3 5 Press Conference

The information occasion of the official business meeting of the leadership of the organizations with the media representatives - press conferences, may be the need to inform the general public about the achievements, innovations, adoption of new laws, programs, changes in the political or economic course, etc.

Journalists invited to the conference can quickly and professionally acquaint viewers, readers, listeners with the information that was provided to them by the organization’s management. True, this form of interaction with the public is often resorted to and, if necessary, to defend its rights, explain itself about any negative events, etc. In any case, the organizers of the press conference need to have communication and speech skills to build relationships with media representatives and convince them of the viability of their own policies, strategies, and specific actions.

Depending on the situation, a press conference can be held at the scene of the event (at the airport during the meeting of the distinguished guest, after the anniversary performance of the famous artist) or prepared in advance and held in a special place and at the agreed time.

A press conference is a meeting of officials (leaders, politicians, government officials, public relations specialists, businessmen, etc.) with representatives of the press, television, and radio to inform the general public on current corporate policy issues and organization strategies.

The psychological setting of the press conference is the formation (strengthening) of a positive reputation of a company, a party, a governing body, an enterprise, the establishment of friendly contacts with a mass target audience.

The communicative setting of this event is the provision of such information to the press, which works for the publicity of the company, organization, personality and to maintain the necessary level of PR (public relations).

The initiators of press conferences are usually the authorities, organizations, "important people", but they can also be held on the initiative of journalists interested in professional commentaries on certain events.

The main purpose of the press conference is to announce the point of view of the firm (organization) on some socially significant problem in the context of a strategic communication policy, maintaining an image, and conducting advertising campaigns.

The success of the press conference is ensured by careful conceptual and organizational preparation. At this stage, a particularly important role is assigned to the organization’s press service, PR managers, copywriters, and all those who prepare informational materials for their oral and written translation. The essence of their activity, especially in new, just entering the market companies and enterprises, is to prepare a series of informational messages, announcements, press releases and send them to the maximum number of media and information centers. Particularly effective is the distribution of such materials through the local press, where it is not always successful to “hunt” for the news and willingly receive them in finished form. In order to feel more confident, not only inform the press about the upcoming conference, but also come into contact with journalists.

Preparing a meeting with journalists can be helped by the answers to the following questions:

• What is the purpose and topic of the press conference?
• How many people should participate in it?
• Who must attend?
• Where should it be held?
• When should it be done?
• How long will it last?
• What should be foreseen and thought out in advance?

Here are the steps required to prepare a press conference:

1. Select the time and date of the event, taking into account the time of information coverage in the morning and evening newspapers, on radio and television. The day of the meeting is appointed, if there is a selection, so that there is no coincidence in time with other important public events that can distract the public from the ongoing press conference.
2. Inform the media in advance about the upcoming press conference - first by mail and then by phone. The notice should be clear, clear and contain the following:
   • subject (subject);
   • date, time and duration of the meeting;
   • location;
   • keynote speaker or informant;
   • the name and position of a PR specialist for a contact, his phone number;
   • some details convincing the editor of the expediency of covering the event.

The notice should reach the addressee 7-10 days before the press conference. A day before the meeting should make a phone call reminder.

1. For all those invited, it is necessary to prepare the necessary information or text of the report, as well as to prepare materials for distribution to those newspapers or magazines whose representatives will not be able to attend this event. Specialists of PR and press services usually combine all relevant materials into a “press kit” - a special folder or album, which is handed over during registration or transferred to the editorial board.
2. It is important to prepare in advance the information for the rapporteur, which includes all the relevant materials related to the report.
3. Consider the place and ways of registering arriving journalists, types of communication with those journalists who were not invited, but were interested in the topic of a press conference.

Use the opportunity to introduce a journalist to your company. When the time comes, they will write or tell about what they see and hear with a great understanding of the matter.

Do not forget that this type of communication does not imply any confidentiality. Among journalists there are always those who play not according to the rules, that is, asks questions that are not related to the press conference. It is necessary to provide such questions and, at least in general terms, prepare answers to them or explain their impossibility in a motivated way.

Role functions during a press conference are strictly marked. On the one hand, there are the “owners of the situation” - the leaders or key specialists of the company, enterprise, institution, which organizes a press conference. On the other hand, media representatives who want to get reliable news information "first-hand". The thesauruses, that is, the content of a personal conceptual apparatus on various topics, do not always coincide with the parties. In order to bring positions closer, establish a climate of goodwill, trust, mutual understanding, the organizers need to think over all the terms contained in the speeches and their adequate interpretation, not to use slang words and expressions in the answers, since this is unacceptable at a press conference. If there is a need to explain technical details or give technical specifications, it is better to entrust it to experts and specialists - they will ensure accuracy and clarity.

Where and how to hold a press conference?

It is recommended that a press conference be held in a special room: in a room for meetings, meetings, meetings, but not in someone’s office or in a large assembly hall, where everyone will look at each other’s backs or disperse throughout the huge space. which will create inconvenience for communication. Recently, it is fashionable to use administrative audiences or business centers in hotels for a press conference.

