap it. 11.1 Celebrities Only? Fame never hurts, but isn't strictly necessary to book on talk shows. While a well-known Amateur such as Senator Barry Goldwater (K7UGA) would get the approving nod in a heartbeat, there are thousands of opportunities for lesser celebrities -- like you. An average of half a million interviews annually on 4,000 shows makes a lot of space for the right people. So who are these "right people?" They are people who talk show producers believe will 1) interest listeners or viewers, and 2) are a good, reliable interview. Your IQ (Interest Quotient) hangs heavily on whether or not people want or need to hear what you have to say. Depending upon the type of show, you must either be controversial, or able to offer them something that can change their lives for the better. Your IQ takes a nosedive, however, if you are a mere poor imitation of someone else; it soars to the heights if you are unique and well-spoken. That "well-spoken" remark comes from the opinion of talk-show experts who believe that how you say it is often more important that what you say. For promoting Amateur radio we need to convince producers that listeners will find "hamming" an interesting and vital hobby that they might like to join. A good, reliable interview is several things. First, it is an interviewee (you!) who shows up on the right day, at the right time and in the right place. For a telephone interview (a "phoner") it means that you are at the phone at the right time -- and were smart enough to make it a phone in a quiet location and without the "Call Waiting" service. After all, your hollering kids and the "click-thunk-splatz" of the Call Waiting signal go out over the air right along with your most eloquent profundities! Remember Calvin Coolidge? A story they tell about the 30th president involves an incident that happened at a White House party. "Silent Cal" was a man of few words. He was approached during the party by a woman socialite who told him: "Mr. President, I bet Mrs. Smith that I could make you say three words." The dour prexy retorted in his best murmer: "You lose." Don't be a "Silent Cal" interview unless you want some ticked off host to say: "you lose." A "good interview" is one where you do most of the talking. One community affairs show host told me that he sometimes awakens in a cold sweat from a deep sleep because of a recurring nightmare: a whole string of tight-lipped, uptight, "Silent Cal" interviews. After we taped my interview he told me "you're a good talk, Carr, I only had to use four of the seven questions we laid out for the 15- minutes." A "good talk" is able to carry the conversation because he or she is an expert on the topic ...and has lots of material on hand. My 8th grade social studies teacher once scolded me with the remark "...you've got the world's largest store of useless knowledge." She was wrong about that (and a lot more, it turned out) because a large collection of anecdotal material is golden on a talk show. Another of my teachers -- one of the best in the business -- taught a public speaking course at George Washington University. Doc Stevens offered his students one piece of advice that should be tatooed on the forearms of all who seek talk show appearances: don't ever speak impromptu. Always be prepared for contingencies in case things don't go the way they were planned. Have a talk or line of questioning planned, and be prepared to talk on it at length. Too much preparation is never a problem ...but too little is a disaster. 11.2 Types Of Talk Shows Talk and interview shows come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. I have been interviewed for a three minute mini-book-review on a 1,000-watt flea-powered station in Podunk, and also for two hours in prime time on a 50,000- watt clear channel rockcrusher that dominated its spot on the AM dial from Mexico to Canada, and from the Mississippi River to the western slope of the Rockies. I have also been interviewed for 90-minutes on a nationwide satellited network show. Some shows are call-in talk shows. Listeners telephone the studio and ask their questions live on-the-air. Although this format attracts its share of nuts and cranks, it is also a vigorous arena that taxes you to the limit. I personally enjoy this format, especially when some of the callers disagree with me... or know as much as I do about my topic. Another format is the cross-the-table interview with no call-ins. This type of interview is typically pre-taped for airing at a later time, although some shows do it live. 11.3 How To Handle The Tough Interview Inevitibly, if you do a lot of interviews you will encounter either the hostile host or a call-in jerk who wants to make life difficult for you (probably someone with an unresolved TVI complaint). Pioneer TV talk show host Joe Pine sometimes told his guest to go "...gargle with razor blades." Journalist Dan Wooding (Open Doors News Service) told me that a person does not really come of age in the interview biz until they have survived an interview on Britain's BBC. According to Wooding, a BBC interview is a vicious rite of passage into the adulthood of the talk show circuit. But Dan also offered advice on how to handle that kind