The Details That Matter at News Conferences

I feel bad every time I throw away a folder like the one pictured above. It’s not uncommon to get handed a folder just like the one pictured above from intrepid public relations folks who seek to make my job easier by providing me with a lot of great information.

But when I consider how much time, effort and money went into creating these handouts, I shudder. The folders often contain glossy pictures, brochures and news releases printed on high quality, heavy paper. All of that effort and expense and 90 percent of the time, an neatly produced, easy to read news fact sheet would more effectively serve my needs as a reporter.

While I admire the attention to detail by these hard working PR folks, I’m only frustrated more when other, arguably more important details are ignored.

So, from one multimedia reporter to the public relations people of the world, here is my advice:

If you are planning to host an event (such as a news conference) at which multiple news outlets are present, consider the technical needs of these folks.

One of the most commonly overlooked needs of a multimedia journalist is quality audio. News crews will always seek to get a microphone as close to the source of sound (such as a person speaking) as they can. Often that means affixing a lavaliere microphone or the careful placement of a “stick mic”.

If you plan to host a news conference, consider using one podium at which several microphones can easily be affixed. Then each speaker may step to the podium to make their remarks. Logistically, in a multiple “talking head” situation, it is much easier to have the people move to the mic, rather than the mic move to the people.

If you prefer to avoid the mass of microphones on the podium, consider renting or purchasing a “mult box”. That will allow several television stations to connect to your one microphone.

On a related note, while panel discussions are very effective for a discussion with a live audience, they are pretty terrible TV. Because several people can speak in rapid succession, getting quality audio and pictures is very challenging for a multimedia journalist. And consider this, if I miss your CEO’s best line because I’m panning around and trying to get my microphone in the right place, it doesn’t get on TV.

A PR person should also consider the lighting situation at their news conference. You may have a beautiful backdrop planned, but if your event is planned for the early even hours, you probably don’t want to have all of the video cameras pointed toward the west. The sun will give your talking head a nice strong backlight, turning them into nothing more than a shadow standing at a podium.

Finally, for the love of God, consider the scheduling of your news conference and the deadlines of the reporters covering it. Dayside reporters typically face deadlines at noon, 5, 6 and sometimes 7 p.m. If you schedule your news conference for 4:30 p.m., you’re pretty much forcing the reporter to “crash” on your story. Try to schedule your event for the mid to late morning hours and you’ll have a pool of happy news crews.

These are only a few tips that I have on the top of my head. But, I assure you that by focusing on THESE details and spending less time on the over-produced and expensive folder of glossy handouts, you’ll have happier clients, because their spot on TV will look and sound much better.