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