Press Corps - Harvard Model United Nations

Press Corps
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
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