Press Corps - Harvard Model United Nations

Press Corps 


Table of Contents 

Introduction 5 

Media Types 5 

Content Types 7 

Beats 8 

Committee Procedures 9 

Final Thoughts 10 

Writing Supplement 

How Reporters Will be Evaluated 11 

Tips for Reporters 11 

Sample Article 12 

Innovation and Technology 

Specialized Agencies 

1


Harvard Model United Nations 2012 

A Letter from the Secretary-General 

Dear Delegates, 

Hunter M. Richard 

Secretary-General 

Stephanie N. Oviedo 

Director-General 

Ana Choi 

Under-Secretary-General 

Administration 

Ainsley Faux 


Business 

Alexandra M. Harsacky 

Comptroller 

Sofia Hou 



Juliana Cherston 


General Assembly 

S. Ethan Lyle 


Economic and Social Council 

Charlene S. Wong 



I could not be more honored to welcome you to the fifty-ninth session of Harvard Model 

United Nations. Our entire staff of 205 Harvard undergraduates is eager to join with you 

this January at the Sheraton Boston for an exciting weekend of debate, diplomacy, and 

cultural exchange. You and your 3,000 fellow delegates join a long legacy of individuals 

passionate about international affairs and about the pressing issues confronting our World. 

Founded in 1927 as Harvard Model League of Nations, our organization has evolved 

into one of America’s oldest, largest, and most international United Nations simulations. 

Drawing from this rich history, Harvard Model United Nations has strived to emphasize 

and promote the unique impact of the UN and its mandates in the eradication of humanity’s 

greatest problems. Despite its difficulties and often-unfortunate image in the press, the 

United Nations is truly a global body with representation of 193-member states and is the 

closest the World has ever achieved to a “Parliament of Man.” 

At HMUN, we strive to recreate this body and the international environment it fosters 

through our emphasis on welcoming more and more international delegations to our 

conference each year. For the fifty-ninth session, HMUN is proud to welcome delegations 

from over 35 countries to share their experiences with others from across the World. Not 

only can you debate global issues in committee, but also discuss the China-US relations with 

a delegate hailing from Shanghai or EU economic policy with a delegate from Germany. I 

encourage you to go above and beyond research and discussions within your committee to 

learn from your fellow delegates. 

In this guide, you are about to embark on a valuable intellectual endeavor. Your committee 

director has worked tirelessly to research and compile this extensive background guide. 

Please use it as a foundation in your own research for committee and to contribute to 

your debates and final resolutions. I wish you the best of luck in your preparation and in 

committee this January. 

Sincerely, 

59 Shepard Street, Box 205 

Cambridge, MA 02138 

Voice: (617)-398-0772 

Fax: (617) 588-0285 

Email: info@harvardmun.org 

www.harvardmun.org 




secgen@harvardmun.org 

22 Innovation Specialized and Technology Agencies



Dear Delegates of Press Corps, 





Ana Choi 



Ainsley Faux 


Business 


Comptroller 

Sofia Hou 






S. Ethan Lyle 






Welcome to the Press Corps Program of Harvard Model United Nations 2011! It is my 

honor to have you all in one of the most innovative committees at HMUN. Having read 

all of your Special Applications, I am confident that not only will you bring creativity 

and passion to the conference, but you will also enjoy your four days here as Press Corps 

reporters. 

The Press Corps at HMUN is truly a unique committee. You will get the opportunity to 

interact with every other committee, use cutting technology to create videos and blogs, 

and get to know the staff behind the scenes of HMUN 2012. There is no comparison in 

terms of committee dynamism. From interviewing delegates and directors, to holding press 

conferences, to writing up opinion and news pieces, to photography and using the cuttingedge 

GreenScreen technology, Press Corps has it all. 

But most importantly, you will provide the media coverage for the entire conference. 

Through the Press Corps website, all the delegates, staff, and faculty advisors will be able to 

follow the most recent events. 

The Press Corps staff has also been working tremendously hard over the past months to 

make the delegate experience truly spectacular. They bring their own experience and passion 

to Press Corps and are fully committed to making this year’s Press Corps the best Press 

Corps. 

When reading this study guide, I urge delegates to go beyond in terms of scope - be it 

researching a committee beforehand or staying on top of the current news. As always, please 

feel free to ask me any questions before the conference. I look forward to seeing you in 

Boston in January. 

