Our Centers for Ethics:

Get started: Media relations

---

Press conferences

A news conference is convenient for reporters, but it does not guarantee that the press cover your event. Reporters must have a reason to show up! If you have a notable spokesperson, a big event, or if you live in a small media market, then a news conference may be appropriate.

Here are some tips for planning a press conference:

1. Find credible spokespersons for your cause. A well-recognized figure who commands respect can do wonders to attract attention to your event. The CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition was fortunate to have the late congresswoman and professor Barbara Jordan as a national spokesperson during its first two years. Actor Tom Selleck has also been a spokesperson during this time and continues to draw tremendous media attention to the Coalition’s work on the national level. Finding people of stature on the local level will have the same effect. (Your organization may have a member that fits the bill.)
2. Choose an appropriate date for the press conference. Make sure your conference doesn’t coincide with a Presidential campaign stop in your community or another overshadowing news conference. If the event is in conjunction with National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week, it is advisable to choose a date near the beginning of October so the media have the whole week to cover your activities. Remind them to continue to track your CHARACTER COUNTS! activities throughout the year!
3. Choose a convenient time for the press. The best time to schedule a news conference is 10:00 a.m. This allows time in the morning for the assignment editor to review the story options for the day and to assign a reporter to your event. Remember, TV and radio producers need time to edit the story for broadcast, and newspaper reporters need time to write. That’s why the morning hours are preferable.
4. Identify a site for your news conference. Is it where you will be doing a community service project? Is it where art projects are on display? Will it be where you hold your event? Remember that TV tells its story in pictures, so make your site as visually appealing as possible.
5. Write a media advisory using the "who, what, when, where, and why" basics. Keep it brief — a media advisory is not a press release. Include crucial information such as directions, a map, where to enter the building, and parking instructions. View a sample media advisory »
6. Develop a media list for recipients of the advisory. Include the names of assignment editors and reporters for print, radio, television, and wire services. (Associated Press is the ubiquitous newswire. Your community may also have a local one.)
7. Fax the media advisory to your list of journalists. Most assignment editors do not look in their mail for media advisories. Fax it as early as two days before the event, then follow up with a phone call to confirm that it has been received by each newsroom. Fax it again the day before and the morning of the event. Be vigilant about making follow-up calls to sell your story to the assignment editor. Remember, they are constantly bombarded with advisories, so don’t let yours get lost in the shuffle!
8. Have your materials prepared and ready to be distributed to the attendees. You should include a press release (view a sample press release), a fact sheet and/or brochures on the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, information on your organization (a brochure, number of members, key contact person, etc.) and any additional information regarding your organization’s participation in year-round CHARACTER COUNTS! activities.
9. Have the site of the conference well prepared. Post decorative signs or other visuals in advance, if possible. Also, post directional signs to guide journalists to the site.

The day of the press conference

• Review your logistics and the instructions above. Call those on the media list around 8:00 a.m. to confirm attendance. Again, ask to speak with the assignment editors. These are the people who will ultimately decide whether or not your story will be covered.
• Meet members of the press as they arrive. Take down their names and phone numbers and give each of them a press kit, including general information and a press release (click here to see a sample). Give them a quick rundown of what will be happening and where the speeches, statements and interviews will take place. Lead them to the key spokespersons who will be participating in the news conference. (Don’t hover over them, but be ready to provide assistance if any is needed.)
• Start the news conference no later than five minutes after the announced time. Have the speakers speak, then allow some time for questions and answers. Finally, ensure that the speakers are accessible to the press on a one-on-one basis.

 

---

Share news of your activities on the CHARACTER COUNTS! Local News Blog or send your stories and photos to our national office at CCNews@jiethics.org.