Poor Club Coverage Despite Recent Events - Can IFAS Help?

I've just had a thought

There are lots of local papers here in Ireland who need copy like I need a G&T after a Munster Hurling Final.

Why can't IFAS do a small, say monthly, column on astronomy and send it to each of the papers. Now each column would naturally have this website address and most people int his country read local papers...........

Comments?

Conor

Thats what I was saying before Connor about area reps for IFAS. For example, there are aout 7 local papers around Offaly I could (and have) sent in stuff for TAS.........

..........you know the outcome... :x

Seanie.

hi Conor,

congrats on the win . . . I have to admit I'm one of the few Tipp men who doesn't pine for a day out in Croker unfortunately Now the Tour de France, there's an event (sadly, NTL scrubbed Eurosport so I'm starved of the cycling).

I know David Bell drew up various column pieces looking at asides of astronomical history but I'm not sure if he approached any newspaper editors with the suggestion of running them monthly. I did a couple of pieces for the Nenagh Guardian before when there were particular events to look out for but it was really up to the editor whether the piece would run . . .

I sent them something on last year's WSP but they never published it. As well, the time of the meteorite last August they helpfully printed a map of the Silvermines area on the front page with an "X" marks the spot (where it landed) :roll: I contacted them to say they were way off the mark (after hearing two bus loads of people had spent a weekend trampling the fields in the area!) but they were not interested in correcting the initial jumping of the gun, so to speak. :roll: What do ya do in that instance!

anyway, I'm digressing all over the place. Again, it's something that maybe a couple of people could do and then syndicate it out to the papers (i.e. have a release for big events too). It's all down to whether someone is available to handle feedback though as that is a big part of what might be expected of a monthly astronomy column.

John

anyway, I'm digressing all over the place. Again, it's something that maybe a couple of people could do and then syndicate it out to the papers (i.e. have a release for big events too). It's all down to whether someone is available to handle feedback though as that is a big part of what might be expected of a monthly astronomy column.

Are you volunteering? :lol: :lol:

As for feed back, how about in each club's area a local contact can be added to each column.

Conor

Hi,

This was an issue for the ToV also. What I did in the end was sent out a press release to the national papers and posted the same here in case people wanted to send it to local media.

Ideally I would like to see the following. For major events (eclipses, meteor showers etc.) the I.A.S, as the national organisation, should send out the press releases and be the national media contact, of course mentioning IFAS for telling people about local watches etc. The same press release and information would be sent out by local clubs to their local media.

This would be fairly 26 county specific, as the IAA and Armagh planetarium and the EAAS do a marvellous job in promoting astronomy and getting coverage from the media up North. This coverage does not seem to extend southwards, which I think is probably due to the media here.

I mention the IAS as the national contact. Personally I think we suffer from a problem similar to US-EU international relations "When the US president wants to talk to Europe who does he call?" Similarly when the Irish media wants to talk to Irish astronomers who do they call? Having the National Astronomy Club take on this role in the national media, on behlaf of and with the support of IFAS, would give the national media a consistent contact point. This would not dilute IFAS at all since it is still the hub of the community and would be the focus of events all over the country. This would involve a more active national club however...

Seanie, area reps for IFAS? ILPAC for example has a grand total of 3 area reps. Me in Dublin, Colm in Clare, and Dave Gradwell (though he may not be aware of it!) in Birr! My point being that the response and activity from the IFAS clubs vary. Which is fine, its not up to the IFAS to tell people how to run clubs and activities, but unless there is a consistent committment from clubs to do things, it makes more sence for national organisations (ILPAC,IAS,IAA) to handle some things.

My 0.02EUR...

Cheers,
~Al
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Not on the committee of the IAS or IFAS btw