press conference
TRANSCRIPT
Press Conference A press conference is held when
someone wants to send something to the media. This is where journalists are free to ask any questions
When someone with something to say
calls reporters together at one time to announce something they believe is newsworthy
PRESS CONFERENCE
• Press conferences tend to move quickly and often do not last very long, so you may have very little time to get the information you need
VARIATIONS IN PRESS CONFERENCE
A joint press conference instead is held between two or more talking sides.
A good example is when two people are running for the president post…
PRESS CONFERENCE: NO QUESTIONS?
• In a news conference, one or more speakers may make a statement, which may be followed by questions from reporters. Sometimes only questioning occurs; sometimes there is a statement with no questions permitted.
Forget the PR Speak - Focus On The News
• It's the reporter's job to ignore the PR talk and get to the truth of the matter. So if the CEO announces that his company has just suffered its worst losses ever, but in the next breath says he thinks the future is bright, forget about the bright future - the real news is the huge losses, not the PR sugarcoating
SPIN DOCTOR
• Politicians are often accused by their opponents of claiming to be honest and seek the truth while using spin tactics to manipulate public opinion.
• Because of the frequent association between spin and press conferences (especially government press conferences)
PUBLIC RELATIONS: SPIN DOCTOR
• In public relations, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against some organization or public figure
ADVANTAGES• Person who called the news conference does not
have to do separate interviews with media agencies
• Reduces chance that one news agency misses the information
• News agencies share the questioning so there’s less likelihood that a question will be overlooked
DISADVANTAGES
• Difficult to get an exclusive
• Those calling the news conference sometimes uses this as a way to get publicity for a topic that isn’t “newsworthy”
WHEN COVERING
• Prepare ahead of time• Get background material• Prepare questions ahead• Figure out your angle• Questions may not relate to the news conference
topic• Arrive early• Ask the name & title of person speaking and get
correct spelling at the beginning
WHEN QUESTIONING
• Ask clarifying questions• Ask questions to get new information• If an announcement you expect isn’t made, ask
about it• Don’t be in a hurry to leave unless on a deadline• Sometimes sticking around can get you another
good story or better information
WHEN WRITING
• Be sure to include names and titles Make sure spellings are correct Know how to pronounce the names
• Understand main points raised during the news conference
• Use strong sound bites or strong quotes
WHEN WRITING• Time and place of the press conference can often
be left out
• Don’t include the fact that you attended a news conference unless there was something significant about the news conference itself
Ex) Someone gets shot at the news conferenceEx) An earthquake happens during the news
conferenceEx) The news conference is cancelled due to a reason
WHEN WRITING• Focus on newsworthy items WRONG:• A police chief today told a Press conference about
the theft of a light aircraft from Jacksons Airport.
• The news is not the press conference
• Focus on newsworthy items
• RIGHT:The Foreign Minister today cancelled a Press
conference at which he was expected to announce new sanctions against Pakistan. It is understood that the last-minute cancellation was due to a disagreement in Cabinet over the sanctions.
• Here you mention the news conference because the news is that it was cancelled because of an event
• The cancellation is the news