Sincerely, 

Sofia Hou 



Voice: (617)-398-0772 

Fax: (617) 588-0285 



Sofia Hou 

Under-Secretary-General for Innovation and Technology 

297 Winthrop Mail Center 

Cambridge MA, 02138 

subsup@harvardmun.org 


3



Dear Reporters, 





Ana Choi 



Ainsley Faux 


Business 


Comptroller 

Sofia Hou 






S. Ethan Lyle 






My name is Varun Bansal, and I am pleased to have the honor of welcoming you to Harvard Model 

United Nations 2012, and to the HMUN Press Corps. I am looking forward to an exciting and 

enriching experience at conference in January. 

Before we begin, a bit on me: I am a junior at Harvard, and am studying applied mathematics with 

a focus in economics. I am originally from around Washington, D.C., and have been participating 

in MUN since my freshman year of high school. Beyond MUN, I am Co-Editor-in-Chief of the 

Harvard International Review, a magazine on international affairs sold in over 75 countries across 

the world. 

Though all committees at HMUN are exciting, the Press Corps is going to be one of the best experiences 

imaginable. I am particularly excited to run the Press Corps this year as we are deeply 

integrating technology into the Press Corps, and the Press Corps into conference. As a reporter, you 

are promised an unparalleled experience in the subtle sciences of communication and persuasion. 

With direct access to electronic feeds streaming across the hotel and the latest technology, you will 

constitute one of the most connected and widely-read Press Corps in Model UN history. The work 

that you produce will be read or viewed instantly across conference. With the choice of creating 

written, photographic, drawn, or video content, you have the flexibility to catch and hold people’s 

attention. You will be able to interview delegates, interrogate delegates at press conferences, pry secrets 

from delegates and leak them to the public, and spy on unmoderated caucuses to get the latest 

news possible. Your substantive role is tremendous. With one well-written stroke of the pen and an 

artfully framed press leak, you can single-handedly change the outcome of debate in a committee. 

But it’s not all work and serious matters. In between driving debate across conference, you will be 

able to write for HMUN’s blog, “The Unmoderated Caucus,” and discuss everything from delegate 

fashion to creative ways to circumvent the rules of procedure. 

Before we begin, it is helpful to come into conference with a basic idea of what is expected. In this 

guide, you will find information on how committee will be run, which beats you will have the option 

of covering, and what media will be used by the Press Corps during the conference. If you have 

any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me at presscorps@harvardmun.org, and I 

will be happy to assist. I look forward to meeting you at conference! 

Best, 

Varun Bansal 

Varun Bansal 

Director of Press Corps 



Voice: (617)-398-0772 

Fax: (617) 588-0285 



presscorps@harvardmun.org 




Introduction 

In most countries across the world, the presence 

of the press serves as an equalizer of society. Bringing 

information to all and throwing light upon closed portions 

of society, the press has been and is a transformative part 

of modern society. Most significantly, as far as we are 

concerned, the press serves a vital role in connecting citizens 

and governing bodies. By freely reporting on the happenings 

of those in power, the press serves as a vital source of data, 

providing citizens with the information they need to hold 

their leaders accountable and to advance society through 

responsible governance. Similarly, on the international level, 

the press keeps our global governing bodies accountable 

and helps to inform the world of current events. Just as 

importantly, the press significantly influences the course 

of debate, as leaders themselves also consume news media. 

Reporters thereby hold a powerful position within society, 

their stories helping to shape the outcomes. Everything - 

from deciding upon the subject, to publishing opinion pieces, 

to selecting footage - influences society and leaders. 

Just as on the global stage, the Press Corps plays 

a valuable role at HMUN. It is your responsibility, as a 

reporter at HMUN, to report fairly, accurately, and quickly 

on the proceedings of the committees. The information 

you publish will ensure that no committees are conducting 

undesirable business, from crooked decisions to taking 

actions that squash human rights. A video you record might 

single-handedly expose a committee’s doings. A press leak 

could cripple a country’s security cabinet. A press conference 

could change the course of debate and push a particular 

resolution to passage. 

As a reporter at HMUN, you will be in the thick of 

the action and will be embedded deep within the HMUN 

simulation. The moment you arrive at HMUN, you are 

a reporter for the Press Corps—something you shouldn’t 

forget. Remember that you are covering the conference from 

the perspective of actual reporters covering the doings of 

the actual United Nations, not from the perspective of high 

school students covering a MUN conference. This means 

that your coverage probably will not refer to “HMUN” but 

instead will treat the committees and conference as if it were 

the actual United Nations. 

