speeches, news conferences & meetings
Post on 09-May-2015
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Speeches, News Conferencesand Meetings
Presented byBrett Atwood
Preparation
• It is not uncommon to be assigned a speech or meeting covering a topic that is unfamiliar to you
• If this happens, you will need to prepare so that you know what is “news” and what isn’t
Preparation
• Your employer/publication may have an existing archive of news coverage on the topic…use it!
• This media archive may be referred to as a morgue
Preparation
• You may also use the Internet – but be careful as misinformation is rampant
• Your publication/employer may also subscribe to a legitimate news database, such as Lexis/Nexis
Speeches
• When you are assigned to cover a public speech, there are some things you can do to prepare– Get advance transcript, if available– Pre-interview the speaker, if possible– Bring a tape/video recorder to document exact
words/events
Speeches
• Be aware that when you cover a public speech, there is heightened scrutiny on what you quote and report on
News Conferences
• Unlike a speech, a news conference will likely contain a public question and answer forum for reporters
• If you ask a question publicly, then other reporters are subject to using the response– Strategically you might save your best question for
a private interview
News Conferences
• Always held for a reason– News announcement– Public statement
• Attempt to get advance news of the announcement from the public relations representative– If you can’t get it, try alternative sources that
might give you info on the announcement
Example
• My first public event:– Richard Branson, CEO
Virgin Media
Covering Meetings
• Examples:– City council meetings– School board meetings
• These can be very long and boring• Extracting news value can be difficult• Conflict and public decision making or votes
are usually newsworthy
Tips for Public Forums
• Use a recorder or smartphone recording app – but make sure that it works
• Even if you are recording, take written notes!
My First Assignment
• My first music article was a disaster due to a recorder malfunction!
Writing the Story
• For stories that are covering a speech, your lead will summarize the main theme
• This gives a good overview of the content of the entire speech
• Most of the article will paraphrase the speaker, but make sure to quote the strongest statements
• The best quote is placed highest in the text
Writing the Story
• Use the inverted-pyramid format• Use a summary lede• Second paragraph usually contains the
strongest quote– Make sure to identify where and when the speech
occurred
• Continue to develop the lead and introduce key points of the speech
Writing the Story
• For a news conference, it is likely that each reporter attending will have a different spin on the subject
• You do not need to write your article based on the chronological order of the conference – lede with the most “newsworthy” development
Writing the Story
• In covering public meetings, it is likely that a large part of the story is the reaction from the public or those impacted by the meeting (but not part of the board or council)
• Make sure to interview key participants and the public
• The “news” isn’t the meeting itself…it is what happens as a result of it
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