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Congratulations! You've volunteered for one of the most important jobs in the ARRL Field Organization, keeping the public informed about your group's activities and about Amateur Radio in general.
Before we get into the tips and ideas for good public relations that make up the "meat" of this handbook, let's start by taking a look at public relations itself -- what is it and whose job is it?
Public relations is anything said or done by anyone who is associated with a particular organization, group, neighborhood or town, that helps create an image in someone's mind of that organization, group, neighborhood or town. This includes not only you and your formal efforts to promote ham radio, but also the ham who helps provide communications for a local bike-a-thon, and even the ham across town whose neighbors can't watch their TVs when he's on the air, and who refuses to work with them to resolve the problem. If somebody's words or actions affect people's perception of amateur radio, that's public relations.
Whenever you're on the air at a public event, demonstrating amateur radio, or even walking down the street talking on an HT, you're doing public relations. It can be good or bad, intentional or unintentional.
This handbook will concentrate on the intentional and the good. Our focus will be on the publicity chairperson as well as anyone who may appear in public as a representative of their club or of amateur radio. And our emphasis will be on getting news about amateur radio out to the general public. Before we talk about "how," though, let's ask "why."
What's So Important About Public Relations?
As radio amateurs, we have three basic goals in promoting our hobby: recognition of the good things we do and our value to the community; protection of our current and future operating privileges; and recruiting the next generation of hams. You might even call it CPR -- Community recognition, Protection and Recruitment. Let's take a quick look at each of these goals:
Community Recognition
Protection of Operating Privileges
Recruitment
The Power of Perception
A positive perception of amateur radio helps build support for us among neighbors, educators, corporate leaders and government officials. This support is vital in meeting any or all of the goals above.
On the other hand, a negative perception works in the other direction and can harm ham radio. And no perception -- because people aren't hearing anything good or bad about amateur radio -- is just as bad as a negative perception. People who don't know amateur radio exists, or who feel it is obsolete, will not be our "friends" when we need support.
Your Role as a PIO or PIC
It matters what people think of amateur radio, and you, as a Public Information Officer or Public Information Coordinator, are in a position to influence that thinking. It's a very important job, and it's very important that it be done well. Some PR is better than none, but poorly done PR can be worse. We recognize that many people take on this job with more enthusiasm than experience, and more understanding of the need for good PR than training in how to provide it.
It is the goal of this handbook to give you the tools you need to help you do this job as well as you can1. But if your questions aren't answered here, or your situation isn't addressed, don't feel shy about looking beyond this book for help. If you're a PIO, start with your section PIC (See QST Page 12, or the ARRL web site for your Section page and Section Manager listings). Next, try the PR reflector, contact a member of the League's national Public Relations Committee or the Media Relations Office at ARRL Headquarters.
Remember -- you're not alone out there and we have a story to tell!
1 - Note: Most references to individuals in this handbook are in the male form. We are not trying to be sexist or to suggest that you're more likely to encounter male journalists than female journalists. You're not. Please read "him" as "him/her," "his" as "his/her" and "he" as "he/she" throughout.
