Event Details

Amy Rutledge is currently the manager, Communications and Fundraising for the Society for American Archaeology. Prior to joining SAA, she worked in creative and strategic communications for a variety of non-profit and philanthropic organizations, tackling a range of issues from humane livestock farming to smart growth. Before joining the non-profit field, Amy was a video post-production manager in the Washington, D.C. market working with a variety of clients, including several political clients, National Geographic, and Discovery Communications. She has a B.A. in Film and Video from American University and an M.A. in English from Iowa State University.

Increasingly, archaeologists have been looking for ways to advocate for their field and their research to a public audience. With concerns about funding cuts and with cultural resource protections and regulations facing an uncertain future, archaeologists need to write and speak through non-scholarly media to build support for and knowledge about archaeology. This one-hour seminar helps participants understand the tools and pathways for making their voices heard in defense of archaeology. The course focuses on writing op-eds for newspapers and working with non-traditional media outlets. It provides a guide for building communications networks to heighten visibility of archaeological issues and research.

The objective for this course is to provide participants with strategies for effectively communicating to the public in support of archaeological research. The course will build an understanding of how and why to work with newspapers, blogs, and social media. The goal is to increase visibility and advocacy of the field.