Advocacy Toolkit

Media and Publicity

The Press Conference

The purpose of a press conference is to convene the media, release new information to them, to highlight an upcoming action, or call on Congress or another official to take action on your issue.

Generally, there are two types of press conferences - reactive and proactive. Reactive press conferences respond to breaking news, and proactive ones are done at your initiative to create or announce a story. It is important to make sure you have "news" to deliver. Otherwise, you risk damaging your reputation as a credible news source.

Setting it up

It is important to remember that reporters work under deadlines. The best time to hold a press conference is between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The best days to hold a press conference are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (the earlier the better!). Fridays tend to be poor news days because the story will end up in Saturday's paper, which has the lowest circulation. Mondays make it difficult to notify reporters of last minute changes because of the weekend.

If you are holding a reactive press conference, timing is of the essence. If you wait too long, you may miss being included in the story.

When organizing a press conference, remember to:

• Always send out press advisories [link to 6.6] to your media list [link to 6.1] ahead of time. A few days before your event is a good rule of thumb.
• Make reporter turnout calls to encourage participation and coverage on the day before and day of the event. (This is very important!)
• Line up your speakers in advance (no more than 4), review their statements, and have them approve any quotes attributed to them in the press release [link to 6.9]. The press release is distributed at the press conference, not before. Otherwise the press will not need to come to your event! Keep them waiting for your news!
• Make sure everyone understands their role and the message.
• Designate a moderator and create a detailed agenda.
• Select a site that is convenient and easy to access and, if possible, is relevant to your issue. Make accommodations for rain or snow if your event is out doors.
• Make sure the room is equipped for the broadcast media, for example electrical outlets and a multi-box. (A multi-box is what the sound techs plug their microphones into.) It is recommended that you have a sound or PA system and not megaphones.
• Have chairs for the reporters, a podium, and a microphone if necessary, coffee and/or food.
• Create press kits with a press release, information on your organization, speaker bios and background information. Have a press sign-in table with press kits and a sign-in sheet for reporters.

Have visuals (signs, charts, banner, etc). Put your organization's logo on the podium. Contact PHR to possibly borrow a banner

The Event

On the day of the event:

• You should arrive about one hour early to check the room.
• Have all your speakers arrive early so they can be briefed on the agenda, review their talking points and go over possible questions from reporters.
• Start the press conference on time and keep the agenda portion short and to the point (30 to 45 minutes). Allow ample time for questions and answers.
• The moderator should introduce all participants, work to keep the press conference on schedule, direct the reporters' questions to the appropriate person and officially close the press conference.
• Ask your speakers to be available for interviews or additional in-depth questions from the press after the press conference is over.
• After the press conference, fax the press release to those on your media list who did not attend.

Follow-up with reporters who attended the press conference. Ask them whether they need more information and when the story will be running.