Press Conferences (Updated)

[I’m no expert in the field of PR but I’d like to document my observations given my exposures now. I’ll often post such kind of article.


“The Philippines is PR-driven in terms of sourcing scoops or news”, says my editor. He added that journalists here are normally assigned to submit 2-3 articles in a day. This means that media people really have to be able to cover different events to get good stories. From that figure, you’ll have an idea why staging a press conference is still a common practice in launching a product, a person or an endorser, and most especially in confronting issues (mostly for politicians/showbiz personalities).

Newsworthiness

However, in doing press conferences, the main consideration should still be the newsworthiness of whatever it is that you’re going to launch (this is crucial for products/services PR) which unfortunately seems to be not much of an issue among clients and agencies. Probably because even if an event is not that worthy to be covered, there are still a lot of press attendees and not to mention there are still some pick-ups. [But it should be noted that events that are not that newsworthy aren’t normally covered or maybe covered but news aren’t really published in the top three broadsheets or give less priority.]

Why are there a lot of press attendees?

As mentioned earlier, press conferences are attended with the hope that media people can get good stories. When I asked my editor if he attends PR-initiated press conferences, he said he does if the topic is interesting and if he thinks there’s a prospect of a story. So for any curious journalist, attending a press conference is really an option.

But again, there’s still a process of screening – trying to see if the event is worth attending. This leads us to the second reason why even if the event seems to be not that interesting or material for news, there are still attendees.

Another reason would be the honorarium (technically, envelopmental journalism). Yes, I’ve witnessed that. There are some press people who actually receive money from pr agencies because of their attendance to the event (with the hope that they will release a story about the event). Giveaways are fine. But getting money is a different issue. It’s like you’re getting paid to release an article. Again, media is a microcosm of government. [It should also be noted that sometimes even if they are given honorarium, stories aren’t released since they are always subject to the editor’s approval].

But do clients really get what they need out of Press Conferences?

Not really if your event is not newsworthy.

The common thinking probably among clients is: “I just want my story out.” Regardless how irrelevant or non-issue based the story is doesn’t matter for as long as there’s the pr who can do the job of serving as media liaison.

A good friend, a marketing professional, explains that pr agencies shouldn’t act just like that. They have to serve as consultants and strategists. Normally, PR agencies are hired to develop a PR campaign strategy. Building god relationship with media is just part of the entire work of PR agencies. Most of it is about strategizing.

He also adds that there are other ways to publicize a certain product/service. Well, sometimes PR is not even the right avenue. There are times that advertising is more apt and cost-effective.

So what now?


So it’s all about right strategy. PR agencies should be able to help clients identify what should be done and how these should be executed. There’s a need to take a leap from being just a simple middle person to a real pr consultant/strategist which makes more sense.

On the other hand, I guess clients should be more aware of what they need from a PR agency. That getting an agency is more than just connecting you to the media. It’s about helping you strategize.