Kim Kester 2016 American Honey Queen Speaking to the Media Kim Kester 2016 American Honey Queen

Who Am I? National spokesperson for beekeeping industry Central Wisconsin Bachelors from University of Wisconsin – Madison Pursuing Masters at Iowa State University in Agricultural Education I serve as a national spokesperson for the beekeeping industry. This year is my job to travel the country and share my knowledge about pollination and honeybees with the public. I am originally from central Wisconsin where grew up on a small hobby farm. We had a little bit of everything – horses, poultry, even llamas. No one was really too surprised when I set up my first two hives of honeybees. My bachelors was earned at UW-Madison in dairy science and poultry science, and I am currently pursuing a masters at Iowa State University in Agricultural Education.

Media Training Recently completed one week of training Gained valuable skills for interacting with media I spent a week in training after being selected as American Honey Queen. We focused very heavily on media training. We learned how to prepare ourselves, maintain control of an interview, and get out a positive message to the public.

Why give presentations or talk to media?

Purpose The day is coming! People recognize you as a beekeeper Our responsibility to provide accurate information Be prepared! Radio, TV, newspaper, beekeeping meetings Why do we need to know this? The day is coming! If it hasn’t happened already, there will come a time when you will be approached by TV, radio, or newspaper. People recognize you as a beekeeper and will look to you for answers about beekeeping and the industry in general. As beekeepers, it is our responsibility to provide accurate information to the public.

Preparing for an Interview Determine your audience Age range Specific interests Develop an outline Can be added to as necessary Altered to suit audience Helps you stay focused Keep it simple! The first step is to prepare for your interview or interaction with the media. If possible, determine your audience. This may include the target age range, or whether the group has specific interests or professions. Develop and outline based on any audience information you have and what beekeeping or honey information may apply to them. The interviewer may also be able to provide some guidance with regards to specific content they are looking for.

Preparing for an Interview Ask yourself some questions… Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? What do you want the result to be? Ask yourself a few questions. Who, what, when, where, why, and how? These may seem like common sense, but it’s a great start for establishing a basic foundation of what you are going to talk about. Also ask yourself what you want the result of the interview or presentation to be. Do you want the public to visit your booth at the farmer’s market and buy local honey? Do you simply want to inform the public about honeybees? Or maybe you want the public to take more action or responsibility with protecting the honeybee. These are all things to consider when creating your outline.

Example Outline The queen is the mother of the hive. All of the other bees are her children. A queen can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day, and she has an average lifespan of 2 – 3 years. She relies on a court of attendant bees to care for her. Introduction 3 Types of Bees Queen Drone Worker Pollination Hive Structure Outlines do not need to be too complicated. If you have too much information on your outline, it may result in plain reading or droning. Instead, use words or phrases that will help prompt your thought if you get lost. Here is an example. The line simply says Queen. You know the information, so all your need is a reminder and you can jump into “The queen is the mother of the hive. All of the other bees are her children. A queen can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day, and she has an average lifespan of 2 – 3 years. She relies on a court of attendant bees to care for her.” With just a one-word prompt, I was able to fill 15 to 20 seconds.

During the Interview Express key messages in sound bites Be quotable Do not repeat negative or incorrect information Example: “Killer bees” vs. “Africanized honeybees” Keep it positive During the interview, try to express your key points in sound bites. Unless they are airing the complete interview, your responses will likely be cut. It is important to be quotable and do not repeat negative information. For example, someone may ask you if “killer bees” are a problem in your area and should people be concerned? Do not repeat “killer bees.” Begin your response with “Africanized honeybees.” You may even place a little extra emphasis on “Africanized” to indicate the correct term without saying directly to their face, “That’s wrong.” We want to keep the interviews positive if possible. In the case of the Africanized bees, perhaps highlight their honey producing abilities. Do not be afraid to say “I don’t know.” You don’t want to provide incorrect information or speculate.

During the Interview Do not be afraid to say “I don’t know” Use your discretion for topics and content Pace yourself! During the interview, try to express your key points in sound bites. Unless they are airing the complete interview, your responses will likely be cut. It is important to be quotable and do not repeat negative information. For example, someone may ask you if “killer bees” are a problem in your area and should people be concerned? Do not repeat “killer bees.” Begin your response with “Africanized honeybees.” You may even place a little extra emphasis on “Africanized” to indicate the correct term without saying directly to their face, “That’s wrong.” We want to keep the interviews positive if possible. In the case of the Africanized bees, perhaps highlight their honey producing abilities. Do not be afraid to say “I don’t know.” You don’t want to provide incorrect information or speculate.

You are in Control!

Connect with the Audience Confidence is important Speak as an equal Do not drone on if your listeners seem uninterested Ask questions, initiate involvement Be flexible! Reporters can throw you a curve ball

Add Visual Interest Jars of honey Beekeeping equipment Posters or photos PowerPoint Observation hive

After the Interview Leave behinds Thank the interviewer for their time Honey Recipe brochures Additional information Thank the interviewer for their time After your interview has wrapped up, it never hurts to have leave behinds. This could be anything from a honey bear, honey recipe brochures, or additional information about any topics covered in your interview. Lastly, thank the interviewer for their time. They gave you time on their radio show, TV segment, or column space in their newspaper. Every bit of time is an opportunity to spread information about our industry.

American Honey Queen Program

Objectives Promote honey and the beekeeping industry nationwide Increase consumption of honey Teaching students and public about importance of honeybee pollination

Selection Interview process Marketing presentation Professionalism Beekeeping knowledge Communication skills Marketing presentation Professionalism

Promotions School presentations Fairs and festivals Interviews with media Beekeeping meetings Social media

Our Work in Numbers $500,000 – average media attention garnered for industry 7,500,000 – average people reached with educational messages 340 – average collective promotional days each year

Program of American Beekeeping Federation National organization with 1,200+ members Acts on behalf of the beekeeping industry to address issues affecting the interest and economic viability of various sectors of the industry Work toward better education and information Ensure the future of the honeybee www.abfnet.org

Funding Annual quilt raffle Auctions Donations

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