Knowing and Using Your Resources
When a PR opportunity knocks, your challenge 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.
The Media "Toolbox"
For most of us, learning the news business is not all that difficult. Most towns, except for the largest, have a local newspaper, possibly one or more radio stations and maybe even one or more TV stations or cable outlets. 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.
The Internet is a newer outlet and chances are your community is served by web sites that are central repositories for information. If your club maintains a web site, it is a great place to send reporters for information about your organization and its activities. And of course, there's the ARRL web site, which has a storehouse of information and background material for the media as well as the general public. Don't overlook these valuable resources.
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 you 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 focus 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 a partial understanding.
If the reporter plans to bring along a photographer, he or she 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.
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 many 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 any beer cans, too. Same reason). At the same time, don't make it seem like you're hiding something, or that may quickly become the focus of the story.
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 rarely 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.