Press Corps - Harvard Model United Nations

Press Corps
Press Corps
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
Innovation and Technology
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.
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