Media and Social Media

Press media and print media can promote archeological projects, cast a net for volunteers, and report on the benefits of archeology for the public. Think broadly about media opportunities. Consider working with local tourism bureaus, chambers of commerce, museum networks, or others. Partnerships can also help to fund projects or provide volunteers. Building relationships with these groups can help establish the larger impact of park outreach on local economies and communities.

Always coordinate communications with and through your public information officer. The protection of archeological sites is paramount. Before speaking with the press or media, or releasing information to external media producers, check with your park or regional public information officer. If you are not an archeologist, ask an archeologist to ensure that the information being released is not sensitive.

News and Popular Media

The news and popular media are opportunities for archeology outreach. Forms of press media include television, newspapers, magazines, newsletters, letters, radio shows, or other formats. They can be used to desseminate information about a project, demonstrate the benefits of archeology to a broad audience, and promote the good works that archeologists and parks do with the public.

Sometimes a media opportunity will come to you. Other times, you will be responsible for getting the word out about a project. Always work through your public information officer.

For More Information

• Office of Communications, National Park Service

Social Media

Social media is both outreach and a way to spread news and information quickly about archeological outreach projects to a broad constituency. Uses for social media range from announcements about special events, to cancellations or closings, to reminders about things to do, to building communities of people with shared concerns for NPS resources. Consider creative applications; examples include sending trivia, question and answer sessions with a ranger.

Archeology-specific guidelines for social media sites include:

• Do not post locations of archeological sites or images that make finding a site easy.
• Cameras and smartphones may track the location of their users. As a result, images or text uploaded from an excavation site may compromise the security of the site by giving the exact location of a sensitive resource. Turn off geomapping or locational features, and/or use a program to scrub the metadata.
• Social media provides a way for the public to get to know the archeologists, but be careful not to reveal personal information. Remember that the archeologists - even if they are volunteers or interns - should be presented in a professional light.
• Updates might include new finds, archeological techniques in the field, announcements about public archeology days or exhibits, and interpretation of sites.

For More Information

• NPS Social Media, National Park Service
• Servicewide Messaging and Topics, National Park Service