When I read the article, I got pretty upset. But not for the same reasons that
I'm hearing on this thread. To me the big problem is the article itself, not
whether the ham had a tough time or not. The really bad PR that comes from such
a negative article in such a high profile newspaper is very significant. It
even sounds like the reporter contacted somebody at the League, but I sense
that a major opportunity was missed. The door was open; they could have
finessed a very pro-ham quote into this article. Even if the League was not
contacted, I still think PR is a big weakness in the ARRL skillset. Although
they seem to realize that PR is a useful tool, they don't seem to understand
just how critical it is, nor how effective PR programs are planned and
executed.
73,
Jim Idelson K1IR
email k1ir@designet.com
web http://www.designet.com/k1ir
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