5 Tips For A Successful News Conference

News conferences might seem like a great way for public relations professionals to shine. Clients just love to stand behind a podium, smile for the TV cameras and make profound announcements. Who doesn’t like a happy client?

Problem is, most news conferences are a waste of time. Too much show and not enough news. Reporters, if they come at all, leave the room grumbling and vowing never again to drop everything to respond to your invitation.

If executed properly, however, news conference do have their place in a public relations professional’s arsenal. Following these tips to ensure maximum results:

Make Sure Your Client Has Something to Say. Too many times, news conferences are called only to stroke a client’s ego. Instead of actually imparting news, they turn into puff pieces or spin control opportunities. Reporters have BS detectors that go off at the slightest hint of crapola. Perhaps suggest a less formal news briefing as an alternative.

Prepare Your Client. Assuming you do have something important to announce, make sure your client is prepared for follow-up questions. Many times, we put time and energy into carefully-scripted opening remarks, and then watch in horror as the client gets a severe case of mush-mouth when the questions start flying. A good PR person can anticipate the most difficult questions and prepare the client with appropriate answers.

Provide Background. Reporters love backgrounders, fact sheets, prepared quotes, etc. It makes their job easier, especially on deadline and it can help eliminate those last minute calls for some obscure piece of information.

Check Your Technology. Check, double-check and triple-check every piece of equipment that will be used at the press conference. There’s nothing more embarrassing than having a microphone not work or a Power Point presentation go on the fritz just at the moment of truth.

Follow Up. As a PR professional, you should try to make contact with every reporter at some time before, during or after the news conference. Make sure they have your contact information and be available to answer their questions.

Here are a few other tips, courtesy of Leonard Saffir in “PR on a Budget”:

• Provide visual opportunities beyond people simply speaking at the podium;
• Have working units of new products available for the media to try;
• Provide enough mult box outlets to meet the media’s need for audio;
• Don’t favor networks over local affiliates, big newspapers over community newspapers, or electronic over print; everyone deserves equal treatment.
• Provide good visuals, which always get the best play.

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