Lights! Camera! Action! Next TALMA virtual training focuses on video

Dear TALMA members, 

I hope you are enjoying The American Legion Media Alliance monthly virtual training sessions as much as I am. In July, we hosted a popular session on best practices for social media, which followed the debut in June that addressed how to get your post’s events in local media. Replays of both are available in TALMA’s private Facebook group. 

During the one-hour session on social media, Department of Michigan Public Relations Director Mark Sutton and Holly Lewis, adjutant of Post 557 in Wintersville, Ohio, presented useful information for participants and answered a dozen or so questions from them. 

We will continue to keep these sessions interactive. Up next is a virtual training session on best practices for shooting and editing video. It will be held Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. Eastern via Zoom. If you have questions you would like to submit beforehand or suggested topics to be addressed, feel free to email them in advance. During the session, participants will be able to type questions into the chat window. 

The session will feature panelists Ken Kraetzer, executive director of Sons of The American Legion Radio in New York, and Ben Mikesell, the staff visual journalist for The American Legion. Media and Communications Deputy Director Henry Howard will moderate once again. 

In the coming months, we plan to cover other topics such as how to improve your post’s newsletter, interviewing and story writing tips, creating graphics for your social media platforms, and podcasting. 

Also please note that we have not forgotten about the contest entries. National Headquarters staff continues to work almost exclusively at home. The entries have been categorized and are in the Media and Communications office. We will have the entries judged and winners announced as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience. 

Thank you for all that you do on behalf of The American Legion Family, our veterans, their families and communities throughout this great nation.