of interviewer. When he asks a provocative, outrageous or embarrassing question...ignore it. Answer in a happy, chipper, comfortable and thoroughly congenial manner, but answer by asking a question of your own. You can then burn up about five minutes of that broadcaster's equivalent of a bear trap with your own answer to your own question. In other cases, the interviewer will ask legitimate questions that, although designed to lead you out onto a shakey verbal pier above a school of man-eating barracudas, are nonetheless in your best interest to answer. Keep it cool, be amiable, and skewer the rogue with a well thought out answer. After all, you have had a lot more time to think about the topic than that overworked talk show host. Another tough interview is the incompetent host. Guests on talk shows are a dime a dozen, and press releases and PR material comes into the station by the box load. Far too many talk show hosts never even see your stuff until you hand him or her a copy five minutes before the air time. The interview then degenerates into a discussion of the major headings ("Joe, what do you mean by..." as he reads a title to 500,000 listeners). The only hope for the "incomp" interview is to take command and run away with the host's show: yak it up! I suspect that the host will actually be relieved. After all, if he is too lazy to at least speedread the material that you sent in beforehand, then he is probably too lazy to keep the ball rolling: it's your show from the minute you realize that the host is taking the table of contents route. 11.4 How To Get Invited Fortunately, getting invited on radio and TV talk shows is not too difficult. First, you will have to identify the shows that fit your program. There are several avenues open for this phase of the campaign. The first step might be to listen to your local radio station to find out what shows are aired locally. You could also ask the local station manager for advice. You can also look in the standard broadcasting industry directories. Although some libraries might have them, in most cases you will have to spend some bucks to buy your own copies. See below for a list of recommended resources. Second, you must prepare a press kit. According to Mitch Davis of Broadcast Interview Source, there is a "45- cent" rule for the press kit. If it weighs more than two- ounces in the envelope (which can be mailed first-class for 45-cents), then it is too big. The press kit should demonstrate that you are experienced with the media (list even one little local interview); if clips are available, include them. Demonstrate why your topic, or your experience, is timely and newsworthy. For example, if Amateurs helped with communications for a storm emergency recently, contact the station or show producer about doing a story. Exploit any seasonal or annual aspects of your topic (Field Day, for example). Also, if the station or show has a narrow range of listeners, then there might be an Amateur Radio angle that can be exploited. For example, if there is a local Christian radio station in your town, then tune in on and become familiar with the Halo Missionary Net (21.390 MHz, 1800Z). This topic can also be exploited for personal appearances, lunch and breakfast talks, and other gatherings of local religious groups. I found that both Roman Catholic Protestant churches are eager to hear talks on their missionaries from a radio perspective. It's fresh, different, and so relevant to their own interests. Expand your topic to include the greatest number of listeners. ALWAYS be a primary source ("I'm kinda like So- and-So" won't cut it -- they'll go get ol' So-and-So instead of you). Make sure that your phone number appears in at least three places in the press kit. In a seminar for Washington's Open University, Mitch Davis and his associate Joe Shafran stressed the importance of a little hype to get the producer to actually open your letter (many -- maybe most -- wind up in the circular file unopened). Use a real stamp, not a postage meter stamp, and a well-designed envelope that stands out (but not too much glitz, please). Don't use computer generated mailing labels. In fact, Davis recommends hand writing the address on the envelope. Above all, address the press kit to a real person -- not just "guest coordinator" or "producer." If you have to call the show or station to find out the correct name, then do it. In fact, it is a good idea to call the person anyway. Ask for about thirty seconds of time, and then use it (and no more unless invited to do so) to tell him why you would be a good guest, and state that "some additional information" (the press kit) will hit his desk any day now. Make yourself visible. A press kit, although very valuable, is a temporary asset at best. It dies (if not on arrival) very soon after arrival. The "we'll file it against the day when..." is the kiss of death. "The day when..." never comes. One way to achieve visibility is to send out multiple (but different) mailings to producers several times a year. Perhaps a better way is to buy a listing in one of the broadcast industry directories. The Talk Show Guest Directory (available from Broadcast Interview Source for $19.95) will sell you a one-liner listing or a paragraph display ad for a relatively low price. Talk show producers use the directory to locate interesting guests, especially those with expertise or interest in special areas. 