We’ve all seen press conferences. We’ve all wondered how it would feel to be sat in the place of a well known politician, celebrity or athlete, and if we’d be able to answer the questions any better. Or maybe you’d prefer to be sat on the other side of the table; out of site of the camera but for a brief 10 seconds, all the attention is on you as you grill the person in question. How do you prepare for one? How do you even conduct yourself at the event? Here are some quick tips on how to navigate a press conference:
Why bother going to a press conference?
Press conferences are useful for well known individuals and organisations. Particularly if they have a significant following and people are interested in what they have to say. It helps ensure they are getting their message across clearly and directly. It helps them have some control over the narrative, how the public views them and to clear up any hearsay and rumours. It’s useful for journalists because all the information you need is in one place. It’s in a controlled environment and attendance is necessary to keep up with competitors as they’ll all be there.
Be Prepared
Make sure you know the ground rules ahead of time. Find out who will be speaking and when. Check who’s on the agenda and which other media outlets will be there. Find out who gets to ask questions. Make sure you coordinate with other journalists in regards to questions. Everyone is in the same position where no one really has much of an advantage over anyone else. Therefore it’s in the interests of all the journalists in attendance to work together to some degree. Make sure you’re respectful and politely persistent when you’re asking the questions.
Go the extra mile
Every journalist gets the same story at a press conference. They’re naturally one sided by design and you’re giving up some control to the conference holder. Unless you’re doing something different, you’ll get the same story as your competitors. You need to be doing more work in the background. Do reporting outside the conference and ask for a 1-on-1 interview if possible. Check out our guide on how to conduct a news interview.