There is one exception—the blog. As in the past, the 

HMUN Press Corps blog, The Unmoderated Caucus, is a 

free-for-all forum for you to showcase your more creative 

side. From interesting clothing choices to overheating 


committee rooms, this is your chance to highlight your 

more creative side. Most important, here, however, is the 

reporting on the committees themselves. 

As a member of the Press Corps, you will undeniably have 

one of the richest experiences of any HMUN attendee. You 

might find yourself sprinting to a committee room after a 

tip-off of a delegate shouting match, fiercely interrogating a 

delegate during a press conference, or meeting a delegate in 

an isolated corner of the hotel as they whisper state secrets 

to you. Whatever you do, never forget the immense role you 

play in HMUN and across the world. As Adlai Stevenson, 

former Vice President of the United States, once said, “The 

free press is the mother of all our liberties and of our 

progress under liberty.” 

Media Types 

News organizations around the world are in the 

midst of a transition from traditional, print-based media 

to more digital media, ranging from websites to television 

broadcasts to smartphone apps. In keeping with (and ahead 

of) the times, the Press Corps has a wide range of media 

through which you can communicate news. Traditional 

broadsheet newsprint will not be used; instead, in an 

effort to reduce wasteful paper consumption, written news 

pieces will be published online and beamed to the news 

tickers placed throughout the conference center. Some 

television monitors across the hotel will also be displaying 

our homepage. Reporters can create videos (to be played 

continuously across the hotel), take photos, create visual 

graphics (e.g. political cartoons), blog on the website, and 

engage in social media (e.g. Twitter). 

More detailed tips, details, and requirements are 

provided in the supplement to this study guide. It is highly 

recommended that all reporters review the supplement in 

addition to this study guide. 

5


Written Content 

As mentioned previously, the majority of the 

content the Press Corps produces is likely to be written 

(similar to what might be found in a traditional newspaper), 

and published primarily on our website. The advantage 

of written pieces is their extreme flexibility and ease of 

production. A written piece can be anything—an interview, 

a normal news story covering proceedings and events, or 

a quick news blurb. A quality piece should feature quotes 

and interviews and relevant facts about the situation. They 

answer the basic facts needed to comprehend an event: 

What’s going on? Who are the key players in committee? 

What are the consequences of what’s happening in 

committee? Is everyone in agreement or are there many 

dissenting opinions? A danger of reporting is to misrepresent 

the situation or get your facts wrong. Learning the context 

of a situation is important. So for instance, reporters will 

be expected to sit in on at least part of a committee session 

to gather background information and interview delegates 

for their articles. In some cases, a reporter will have to be 

present for an entire committee session in order to gather 

enough information to file a story, and in other instances, 

a reporter may only need to be present for an hour or so; it 

depends on the content of the piece being produced. 

Once a reporter has enough background 

information and quotes, he will write up his story on 

a computer in the Press Corps room or in an HMUN 

computer lab or using his personal laptop 1 and submit it for 

editing and posting on the HMUN media website. There 

are no length requirements for written pieces; reporters 

should simply strive to convey as much useful information as 

possible given the time constraints they will be facing. The 

exception is if a reporter would like an item to be added to 

the conference-wide news tickers or to the scrolling news bar 

on the video feeds across the hotel. 

Video 

Press Corps reporters will also have the option 

to work with various non-print media throughout the 

conference. The press room will be equipped with video 

cameras that reporters can use to record news broadcasts that 

will be posted on the HMUN media website. Broadcasts 

can be recorded either in front of a green screen, so that 

reporters can choose the backdrop for their broadcast to be 

digitally added, or on-location anywhere in the hotel, so long 

as the reporters do not interfere with committee sessions. 

1 Press Corps reporters may use their laptops if they own a 

laptop. However, laptops may only be used in the Press Corps room. Laptops 

cannot be WiFi connected, even in the Press Corps room. Remember 

that other delegates in other committees are not allowed to use their 

laptops. If you do not own or do not plan on bringing your laptop, we 

will have plenty of computers available in both the Press Corps room 

and in HMUN computer labs. 

Reporters can also use video cameras to record B-roll (that 

is, background footage) to include in broadcasts, again 

making sure not to disrupt committee sessions. Reporters 

using video will be expected to write out a script for their 

broadcast so that the news report is delivered fluidly and 

professionally. 

There is a lot of room for creativity in producing 

videos, and reporters should feel free to explore diverse 

content options in their broadcasts. For instance, broadcasts 

may be done as solo, stand-up reports, or reporters may wish 

to interview delegates on camera. Reporters might choose 

to have a particularly well-versed delegate provide some facts 

and statistics for the news report, or it might be interesting 

to interview two delegates with different views on an issue. 