11.5 Conclusion The radio-TV interview is one of the most powerful and rewarding methods to promote a book, a cause, an idea ... or Amateur radio. It works, it is accessible and it's for you. Joe Carr, K4IPV, has a report available called TALK SHOW ACCESS. Contact him at POB 1099, Falls Church, VA 22041, for details. 11.6 Broadcast Industry Directories Talk Show Guest Directory. New directory, but with a proven track record. Free one line listings. Paid advertisements at reasonable rates. Broadcast Interview Source, Suite 930, 2500 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20007. Phone: (202) 333-4904. Directory costs $25/copy. Talk Show Mailing List. Contact Broadcast Interview Source (see above) for prices and availability. Broadcasting Yearbook. Broadcasting Magazine, 1735 DeSales St. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Lists every radio, TV and cable outlet in the USA. $85 Directory Of Religious Broadcasting. National Religious Broadcasters, CN 1926, Morristown, NJ 07960. $39.95 ($24.95 to NRB members). Christian and religious broadcasters only; including many broadcast ministries. Religious Broadcasting Magazine. Subscription $18/year (see above for address). Chapter Twelve Writing For Non-Ham Publications By Patty Winter, N6BIS 12.1 Target your story to the audience What's unique about the group you're writing for? What facets of Amateur Radio will interest them the most? Fire, police, and similar personnel will naturally be interested in the public service and emergency aspects of amateur radio, but don't forget to mention how much sheer fun it can be, too. It doesn't have to be "Why you should become a ham." If you're writing to government or public service personnel, it might be "How Amateur Radio can help you." Give them specific examples of how amateurs have served their communities, and tell them how to find hams in their area to set up emergency preparedness teams. (If you're writing for your geographical area, you could put yourself or your local ARRL or radio club officer as a contact person. If you're writing for a national publication, refer them to ARRL Headquarters.) 12.2 What should and shouldn't be included in your story 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. Liven up your article with direct quotes from people in their own profession/hobby who are excited about Amateur Radio. Do give a "call to action." Tell your readers how they can find out more; e.g., give the ARRL HQ address, or a local contact if you're writing for a local publication. Don't go into details that are inappropriate for your audience. Talking about the Amateur Radio implementation of the ARPA Internet protocol suite would be fine in Computer Networking magazine, but not in Astronomy Today. (But do tell the astronomers about Amateur Radio astronomy!) Don't get defensive about the common public confusion between Amateur Radio and citizens' band. A brief, unemotional, informative statement is okay, such as: "Amateur radio offers more privileges than other public radio services, such as citizens band. In return, we're required to take a test and obtain a license from the Federal Communications Commission." 12.3 Target your story to the magazine Get familiar with the magazine(s) you want to submit your article to. Here are some questions to think about as you read them. How long are the articles? One page? Two? Four or more? It will probably vary, and may be quite flexible. There may be a section that's perfect for your article--such as "First Person" or "In My Off Hours"--that's always a certain length; if so, make sure you write to that length. What viewpoint are they written from? Is everything in third person, or does the magazine seem to run some of each kind? First person can be fun because you can write directly from your own experience, but be sure to include interesting anecdotes from other hams in the same profession/hobby, too. Second person is good for "you--yes, you!--can do this and have fun" articles. For third person, you simply describe your interviewees' activities. Do they include photographs? If so, figure out a way to get some--and make sure they're of good quality. Does the magazine use black and white, color, or both? Black-and-white-photos should be printed on glossy (not matte) stock, have borders, and be at least 5x7 inches in size (preferably 8x10). Make sure the picture has good contrast. For color, send slides. If you're concerned about sending the original transparencies, high-quality duplicates will generally be acceptable. Whatever media you use, make sure the picture is clearly focused and not "busy" with too much in it. If possible, crop out any distractions on the edges before submitting it. Does the editor expect a query letter first? A query letter is a proposal to a magazine for a story. Commercial magazines almost always want them, but professional and hobby magazines often have looser policies. If you aren't sure, you could go ahead and send one, or check the magazine's listing in the annual Writer's Market. Does the magazine have writer's guidelines? Again, the type of magazine we're discussing here may not have such a beast, but it's polite to ask. These guidelines (usually just a couple of typewritten pages) will include formatting requirements for submissions, and often include hints on the style preferred by the magazine. 