Personal contacts with influential media are invaluable, as we see here. We all need to be aware of "who knows whom" and leverage those contacts continuously.

This includes legislative contacts. 

There is no substitute for an active PR office. We do a pretty good job reaching out to amateurs, but I urge all Directors to think about how we legitimately influence those outside the organization in a positive manner. 

The recent incident illustrates our weakness in this aspect - the handling of this issue was exception-based. 

Thanks, Director Stratton and Mr. Minster as well as Bill Morine for the work on this - but it appears that the most obvious effect was executed by a member of the field organization. 

This is a point that we should all note. Hundreds of volunteers with relationships all over the map have volunteered and are awaiting assignments. We need a robust engagement plan and need to encourage and BRAND ongoing field driven activities. 

Mickey Baker, N4MB
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead." Robert K. Greenleaf


On Mon, Jan 18, 2021 at 7:52 AM <n2cop@ec.rr.com> wrote:

Thanks to Forbes writer and Roanoke Division member Wayne Rash, N4HCR, winner of the 2017 Bill Leonard W2SKE Professional Media Award in the Print category, for reaching contacts of his inside the Washington Post to clarify the meaning of “ham radio”.

 

73 de Bill Morine, N2COP

Vice Director – Roanoke Division

Representing ARRL members in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia

www.arrl-roanoke.org

Facebook Page: ARRL Roanoke Division

ARRL – The National Association for Amateur Radio

 

From: arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> On Behalf Of Mickey Baker
Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2021 11:27 PM
To: arrl-odv <arrl-odv@arrl.org>
Subject: [arrl-odv:31767] The Washington Post Has figured out "Handheld Radios"

 

It seems as though a few well placed corrective emails to editorial staff may have corrected the "ham radio" narrative.

 

 

"Federal investigators are also accelerating efforts to determine whether the assault was planned, coordinated or led by groups of people — rather than an impulsive outburst of violence — particularly because some of the men shown on video laying siege to the building were equipped with handheld radios and at times appeared to work in unison on particular objectives, investigators said.

 

Mickey Baker, N4MB
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead." Robert K. Greenleaf