I’ve never liked the old saw, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” When a piece is just plain wrong, it can certainly do more harm than good. To give you an example, look at this message to the ARRL PR mailing list:
So the following article came to my attention:
Note that the station added a statement two days later. Please read it, but don’t start writing to the station.
I ask you:
- What would you do if you saw this article in your local area? How would you as a PIO or PIC handle it?
- What can be done to prevent such articles?
I replied:
Whenever I see these articles, I contact the reporter and try to set them straight on the differences between the various radio services. As to what can be done to prevent these articles from being published in the first place, I think that the PR committee could be a little more proactive:
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Include a page on the ARRL website linked from the Reporter/Media Information page describing all the personal radio services, the differences between them, and the role of the Amateur Radio Service in particular.
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Write a press release notifying reporters that page is now available and distribute it as widely as possible.
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Include the name and phone number of an actual person on the Reporter/Media Information page and on other press releases. (I’ll note that the Press Releases page is way out of date. It lists two press releases, both from 2016!)
Having said all that, I’ll ask you. How do you deal with inaccurate articles about amateur radio?
Beyond posting something brief in the comments section (sample below), I wouldn’t bother. After seeing decades of actual events first-hand, I can tell you that today’s news organizations are simply not interested in reporting news in any manner approximating the actual facts..
Here’s something akin to what I’d put in the comments section, were I in the local area:
“CB is not ham radio, this article is bunk, and it seems that this reporter did ZERO research. EDITOR: Please sack this moron before it chases away yet more viewers and advertisers. Thank you. On the off chance that you’d like to repair some of the damage, this link may be of interest: http://www.arrl.org/what-is-amateur-radio”
After that, it’s not worth anyone’s time. Harsh? Yes, but well-earned by this “profession” as a whole.
Dan, back in the ’70s, I got involved in a really big one of these deals. Someone wrote “Dear Abby” complaining because a neighbor was messing up her TV set with his radio station. The writer asked Abby what could be done. Abby told her the culprit was a “ham radio operator” and to contact the FCC to file a complaint against him. And even gave the Commission’s mailing address.
I doubted she would bother to read any response but I dashed off a letter anyway. As a journalist, I knew the best approach was to be calm, non-accusatory, and simply set the record straight. My suggestion was for the lady to contact the person she believed was causing the problem. He might indeed be a “ham,” in which case he would likely know ways to help her solve her problem.. And there was a good chance the problem was with her TV set. There was also a chance the person was a Citizens Band operator, too, and would not necessarily be knowledgeable. He may even be operating illegally. (Understand this was the 1970s and over-powered CB ops were everywhere.) Then, if the problem continued, she could complain to the FCC.
Well, Abby published my response. I like to think it may have helped inform folks of the difference between the two services. And maybe even encouraged some to learn more about the hobby.
Don N4KC
http://www.n4kc.com
http://www.donkeith.com