Inside the Press Conference: A Guide

When people think of ALAMAU, they think of committee sessions, placards, cool suits and big words (like moderated caucuses). However, there is a lot more that goes on behind-the-scenes, especially in our department. The Press Corps team documents conference experiences and presents them to you, our audience. In this edition of “Press…What?” series, we will be exploring a typical ALAMAU Press Conference looks like, through the lens of the Press Corps. Press Conferences are formal events where all delegates share the progress goes in their individual conferences. Running for 30 minutes in the afternoon, our team gears up 10 minutes in advance with pens, papers, questions and of course, the famous reflector jackets. Heading in the press room, you can have a lot of expectations: delegates will be on time, they will sound in their topic and you will not forget your news agency. Of course, not all of these will happen, but the unexpected prepares equips you to be versatile in your actions. When entering the press room, you have a few minutes to set up and you have to tick the following off your checklist: 1) Be attentive. Sometimes delegates will speak so fast and you may not fully what they are saying. But write down what you understand and then ask what you do not understand. 2) Ask as many questions as possible, but be reasonable whilst doing it. Imagine there is a massive audience behind you and they want to fully understand what the delegates just said. Your questions will help frame the conversation in the right way. Be sure to ask meaningful questions that add to the information gap. Do not ask questions that have an obvious answer but one that “improves upon the silence” 3) Don’t forget where you are from. Remember to announce your news agency before you speak. The Press Conference may not be a real one but it trains you in many aspects. You learn to listen, to ask questions and of course how to speak publically. Convinced to apply to the Press Corps committee yet? If not, don’t worry. Our next few posts will probably convince you! Stay tuned!