If a reporter plans to interview a delegate in a video piece, 

the reporter should have a list of questions prepared, and 

the delegate should be informed of the general subject of the 

questions prior to the interview. 

After filming of a video spot is complete, the reporters will 

work with the Press Corps staff to edit the broadcast and 

upload it to the HMUN media website. Reporters and 

committee staff will be using iMovie to edit video, and 

though some knowledge of this software may be useful, it is 

by no means required of reporters. 

Photography 

HMUN reporters can also be photojournalists and 

will take photographs of committee sessions throughout 

the conference. These photos will be uploaded to the 

HMUN media website and will also serve as visual 

aids accompanying the print pieces published on the 

site. Remember, photojournalists are part of the HMUN 

simulation as well, and their photographs should be of a 

professional nature. The majority of photos should be 

candid shots of delegates doing something interesting in the 

committee room: engaging in formal and informal debate, 

raising placards, writing working papers, etc. Generally, the 

subjects of the photograph shouldn’t be looking directly at 



the camera; otherwise the picture may look staged. 

Although HMUN may be able to provide some cameras, 

reporters who have digital cameras should bring them to 

the conference, along with any cables for uploading to 

computers. Reporters are responsible for their own cameras 

for the entire conference, as HMUN cannot reimburse 

reporters for lost or damaged cameras. 

Visual graphics 

Reporters also have the option of producing 

original, creative visual content for publication alongside 

print material and as standalone features on the HMUN 

media website. Examples of this kind of content would be 

political cartoons, sketches of committee proceedings (some 

committees may forbid photography, forcing a reporter to 

rely upon a drawing or sketch to circumvent such rules), data 

visualizations (e.g. graphs and displays of poll data), or any 

other visual graphic. 

Blog 

While most of the content produced by reporters 

will be of a substantive nature, the Press Corps will keep a 

blog throughout the conference called The Unmoderated 

Caucus. As the name suggests, this blog will be a free forum 

for reporters to post creative, humorous, witty, critical, or 

just plain gossipy conference updates. Reporters can make a 

list of the best-dressed delegates, or publish a guide of DOs 

and DON’Ts for the delegate dance. They can write about 

loopholes in the committee rules of procedures, or make a 

list of MUN-related pick-up lines. Anything goes, reporters 

should just remember to keep it positive and appropriate, as 

Press Corps staff will edit all blog posts. 

Other media 

The Press Corps also has use of news tickers, 

televisions, and other displays across the hotel to display 

our news. For instance, the news tickers can display short 

phrases, such as crises unfolding in committees, the passage 

of a resolution, etc. In this way, news can be disseminated 

immediately, while more lengthy articles, videos, and other 

media are being created. Further details on these other 

media will be explained at conference. 

Content Types 

In addition to classifying a Press Corps item by the 

type of media it uses, it can also be classified by the type 

of work it is. Though the types of content a reporter can 

produce are limitless, this guide will briefly summarize three 

different types to serve as a reference point for other content 

types. 

News pieces 

The most fundamental type of content the Press 

Corps produces is a news piece. This is simply a factual 

article that should contain quotes, pertinent information, 

Social media 

The Press Corps will have a Twitter account 

(HMUNpress) that we will use to keep conference attendees 

informed of news updates throughout the conference, and 

reporters should always be on the lookout for interesting 

items to tweet about. For instance, a committee setting its 

first agenda topic may not warrant a full news article, but it 

is still interesting enough to merit a brief tweet informing 

people about what that committee will be discussing for the 

next day. If a delegate says something funny or profound 

in a speech, that would be tweet worthy too. Remember, 

tweets should be informative, amusing, or both. The Press 

Corps staff will explain the procedures for updating the 

Twitter account at the conference. 


and timely facts. Further details on how to write a good 

news piece are included in the supplement. 

Opinion 

Reporters will also be able to participate in the 

debates taking place in the committee rooms by writing 

opinion pieces. As with news stories, reporters working on 

opinion pieces will be expected to sit in on at least part of 

a committee session to gather the necessary background 

information to formulate a coherent argument. A good 

opinion piece will present a strong thesis in the opening 

paragraphs and will support that thesis with evidence-based 

arguments. An opinion piece is only as good as its thesis, 

so it’s imperative that reporters put a lot of thought into the 

argument they will be making. For example, “The Security 

Council passed a bad resolution,” is too vague and would 

7


not be an appropriate thesis, while, “The Security Council 

passed an unfair resolution that imposes unreasonable 

economic sanctions on Iran,” is a much more interesting 

thesis, and one would expect that the rest of a column with 

that thesis would go on to argue exactly why the economic 

sanctions imposed on Iran are unfair. 

