Press Corps - Harvard Model United Nations

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Press Corps 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 10 Innovation Specialized and Technology Agencies
Press Corps 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. Innovation and Technology 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
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