PR-Officer

The Sea Stallion has a modern public relations officer on board. Like in the Vikign Age his job is to tell exciting stories. But where the Viking Scald was always telling stories about kings or chieftains, the public relations officer is telling stories about the ship and its crew. 

The public relations officer's most important task is to tell the press about the Sea Stallion. He has, therefore, made contact with journalists, reporters and photographers in Denmark and abroad, especially in Scotland, Ireland and England.

When he writes an article about the ship or the crew for the Sea Stallion's website it is read by maybe only 100 people, but as soon as a newspaper or a television station carry the story, thousands, tens of thousands – yes, perhaps even millions sometimes – of people get the opportunity to hear about the Sea Stallion.

During the voyage he writes short stories about adventures on board – stories about the progress of the voyage, how the weather influences navigation and the atmosphere on board, what the crew are experiencing and how the ship is received in the harbours where it docks. The stories are sent home and placed on this website so that everybody – the public, the press as well as family and friends, can follow the voyage and see what happens from day to day.

The content of the stories

Fact: The public relations officer also has tasks unrelated to story telling. In case of an emergency on board the ship the public relations officer must give advice to both the skipper and crew about relations with the press. It is important that the press receives fast and correct information, but it is even more important to inform any family members affected.

Why?

In the Viking Age is was impotant for at king to have a scald. The scald made sure that the kings life story; his dangerous crusades and heroic battles was known in the aftermath. Today the role of the public relations officer on board is just as important. Not only do the Viking Ship Museum want to communicate the story about the project to as many people as possible, but the stories from the Sea Stallion can also help creating interest for our Scandinavian past and shown that our culture is exciting and drammatic.   

By: Louise Kæmpe Henriksen