In many cases, it will be necessary for reporters 

writing opinion pieces to interview delegates for background 

information and quotations, but keep in mind that the 

primary purpose of an opinion column is to argue a position, 

not to inform readers, so only information and quotations 

relevant to a reporter’s argument should be included in 

an opinion piece. As reporters will be operating under 

deadlines, opinion columns need not be longer than 400 

words, but reporters should feel flexible to write as much or 

as little as they choose, depending on the subject matter and 

time constraints. 

Beats 

Simply put, a beat is a topic or region that a reporter 

is responsible for covering. News agencies assign their 

reporters to beats so that no story gets too much or too little 

coverage. 

For the purposes of this conference, there are three 

beats that a reporter may be assigned to: General Assembly, 

Economic and Social Council & Regional Bodies, and the 

Specialized Agencies. As discussed in the “Committee 

Procedures” section below, reporters will rotate beats 

throughout the conference, so that all reporters will have the 

opportunity of covering all three substantive organs. Within 

each beat are eight or nine different committees. Reporters 

are encouraged to visit the HMUN website to learn more 

about each committee (harvardmun.org). 


Disarmament and International Security Committee 

World Health Organization 

Economic and Financial Committee 

Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee 

Special Political and Decolonization Committee 

Legal Committee 

Futuristic General Assembly 

World Trade Organization 

United Nations Special Summit on Peacekeeping 

Economic and Social Council and Regional Bodies 

UN Human Rights Council 

UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural 

Organization 

UN High Commissioner for Refugees 

Organization of American States 

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 

African Union 

European Union 

Historical League of Nations 

Commission on Population and Development, 2100 

Non-Governmental Organizations 


A quick note on Specialized Agencies committees: 

In real life, the Security Council often has closed-door 

meetings at which the press is not allowed, and for various 

historical and practical reasons, it does not really make 

sense for members of the press to be present at many of 

the other Specialized Agencies’ meetings. Therefore, there 

will be strict rules about when reporters are permitted to 

enter certain Specialized Agencies committees. That does 

not mean, however, that reporters covering the Specialized 

Agencies will not have much to do. Quite to the contrary, 

this year at HMUN, reporters will play an integral role in 

the crisis simulation. Reporters will often be leaked sensitive 

information that they must turn into a story to be published 

online in minutes, and reporters might even be called upon 

to broadcast breaking news live to delegates. Just as the 

Specialized Agencies brings real-time crises to delegates at 

HMUN, reporters covering the Specialized Agencies will 

find themselves very much immersed in these crises. 

Security Council 

African Court on Human and People’s Rights 

Ad-Hoc Summit on the Aftermath of the Japanese 

Earthquake 

General People’s Committee of Libyan Arab 

Jamahiriya, 2011 

Council of Ministers of Colombia, 2010 

Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, 1853 

Council of Pompey the Great 


JCC: Supreme Defense Council of the Islamic 

Republic of Iran, 1980 

JCC: Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council, 1980 

Committee Procedures 

For obvious reasons, Press Corps will not operate 

like any of the other committees at HMUN. Though 

the press room will serve as our committee’s headquarters, 

reporters can expect to spend most of the conference visiting 

committee rooms, conducting interviews throughout the 

hotel, and writing stories. This section will explain how this 

unique committee will be run during the conference. 

Represented News Agencies 

Just as delegates in committee take on the role of 

a particular nation, reporters will be representing a news 

agency for the duration of the conference. Unlike in most 

committees where a delegate is expected to express the policy 

of his nation, however, reporters should not feel obligated 

to report the news as their agency might like them to. That 

is to say, a reporter working for FOX News would not be 

expected to include conservative spin in his story, and a 

reporter working for The Times of India Group should not 

write stories only about India. Reporters are assigned to 

an agency to enrich the simulation—and they should do 

some background research on their assigned agency—but 

reporters should feel free to be independent journalists at the 

conference. News agencies represented at HMUN 2011 will 

be: 

Agence France-Presse 

Al-Jazeera 

Baltic News Service 

BBC News 

Bloomberg L.P. 

