Instructions

1

Reach out to the media weeks before your scheduled event. You don’t necessarily have to give them exact details yet, but you do want to get their attention. Telephone first and ask to be put in touch with a contact, such as a reporter covering a specific beat. Follow up with email or printed invitations, then call again to confirm.
2

Tease the media with just enough information to make sure they attend. Save your big news for the press conference itself, but hint about the nature of the news ahead of time with press kits that include the time, date and place of the event, as well as what you intend to speak about.
3

Choose your location. Reporters will not want to spend an hour driving to get to your event. They’re busy chasing down news, and time spent on the road is lost time. A location within minutes of their home base is best. You’ll also want a room large enough to hold all your anticipated attendees but not so large that it looks to viewers on TV that few people attended.
4

Select your time. Late afternoon might bring you too close to the evening news; reporters won’t have adequate time to prepare your event for broadcast. If you schedule it too early in the morning, those who were out late the night before might skip. People usually prefer to spend weekends with their families and friends, so schedule your news conference for a business day, preferably mid-week. As the day of your event draws closer, do your best to make sure that nothing more newsworthy than your event is taking over the headlines. Although postponing your press conference for a few days means that you have to start all over again with inviting media, it might be better than having your event completely overshadowed by hot news.
5

Check your chosen site a few hours before the event to make sure everything is in order. If you’re conducting the event outside and it looks like rain, take steps to accommodate that by ordering in tent covers. If it’s indoors, check that the lighting and seating are in order. If you’re expecting television crews, set aside adequate space for their equipment. Make sure to display the name of your organization prominently in the area the cameras focus on, such as behind the podium or on it.