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For all those attending this year's Dayton Hamvention, please join us for the annual PR forum, hosted by members of the League's Public Relations Committee. The forum will be held Sunday, May 16, from 8:30-10:00 AM in Room 1 of Hara Arena.
In 90 minutes, the panel will deliver 90 ideas for promoting ham radio in the ARRL's 90th anniversary year. A variety of topics will be covered, from publicizing your club to talking to the media about BPL. The program promises to be informative and fun. Don't miss out on a great selection of door prizes, including two special items donated by ICOM!
ARRL's Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP will be on hand with the following PR Committee members: Chairman Sherri Brower, W4STB, Jim McDonald, KB9LEI, Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR, Rich Moseson, W2VU, Bill Morine N2COP, and Tim Lewallen, KD5ING.
Along with 90 tips to help you in your publicity efforts this year, the committee members will also tell you about some of their ongoing projects for 2004, many of which involve helping ARRL Public Information Coordinators and Public Information Officers.
LAST CALL FOR MCGAN AWARD NOMINEES
On May 21, the nomination period for the 2004 Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award will close. Don't pass up the chance to nominate someone you know, or get yourself nominated for this annual honor. The McGan Award recognizes significant contributions in the area of volunteer public relations on behalf of Amateur Radio. Members of the League's Public Relations Committee judge the nominations, and the Board of Directors will vote on the committee's recommendation at its July meeting.
Please go to www.arrl.org/pio to download the nomination form and to find out more about the McGan Award.
This year, Amateur Radio Week will run June 20-27, culminating in Field Day weekend. Along with press releases and other efforts to help promote the week, PR volunteers often work to get town mayors, other city officials and even state governors to sign proclamations and "make it official." Here is a sample proclamation that you can modify by adding more local information -- such as a specific example of recent public service activity. Determine which city or state office you'd like a proclamation from, and contact that office today to get the ball rolling in plenty of time before Amateur Radio Week.
SAMPLE PROCLAMATION
CITY OF _______________
OFFICE OF MAYOR
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, the City of ____________ has more than ___ licensed Amateur Radio operators who have demonstrated their value in public assistance by providing emergency radio communications; and
WHEREAS, these Amateur Radio operators donate these services free of charge to the City, in the interest of the citizens of the City as well as the world; and
WHEREAS, these Amateur Radio operators are on alert for any emergency, local or worldwide, and practice their communication skills during the American Radio Relay League's Field Day exercise; and
WHEREAS, this year's Amateur Radio Field Day will take place on June 26-27, 2004;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ____________, Mayor of the City of ____________, hereby declare the week of June 20-27 as
AMATEUR RADIO WEEK
in recognition of this important emergency preparedness exercise, and call upon all citizens to pay tribute to the Amateur Radio operators of our City.
- Reprinted with permission from John Lieb, Thirty Ink Media & Marketing -
When it comes to PR pros communicating pitches or (press releases) in writing to journalists, the conduits have certainly changed in rapid fashion from mail to fax to e-mail. While the vehicles have evolved, the guiding rule still remains steadfast: you still only have 2.5 seconds to capture the media's attention. In more elite "top-tier" press circles, this estimate is generous.
With e-mail firmly entrenched as the preferred mode of communication, let's take a look at how to best apply the 2.5 second rule to the virtual world. Following are five tips to consider:
Subject line -- Give the reporter/editor a convincing reason to open your e-mail, possibly one of 1,000 received that day. Simply let them know why your e-mail will help them do their jobs or why your news is truly unique (if, in fact, it is) -- in four to five words max. Long-winded subject lines are likely seen by editors as pre-cursors to garbled releases or pitches -- plus, long tag lines get cut off and subsequently won't make sense.
Personalize -- Never, ever send a mass e-mailing to a general distribution list. How do you feel when you receive a letter starting "To Whom It May Concern"? Receiving a "blast e-mailing" has the same effect on journalists. Issue each e-mail communication individually. Personalize by salutation as well as by introduction. Like any good pitch, get the most salient point highlighted immediately and connect it directly to the reporter's beat. Do initial research on previous articles written by the journalist and link as appropriate.
Attachments -- Sending an attachment is like stamping "Please disregard!" Even without rampant fear of viruses, attachments are ill-advised because they add another three seconds to the process. Simply have your pitch or press release appear directly in the body of your e-mail. Send a copy first to yourself and to a colleague as an initial test to ensure formatting remains intact and the copy isn't fractured. Be wary of providing Web site links -- another time drain.
Timing/Contact information -- Don't send e-mails after hours or very early in the morning -- your transmission will likely be one of many greeting the journalist when he/she starts their day. For daily reporters, be mindful of their deadlines, during which your e-mail also will be stacked with others. Be sure your contact information is clear, accurate and will catch the reporter's eye easily. They shouldn't need to search for your phone number.
Follow up -- In some cases it may be useful and appropriate to re-e-mail your submission shortly after you have left a voicemail. For example, a reporter asks you to call him in two months to coincide with the timing of his story. If you can't reach the reporter directly via phone, you can leave a message, saying you will re-e-mail the pitch, so the reporter can easily respond via e-mail. You don't want to ever bombard an editor with more e-mail, but this can save him time so he doesn't have to search for your initial correspondence. It also increases the chance you will ultimately re-connect.
WEB SITE OF THE MONTH
This Web page offers a list of brief articles from a company that specializes in training people who give presentations. You may find a few helpful tips that you can put into practice the next time you are asked to speak about Amateur Radio. The weekly articles can also be delivered to you free via e-mail by clicking the link "TJ's Insights."