The room should have enough chairs for all participants. It is necessary to check the work of the supporting equipment - the meeting participants should be comfortable to take notes, listen and ask questions. For television teams it is necessary to prepare a place for camera placement in advance. For speakers, not only install microphones and voice recorders, but also check in advance the quality of their work, as well as prepare a place for their placement.

For the speakers, tent cards should be prepared with their names and surnames written so that they can be read from the farthest row in the hall (first name - in larger letters, and below - position). All members of the PR team, if there is one, should have badges with their own names for more effective communication with them.

Experts recommend holding a press conference for no more than 60 minutes. Its duration must be announced in advance - so that journalists know how much time they have for questions and how long they will be busy.

Shortly before the end of the conference, you should let the audience know about it, announcing for example that the next question will be the last.

In the practice of holding press conferences, a certain structure has developed :

Introduction (duration 3-4 minutes);

• greeting;
• explanation of the reasons for;
• program;
• presentation of speakers;
• information on materials submitted to the press in writing (press kit).

Speakers should be no more than two or three, with a maximum report or message of 10 minutes for each. Discussion with the prospect of holding personal conversations, if this is, for example, a press conference before the exhibition or fair (the stipulated time is no more than 30 minutes).

For any press conference there are certain rules for. Here are some of them:

• The speaker usually reads a brief statement stating the reasons for holding the meeting.
• Reporters are invited to ask questions to the speaker (there are one or two experts nearby who may need him to answer special questions).
• Questions are asked in turn.
• Professional standards assume that reporters will stick to the announced topic.
• If the questions are exhausted, it is proposed to go to the informal part of the program (demonstrations of new products, cultural program, buffet).

The press conference is one of the most important events in the business policy of organizations, since the response from its holding can dramatically change the vector of public attitude to the organization, its activities, products, etc. A huge responsibility falls on the main person - the program leader. And the main emphasis should be placed on his ability to establish contact with the audience, to conduct a beautiful and competent dialogue, to have those present present to the speakers.

It is no secret that few of the employees of institutions, enterprises, and firms have the art of eloquence. If it’s difficult to find someone in the team who can conduct a high-quality press conference, you can contact a special agency or invite a television announcer, an artist, just a person with impeccable diction, “sense of the situation”, ability to escape from the impending conflict and finally a sense of humor . Finding a presenter is the task of a PR specialist, and he is also charged with preparing speeches for keynote speakers, working out these speeches in form and content.

The following tips will guide the press conference.

1. Do not exaggerate and always call a spade a spade.
2. Show respect to your competitors, political opponents, ill-wishers.
3. Do not seek to convince others that success is your personal achievement, remember your team and all those who worked for success.
4. Avoid disputes, as well as give monosyllabic answers like "yes", "no", "no comments".
5. Do not touch those whose coverage in the press is undesirable for you.
6. Do not show prejudice or hostility towards any of your guests.
7. Slow down the pace of the questions asked, more thoroughly complementing the answers to some of them.
8. Avoid getting you into arguments or debates.
9. Do not try to throw in any direction any negative remark. It will be used by someone.
10. Try to limit the meeting to thirty minutes.
11. Start on time (+ 5-10 minutes within the scheduled time). Finish in time.
12. After the end of the press conference, immediately delete.
13. Do not settle for an additional meeting with any of the reporters, explain this by saying that it is unethical for one of the journalists to have a private press conference with the speaker.

Traditionally, language formulations of certain communicative acts of the press conference have been formed. Unfortunately, today many businessmen, and journalists like to flaunt fashionable words, neologisms, drawn from foreign languages ​​and lexical bases, artificially created on the Internet. For a self-respecting participant of the press conference and other official events, a competent speech is a business card emphasizing the level of his culture and professionalism.

Starting events in the conference management system, it is useful to learn some speech patterns that guarantee the success of the perception of all speeches.

In many organizations, especially in state institutions, speech stamps in holding meetings, conversations, conferences, and negotiations have been preserved. However, time dictates its own rules. Today it is fashionable to conduct business conversations without the use of stationery, dry speech stamps, erased phrases. And how to get rid of them? Yes, simply, without going beyond the framework of the official conversation, try to diversify your speech, taking into account the possible reaction of the audience. Let's give some examples.

Summing up all the known aspects of the preparation and holding of the press conference, we will repeat once again certain points.

Successful holding of such an event requires a significant news occasion for the media, reliable informational materials that can be presented to the editorial board before and after the conference, a well-prepared presenter who has the necessary information and the art of eloquence.

All speakers should have communicative speech skills of communication with the press, confidence in the interest of guests in the subject matter, good professional knowledge.

As a rule, press conferences, like other business meetings, end with an unofficial part, but the “owners of the situation” should in no way allow media representatives to be interested only in a feast, a cultural program, and not discussed during the official parts of the problem.

LITERATURE

Gorkina, M. B., Mamontov, A. A., Mann, I. B. PR at 100%: How to become a good PR manager. - M., 2005

Lvov M.R. Rhetoric. Speech culture: A manual for students of humanitarian faculties of universities. - M., 2002

Markicheva, TB, Nozhin, EA Mastery of public speaking. Tutorial. - M., 1989

Fundamentals of communication theory: Textbook / ed. Prof. M.A. Vasilik. - M., 2003

Panfilova A.P. Business communication in professional activities. Textbook.- M., 2001