Last minute ARRL Field Day PR tips.

"It's 2025 ARRL Field Day Weekend! ARRL Field Day is here."

Views expressed in this Amateur/Ham Radio news update are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 27 June 2025, 2057 UTC.

Content and Source: Email message from Sierra Harrop (W5DX), ARRL Public Relations and Outreach Manager.'

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzQbfxdHkPJjgKLgsDrpjWNmpGKq

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Russ Roberts (KH6JRM).

ARRL Field Day is here! It is the public information volunteers’ time to make ham radio shine! The hard work you’ve put into public relations over the last few months will continue to serve your club and amateur radio well. Hopefully, the news media is all lined up for their visit, the local officials have issued proclamations and will be stopping by, and you have been getting a lot of traction on social media.

It is not too late to earn some press coverage if your previous efforts have not been as successful as you hoped. Sometimes, coverage decisions are made last minute by newsrooms. If you don’t already have an outlet lined up to visit, try giving them a call and pitching it again. You can follow up with an email that quickly summarizes the event.

Tell them about the visual opportunities for photos and videos – describe what their cameras will see if they come. If you’ve already used the press release and media advisory template in the Field Day PR Kit, this isn’t the time to completely re-hash it – just send a quick reminder in case it slipped through the cracks. Some of the best media coverage is often earned last-minute and spontaneously!

Remember that whoever is doing the interview is representing amateur radio to the masses.

Tips for giving a successful interview:

Dress the part. Make sure you’re put together and your clothing is clean and presentable.

Check your hair and face. Its hot, you’re working outside. Take a few moments to clean up with a hairbrush and a splash of water if you need it.

Don’t get too technical. The public has no idea about the technical details of ham radio. Don’t use jargon or get too deep into the workings of wireless technology. Just keep it high-level and fun.

Speak conversationally. Don’t try to sound like a press secretary or a police public information officer. Just tell the story of what’s happening like you would to a friend!

Sharing ARRL Field Day with Others via Social Media

Remember to tell our own story on ARRL Field Day via social media. Not only does it earn your club bonus points, but it also goes a long way to growing amateur radio. Social media is likely the most powerful outreach tool we have. Give it some extra attention this weekend!

ARRL Social Media Specialist Alex Norstrom, KC1RMO, creates many of the posts you see from ARRL. He says each social media platform has their own unique advantages.

“Whether on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, or any other social media site – take advantage of the platform’s features. Consider posting photos or videos to your Instagram story or use photos to create a post on Facebook that shows what’s going on at your site,” suggests Norstrom.

Posting content to your club’s social pages, as well as your own personal profiles, will help spread the word. There are some best practices that help level up your social game.

Social media photo and video tips:

Don’t just shoot the back of someone’s head while they’re seated at a radio. Zoom with your feet (move closer to your subject) and get the camera into the action! Show us smiling faces and actions.

Shoot for the platform on which you plan to post the content. Widescreen or landscape mode works well for Facebook or email. Vertical or portrait is native to Instagram and TikTok, plus Meta Reels and stories on Facebook. Either one is good for submission to ARRL for consideration in QST. Don’t limit yourself. If you see a good shot, grab it in both formats.

Your phone shoots just fine. If you have a smartphone that’s been manufactured in the last decade, the camera is going to be good enough. You can bring out your fancy photo and video equipment if you like – but it’s no longer necessary. Many magazine covers are even shot on smartphones these days.

Avoid backlighting. While most modern cameras have a good dynamic range and can deal with many levels of lighting within an image, it’s still best to have the light on your subject.

See and be seen with hashtags. Use the hashtags #ARRLFD #AmateurRadio and #HamRadio, along with a locator hashtag for your local area (for example, Iowa could use #IA or #Iowa) in posts to help others see the content both locally and around the web. Click on the hashtags and explore what others are adding to the feed. Interact with their content by commenting, liking, or sharing it. Radio connects – even on social media.

If there are minors in the content, make sure you have their parent or guardian’s consent to take and post the images. If you’re submitting the photo to ARRL, please utilize our photo release form [PDF].

ARRL will skim some content from the hashtag #ARRLFD to share on our Facebook page. We’ve created a photo album for the content. You may also send your images to socialmedia@arrl.org for inclusion. Remember to detail the who and where, so we can help share your story.

Resources:

ARRL Amateur Radio Public Information Volunteer Groups.io

ARRL Public Information Volunteer Discord Server

ARRL Field Day PR Kit

Thanks to so many of you who have participated in the PR workshops presented by the ARRL Public Relations Committee. We had more people than we ever imagined show up for the Field Day workshop, so the demand is high. We’re going to start holding quarterly workshops. Look for a message about one in July that will detail all the ARRL resources available to you as an amateur radio public information volunteer.

Thanks for all you do to elevate ARRL and amateur radio. Enjoy the weekend, and please send in your news hits to newsmedia@arrl.org. We want to celebrate and elevate your success.

Happy ARRL Field Day!

73,

Sierra Harrop, W5DX

ARRL Public Relations and Outreach Manager

sharrop@arrl.org