BNO News 

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 

CNN 

Deutsche Presse-Agentur 

El Pais 

Folha de S. Paulo 

Komsomolskaya Pravda 

Le Figaro 

Le Monde 

New York Times 

Reuters 

Sky News 

Straits Times 

The Daily Beast 

The Daily Nation 

The Huffington Post 


The Times of India Group 

Washington Post 

Xinhua News Agency 

Yomiuri Shimbun 


How Beats and Media Will Be Covered and Assigned 

At the beginning of every committee session, 

reporters will meet in the press room with the Press Corps 

staff. When committee meets for the first time on Thursday 

evening, after brief introductions, staff will ask reporters 

for their preferences as to what types of content they are 

interested in producing over the course of the conference. 

Specifically, staff will ask if reporters are interested in 

(1) taking photographs or producing visual graphics, (2) 

writing for the blog, (3) producing video content, or (4) 

going to committees to produce news-based or opinion 

pieces. Generally, every reporter will spend most of the 

conference doing option (4), a fair bit of time doing option 

(3), and positions (1) and (2) will be rotated to accommodate 

as many reporters who wish to blog and take photographs/ 

produce graphics as possible. 

Based on these preferences, reporters will be 

entered into a live algorithm that takes into account your 

preferences. Based on the outcomes of the lottery, for each 

committee session Press Corps staff will assign two or three 

reporters to be photographers and one or two reporters to 

be videographers who will go to different committee rooms 

taking pictures and video. Reporters should not hesitate to 

call or text a photographer or cameraman throughout the 

session to make sure that there is a photograph or video to 

go with their news pieces (see a note on cell phone usage 

in “Rules and Policies for Reporters”). For each committee 

session, staff will also designate two or three bloggers, who 

will write posts for The Unmoderated Caucus. 

The rest of the Press Corps will be assigned to a 

beat: General Assembly, Economic and Social Council & 

Regional Bodies, or Specialized Agencies. Beats will be 

rotated throughout the conference, so that every reporter 

can expect to cover each beat at least once. After these 

assignments are made, each beat will meet with a member 

of the Press Corps staff to devise a plan for which reporters 

are responsible for covering which specific committees. 

Reporters will then be released to cover their committees. 

By about an hour into each committee session, every reporter 

(except those assigned to be photographers, cameramen, 

and bloggers) should have come to the press room with 

an update about what type of content (s)he would like to 

produce. As described in the “Media and Content” section, 

there are three main options: (1) a short-form news piece, (2) 

an opinion piece, or (3) a video broadcast. The majority of 

content should fall into category (1), but at various points 

9


throughout the conference, reporters should certainly 

consider experimenting with (2) and (3). Note that creating 

a video broadcast is different from being a cameraman; 

when you create a video broadcast, you will be producing the 

actual content (e.g. by being the interviewer, reading a script, 

etc.). When you are a cameraman, your function is similar 

to a photographer, and you will wander conference capturing 

moments on video. Reporters will be assigned a deadline, 

by which time they are expected to have finished their 

piece. So that not all content goes onto the website at once, 

deadlines will be staggered throughout committee sessions. 

Reporters who finish an assignment before their deadline 

should spend their spare time working on press-related items: 

writing for the blog, taking pictures, assisting other reporters, 

or getting a head start on their next story. 

Press Conferences 

At various points throughout the conference, crisis 

committees may call press conferences. Reporters will 

receive notice when a press conference has been called, and 

they will be summoned to the press room to prepare. Press 

Corps staff will give reporters some background information 

on the circumstances surrounding the press conference, and 

then a delegate from the relevant committee will provide his 

prepared statement to the press. Reporters will then have 

the opportunity to ask questions of the delegate. Good 

questions should either try to elicit additional, relevant 

information from the delegate or should challenge the 

delegate on a controversial aspect of his statement. It’s the 

job of the press to ask the difficult questions, so reporters 

should challenge delegates on any items that are unclear at 

the press conference. 

Following the press conference, reporters working 

on the relevant beat will file stories about the event, while all 

other reporters will return to their previous business. 

Rules and Policies for Reporters 

Because of the unique nature of this committee, 

there are several rules and guidelines specific to the Press 

Corps that reporters should be aware of: 

1. Every reporter should carry a working cell phone. As 

reporters will be away from the press room covering 

different committees, Press Corps staff will use these to 

stay in touch and to summon reporters to the press room 

if necessary. Reporters may also find it useful to use 

their phone to communicate with each other as stories 

break. Reporters should be courteous to delegates and 

committee staff with cell phone use. Reporters should 

not talk on cell phones in committee rooms—phones 

should be used in the hallways, preferably away from 

the committee doors—and if reporters must text in a 

committee room, they should do so discretely. 