12.4 How to make professional submissions Your mother was right: neatness counts. Make sure your article is professional in appearance. Double space, and use wide margins (at least one inch on all sides). Either use a typewriter with a fresh ribbon, or a computer with a daisywheel, laser, or high-quality dot-matrix printer. (If your dot-matrix printer uses only a few pins per character or doesn't have true descenders, use a friend's.) Good- quality photocopies are fine. Put your name, address and daytime phone number at the top of the first page, center the title about a third of the way down, then leave a few lines before beginning the actual article. On subsequent pages, include the page number, article title, and your name. Write a cover letter. This doesn't have to be fancy. Just write a concise, professional letter that briefly explains your article. Include return postage and envelope. If you don't want your manuscript returned, mention that in your cover letter and forget the postage. If you do want it back, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (business-size for short articles, 9x12 for thicker ones). Copyrights. What you write is yours. When you submit an article to a publication, it's generally assumed that they will have only one-time rights to use it. However, this a complex subject, so if you're concerned about it, read the section on rights in Writer's Market or some other good freelancers' book. 12.5 Article Ideas Here's an easy exercise. Stop for a moment and ask yourself these questions: What profession am I in? What other hobbies do I have besides Amateur Radio? Do I belong to civic or charitable organizations? What family or other activities am I involved in? Your answers will almost certainly provide the springboard for several articles--ones which will be fun and easy to do because you're already familiar with the subject matter and the audience you're writing for! Some of those activities will have a natural link to Amateur Radio, such as travel buffs who'd be excited about talking to people in other countries, or businesspeople who are on the road a lot and would enjoy the ability to meet new friends in the cities they visit. Here are some ideas to get you started: Teachers. Teachers are always looking for ways to motivate students, so they'd love to hear how you use Amateur Radio in the classroom to let your kids meet people in different areas of the country, to teach world geography, or to practice a foreign language. Parents would be a prospective audience for the same reasons. You can also mention what great after-hours relaxation it is for yourself. Outdoors enthusiasts/private pilots. Probably very few of these people know about the availability of small, lightweight VHF/UHF Amateur Radios. Lives have been saved because people had such radios with them when they were stranded in a semi-remote area. (The really remote areas won't have repeaters, of course, but there are plenty of ways to get yourself into trouble not far from metropolitan areas.) People who work with invalids. Do health professionals and volunteers know how Amateur Radio can brighten the day of someone who's shut into their home or an institution? You can tell them. History and genealogy buffs. These people can have a marvelous time talking with people in states or countries that hold special interest for them. The same with retirees, especially those now living away from their former homes. Science and technical professionals, and hobbyists. Some professions and hobbies are a natural match with amateur radio. Many engineers could pass the Extra class theory questions with their eyes closed. Amateur astronomers might enjoy Amateur Radio astronomy--and professionals can pass the time while a spectrogram is exposing! Computer professionals and hobbyists can contribute their talents to the new world of digital Amateur Radio--as indeed has already happened. Those are just a few ideas for members of professions and hobbies that seem to have a natural link with Amateur Radio. But what about the ones that don't? Does that mean those people wouldn't be interested? Of course not; you're in some of those groups and you're a ham, right? Maybe there's a link that isn't obvious. For instance, an unusually high percentage of my ham friends are lawyers. There's no obvious reason I can think of why lawyers would be disproportionately attracted to Amateur Radio. My best theory--from observing that most of them are avid contesters and/or DXers--is that they like to play as hard as they work. They've chosen the aspects of Amateur Radio that are most competitive. If I'm right, then that's a subtle link, but a link nonetheless. Maybe other peoples' professions predispose them to Amateur Radio in ways that aren't immediately obvious. If you uncover those reasons, it will strengthen your presentation of ham radio to that audience. Your article doesn't have to be a "hard sell piece" on Amateur Radio, however. Many magazines, professional journals, company newsletters, and local newspapers are looking for personality pieces--and heaven knows, there are plenty of personalities in Amateur Radio! 