Hints for News Conferences
by
Charles Lamson
When you are participating in a news conference, you have the obligation not only to answer reporters' questions but also to make a few opening remarks giving the purpose of the conference and formally announcing the news that caused it. Answering questions at a news conference is very similar to being interviewed except that you have more than one person asking questions and you are not in the comfortable surroundings of your own office. Making the opening remarks at a conference is much like giving a brief speech. As you look out over the crowd of cameras, lights, microphones and people peering up at you expectantly, you may feel like a mother robin perched on the edge of her nest looking into the hungry, gaping mouths of her babies. Much like the mother bird, your obligation is to feed the media---that is, provide them with news in an interesting way in the shortest period of time. The same techniques you use for interviews and TV appearances will serve you well here.
Before the news conference, come to the room to familiarize yourself with the set-up. Work out signals with your media relations person as cues if you begin speaking too quickly or answering reporters' questions too abruptly. Then leave and use the time to practice what you intend to say---and perhaps to go for a brisk walk to clear your mind.
Do not show up again until immediately before the news conference is scheduled to start. Do not mingle with reporters ahead of time. Whether you are introduced by your media relations person or open the news conference yourself is up to you. In any case, ignore the many microphones that are placed on the podium. Do not ask if everyone can hear you---it is the responsibility of the audio engineers and your media person to ensure all the microphone levels are correct. Just begin your formal remarks, speaking slowly and clearly and following your text closely if it has been included in the press kit materials. Like any attentive participants, the TV camera will be focused on you. But if you become long-winded or the cameraperson's attention wanes, the camera may scan the listeners---particularly that station's reporter---for reaction shots. If things really get dull the little red light will go off as the technician turns the camera off altogether.
After your introductory talk, open the session up to questions. Use an open phrase like "Now I would be happy to answer your questions" or "What are your questions?" or just simply "Questions?" rather than closed construction "Does anyone have any questions?" If you do not know them all, ask the journalists to give their names and publications or stations as they are called on. Do not pace around, or the microphones and TV cameras will have trouble following you.
If there are no questions right away, do not panic. The reporters probably are reviewing their notes on your opening remarks and framing questions that will appeal to their readers or viewers. Simply wait a few minutes (it will seem like hours) and then invite questions again. Or point to a reporter you know and say "Susan, you usually have a good question for me." If there still are none, thank the reporters for coming and say you are available for individual questions if they wish.
More likely the questions will start popping several at a time. Once you select a reporter to ask a question keep your eyes on her/him as much as possible while you answer. This will keep other reporters from interrupting and help the reporter's camera crew get both of you on tape if they so desire. Allow one follow-up question from that journalist---but then establish eye contact with another questioner so one person is not able to dominate.
Use the reporter's name in your answer whenever possible. Do not be unnerved if someone moves around with a hand-held camera or even crawls up to the podium on hands and knees to adjust a microphone or test the lighting with a light meter. You probably will be asked several similar questions by TV people, because broadcast editors generally like to show their own reporters on the screen asking questions. So do not hesitate to repeat your key point in answer to each question---again only one version will appear on each channel---and be sure not to say, "As I said in response to an earlier question . . ."
If very few journalists have shown up, you should proceed as planned. But if a small turnout is obvious, you may wish to acknowledge it with a light comment such as "Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like you will have an exclusive by coming here today . . ." and conduct the session in a less formal manner.
Equally important is for your media relations person to be prepared with everything from extra chairs to additional press kits in case many more people than expected show up. But if they are non-media people, they should politely but firmly be kept out of the news conference room. Journalists do not appreciate an audience, which can create distractions and generate noises picked by the noises picked up by the sensitive TV and radio audio equipment. And you are likely to be nervous enough without having such distractions.
Twenty to 30 minutes is the normal length of a news conference. Nevertheless, if questions are still coming, you may decide to go a few minutes over the scheduled time. You can end the conference yourself or have your media relations person do so by announcing that you have time for one more question. 
Mingle afterwards with reporters in case they want private interviews or individual on-camera shots of you talking with them. But remember that everything you say during these conversations is also on the record. Therefore, you should be no less careful with your comments than you were when you were at the podium.
*SOURCE: ON DEADLINE: MANAGING MEDIA RELATIONS 4TH ED., 2006, CAROLE M. HOWARD AND WILMA K. MATHEWS, PGS. 113-115*
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