How to Stage a Successful Virtual Press Conference
During COVID-19 and Beyond
By Amber Hubert and Sean Wherley
Like most in-person events during COVID-19, press conferences moved online to avoid transmission among participants and reporters. While there are pros and cons for any online gathering, when it comes to holding media events, the benefits of going virtual may outlast the global pandemic.
RALLY has organized a handful of virtual press events since March 2020, including one about the WA Food Fund and the dire need for food assistance in Washington State. Reporters from across Washington joined the briefing with state government officials, something that would have been less likely if it had been held in-person in the capitol — Olympia — which is 60 miles from Seattle and more than 300 miles from Spokane. As a result, far more news outlets posted and broadcast stories about the WA Food Fund and hunger in the state.
By organizing these online media events, we’ve learned a few strategies for executing them successfully. Though a virtual press conference lacks the same compelling visuals — a screen filled with speakers’ faces versus having them stand near each other outside — and provides fewer opportunities for reporters to easily approach participants for on-camera, 1-on-1 interviews, its advantages are numerous.
Here are some tips to consider when organizing a virtual press conference:
Expand Your Reach
As newsrooms are cutting their budgets and laying off reporters — whether it’s TV, radio, or newspapers — there are fewer of them to cover news in general, much less attend in-person events. If those still on the job can reduce their transit time to zero and eliminate travel costs, the chances of them covering your event are much higher. Reporters want to hear what you have to say and it’s going to be easier if they’re just opening their laptops and listening rather than getting stuck in traffic, searching for a parking spot, and missing some or all of an in-person event.
Better Control Time and Message
During in-person press conferences, organizers have less control over background noise (a wailing fire truck driving past), the types and number of questions posed by reporters, and the duration of the briefing. All of those variables make for a potentially more unpredictable event, which can undermine your message. With an online press conference, the host can mute the microphones of all but the speakers, thereby eliminating the errant sounds of barking dogs, tapping on keyboards, or side conversations.
The host can also request that all reporter questions be entered in the video platform’s “chat box,” which reduces the risk of long-winded or repeated questions from reporters, and allows the organizer to paraphrase questions before posing them to the speakers participating in your event. The online press event also affords the host the benefit of promptly concluding by simply pressing “end meeting.”
Make Your Speakers More Comfortable
A virtual press conference allows the speakers to be seated at home or in the office, making punctuality less of an issue for them compared to when such an event is held in-person at a third location. As a result of being in a familiar setting, speakers are more relaxed in their surroundings and feel more confident delivering their remarks and responding to reporter questions.
Choose a Paid Service
Take into account the time limitations of your video platform. A basic (and free) Zoom account has a 40-minute allotment for meetings of three or more participants. Just having your moderator and speakers test their connections 15 minutes prior to the start time will use almost half of your allotted minutes. To avoid having your event end prematurely, use a paid account with Zoom, RingCentral, Be.Live, Hopin, Whova or Streamyard.
Record Your Press Conference for Accurate Reporting
If you livestream the event to a YouTube or Vimeo account, you can later email the link to reporters — both those who joined and those who did not — allowing them to confirm speakers’ quotes, get clarity on an issue and more accurately report your message. And if any desired media outlets were unable to attend, a saved recording allows them to see what they missed and provides a chance to still cover your story.
In organizing a press conference of any kind — virtual or otherwise, it’s important to consider how you measure success. Do you want your story to reach local outlets or those scattered across the country or world? Your answer may help you decide whether to organize your media briefing physically or virtually — even after the pandemic ends — in order to spread your message.
RALLY is an issue-driven communications firm | Certified force for good by B Corporation
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