2. Reporters should bring digital cameras if they are able to. 

Reporters should have their cameras at all times, as they 

might come in handy when one would least expect it. 

Also, reporters should watch their cameras carefully, as 

HMUN is not responsible for lost or damaged cameras. 

3. General Assembly as well as Economic and Social 

Council & Regional Bodies committees are always 

open for reporters, while some Specialized Agencies 

committees may be off-limits at various times. 

Reporters should strictly adhere to the Press Corps 

staff’s instructions as to which committees are not to be 

covered. 

4. Reporters should be respectful of all delegates and 

committee staff and should not disrupt committee 

sessions in any way. Interviews should be conducted 

either during unmoderated caucuses or outside of the 

committee room. Reporters should follow the directions 

of all HMUN staff members. 

5. Reporters are permitted to use personal laptops inside 

the Press Corps room only. However, permission must 

be granted to use a laptop inside the Press Corps room 

by Press Corps staff at the start of each committee 

session. Laptops may not be used outside the Press 

Corps room, and non-Press Corps delegates may not 

use laptops in the Press Corps room. Computers with 

internet will be provided to all reporters for use. 

Final Thoughts 

Press Corps will provide reporters with many 

opportunities for creativity, and it will give students a chance 

to experience MUN from a different perspective. While 

Press Corps does not operate like any of the other HMUN 

committees, the basic principles of the other committees 

still apply: Reporters can expect to be busy, to learn a lot, to 

actively participate in the simulation, and to have fun. 

This study guide should have given you a good idea of what 

types of content you will be expected to produce during the 

conference, and it also should have given a rough outline of 

how committee will be run (the details of which will quickly 



become clear once the conference begins). It is recommended 

that reporters also review the supplement to the study 

guide. If you have any questions, about anything relating 

to Press Corps, please feel free to email us at presscorps@ 

harvardmun.org. We are looking forward to seeing you at 

the conference in January! 

Writing Supplement 

How Reporters Will Be Evaluated 

As in all other HMUN committees, evaluations 

of reporters will not be based on any rigid numerical 

grading system, but will be a holistic approach in which the 

following criteria are taken into consideration: 

1. Did the reporter submit at least three quality pieces (of 

any combination of media)? 

2. Did the reporter produce a diverse portfolio of content 

over the course of the conference? 

3. Did the reporter produce interesting news pieces that 

were informative, well-written, and included appropriate 

content and quotations? 

4. Were the facts included in a reporter’s piece accurate and 

presented in an unbiased manner? 

5. Did the reporter adhere to deadlines set by the Press 

Corps staff? If the reporter did miss a deadline, did he 

inform Press Corps staff ahead of time and make every 

effort to complete his work in a timely manner? 

6. If a reporter had an early deadline, did he spend 

the remainder of committee time doing productive 

Press Corps-related activities (e.g. blogging, taking 

photographs, helping other reporters, getting a head 

start on his next deadline, etc.)? 

7. Did the reporter adhere to the style guide in producing 

his pieces? (Don’t worry if you make an occasional 

minor mistake, such as a grammatical error here and 

there, but pieces should generally be of professional 

quality.) 

8. Was the reporter responsive to the advice and directions 

of the Press Corps staff? 

Tips for Reporting 

Closer to the conference, reporters will receive an 

HMUN style guide with general conventions for using 

grammar, spelling, and punctuation in their articles. These 

will generally adhere to the AP style guidelines, and the 

Press Room will have a few copies of the AP Stylebook on 

hands for reporters to reference. 


In the meantime, here are some tips that reporters 

should keep in mind as they prepare to report on the 

conference: 

1. News pieces—be they print or video—should be 

ideologically neutral and should only report the facts. 

Any commentary in these pieces should come from the 

individuals being interviewed and not from the reporter 

himself. Remember, if a reporter has very strong views 

on an issue being discussed in committee, he can write 

an opinion piece instead. 

2. Accuracy is crucial. Be sure to quote delegates accurately, 

spell names of delegates and countries correctly, and 

check your facts online before your print them. 

3. The introduction of an article (also called the “lede”) 

should grab readers’ attention. If a story is more lighthearted, 

the lede should be clever or pithy, while if a 

story is more serious, the lede should give the main idea 

of what happened. After the lede, include the most 

important details towards the front end of the story, and 

expand upon them as necessary. 