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 400,000 hams in the United States alone, there are a lot of fascinating stories out there just waiting to be written. The point is that there are innumberable 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 article ideas to keep you going for a long, long time! Chapter Thirteen Writing Letters To The Editor By Robert A. Smith, WD4RFD Amateurs anywhere can be attacked by unwarranted legislation and regulation at any time. It is a shame when we fall victim to some half baked ideas cooked up by politicos trying to make their futures by attacking rather than building. Amateurs must battle back. Many of these battles are waged in the press with articles and editorials. Amateurs need to have their opinions showing up on these editorial pages. We must fight on this intellectual battlefield in addition to all else we do combating ignorance. Letters to the editor are important because they can indicate strong community support those in the media may not have known was there. The editors expect associations and clubs to ship a letter on the club stationery protesting a proposed antenna height restriction. Though that letter may represent several hundred hams in a community, it still is only one letter on his desk. If everyone writes, all of a sudden he has a pile on his desk. First, you are getting his attention. Then when one of the letters gets published you have your point of view before the public. The facts are now where they belong. You can debunk some of the myths. It is a good feeling! Here are some general guidelines for those willing to try. I realize that for many writing goes back to high school composition classes and has a bad feeling for some. The thing to remember is we are still a democracy in which the pen is mightier than the sword. These rules can also be applied to writing to your legislators and other regulating agencies. Keep in mind, always, you are a citizen and a voter in this society and not only deserve to be listened to but also have a responsibility to speak up if you see something wrong. 1) Have a clear goal in mind with your letter. Define your ideas and know exactly what you want to say. An outline may be helpful, at least make a list. Organize your thoughts so they can be easily followed. 2) Respond to a particular article or news item that is already in the paper when possible. If it hasn't been in the paper, the editor may have already decided his readers aren't interested. You need to be relevant. 3) Respond in a timely fashion. In the news business an item must be "hot" enough. Time is a critical factor. 4) Don't get hysterical. A bunch of wild claims, ranting with a flock of unsubstantiated rumors, and name calling can present the editor with a piece that will show your side as an ignorant shouting rube. This kind of letter does more good for the opposition, if published, than for the side you want to help. 5) Be clean in your writing. Make sure grammar is correct, use a dictionary, and use a typewriter double spaced. Don't use a bunch of attention getting gimmicks like capital letters and underlining. The editor doesn't want to do a lot of work on your letter. He wants to decide what to emphasize. Both are his job. Make it easy for him. 6) Be persistent. Only a few letters are published each day. The odds just from that perspective are formidable. Writing puts one more letter in the editor's mailbag from your point of view. It lets the editor know there are lots of folks interested thus enhancing the odds that someone with your point of view will be selected. He can't ignore a lot of letters that convey the same idea. 7) Keep it short. One page double spaced is almost an absolute maximum. If you can say what you want with a paragraph or two, and a catchy phrase, you will be remembered. No one quotes an entire novel to get an idea across. Try to say what you want in one page and make an attempt to shorten it from there. A shorter letter almost always will be picked over a long letter that says the same thing. 8) Be a real person. Give your name, address, and telephone number to the editor. If you have a problem with publication of your name, tell him, but he deserves to know the source of material he is publishing. If you have particular qualifications and are somewhat of an authority in the subject you are writing about so much the better, and this should be indicated. Anonymous letters don't go very far. 9) Get to know the editor's name, write to him directly and be respectful. 10) Remember there are those who want to stop what you want to do, or do what you want to stop. Keep in mind they are writing too. An editor can't publish what isn't on his desk. You must send your thoughts to him. Now the hardest part: Do your writing, and get your opinion to the editor. Let him know there is at least one person with your point of view. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------