4. In general, it’s best to use short sentences and short 

paragraphs. Each sentence should be concise and 

convey some new information, and often in news 

writing, paragraphs will contain only one sentence. 

Reporters should read news articles in preparation for 

the conference to get a feel of the writing style. 

5. All news pieces should be written in the third person, 

while opinion pieces can use some second- or firstperson 

phrases. 

6. Interviews are key to a good news story. Try to pick 

delegates who seem to be very active or who have 

provided either interesting or unusual perspectives. 

Remember, the dais staff of committees could also be 

interviewed and may provide an interesting angle for 

your story. 

7. Always introduce yourself when you conduct an 

interview. Let your subject know that you’re a member 

of the press and that they are speaking on-the-record. 

(That is, what they say might be quoted and appear in 

your story.) 

8. Get a diverse set of interviews for every story. If you 

only interview one person, your article is likely to seem 

one-sided, boring, or both. Generally, aim for having at 

least three interviews in all your articles. 

9. Prepare questions for an interview ahead of time. It can 

be tough to think on your feet sometime when you have 

to keep coming up with new questions. Don’t feel that 

you have to stick to the list of questions you’ve prepared 

ahead of time though. Feel free to engage the interview 

subject in a discussion and ask follow-up questions. 

10. Don’t ask yes-or-no questions, as these probably won’t 

produce very interesting quotations. Leave your 

11


questions open-ended and give your subject the chance 

to explain himself in his own words. 

11. During interviews, try to write down as much of what 

the delegate is saying as possible. If you hear a phrase 

that you think would be especially useful as a quotation 

in your article, write it word-for-word, and if necessary, 

ask the interview subject to repeat himself. 

12. If in writing up a story you’re not sure if a quotation is 

accurate, or you can’t remember exactly what a delegate 

said, don’t make up your own words. Go back to the 

committee and, when there’s an opportunity, ask the 

delegate to repeat the quotation. 

Sample Article 

Below is an article (names changed) written about the 

Security Council by a delegate at a past HMUN. 

Security Council on the Verge of Passing Resolution 

This Saturday morning, the delegates of the Security 

Council already had copies of a draft resolution on 

combating nuclear proliferation in an age of terrorism. 

The ultimate goal of the resolution is to better prepare the 

international community for nuclear crime by groups that 

are not under state control. 

The delegation of Brazil, consisting of John Doe and 

Jane Jones, outlined the draft resolution: “It contains 

solutions that all countries could implement. It calls for an 

international database cooperative, which shares intelligence 

and thus allows countries to alert one another in a critical 

incidence of terrorist activity. The resolution also talks 

about dual-use technologies—ways of helping countries 

to make the conversion from nuclear weaponry to nuclear 

power, to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes 

versus violent ones. It also addresses immediate and intense 

international response in the case of a detonation, calling for 

humanitarian aid and financial aid. Finally, the resolution 

calls for export and border controls, which will allow 

countries to trade and secure ports.” 

On the topic of ensuring an active international response 

towards a detonation, Michael Jared and Jim Smith of the 

Russian Federation, emphasized the creation of a group 

called Rapid Force, which is included in the resolution. 

“Rapid Force will take rapid action against international 

destruction; it will deal directly with sub-national 

organizations.” 

The delegate from Denmark, Rick Mick, is in full support 

of the resolution. He stated, “We are very confident that this 

will be passed. The director of the Security Council believes 

it to be the most comprehensive, and the longest, draft in 

Model U.N. History!” The resolution is about nine pages. 

Despite the optimistic outlook, there is a point of contention 

concerning the issue of creating an international database 

that will share intelligence. The Russian Federation and the 

delegates from Japan, Pepper Jack and Jack Jill, believe that 

an international database would compromise the sovereignty 

of nations. Jill said, “Russia is in favor of technology and 

information sharing in regard to sub-national groups, but 

intelligence sharing would be infringing upon national 

sovereignty. Countries should be able to keep their 

intelligence within their borders and deal with it as they 

feel appropriate without the weight of the international 

community on them.” 

In addition to the issues of an international database, the 

Security Council has also been struggling to resolve the 

conflicts concerning economic sanctions. Mick from 

Denmark explained: “The big problem deals with the use of 

economic sanctions. We think that the best way to go about 

it is to hand over the problem to the Legal Committee. Legal 

would debate the legality of imposing economic sanctions 

on countries, in the efforts to force them to comply with the 

international community on nuclear prevention.” 

Remainder of article omitted.

Press Corps - Harvard Model United Nations

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