Autumn conference 2002
Press office debrief
7.12.02
CONTENTS
1. Team building
2. Media training
3. Planning
4. Press office location
5. Press office setting-up
6. Phone lines
7. Computers etc
8. Fax
9. Coverage of conference motions
10. Coverage of emergency motions
11. Press office management
12. New/inexperienced people
13. Work practices
14. Results: media coverage
1. TEAM BUILDING
1.1 Best ever, in terms of legacy. The 3 volunteers who between them would be providing most of the staffing our national press office for the rest of this year and beyond gelled as a team and seem enthusiastic about the work to come.
2. MEDIA TRAINING
2.1 Best ever - in terms of (a) experience for national media volunteers and (b) numbers of people who attended our broadcast (x2) and press release (x2) sessions. Amy's sessions on press releases, based on her experience as a journalist, were our most informative ever. Thanks to Graham Lee for running a session on getting local letters published.
2.2 The Lalndrindod conference will have the same media training programme and more, including a women-only session to be cordinated with Women By Name, and some additional broadcast media training with Isabel Miller.
3. PLANNING
3.1 News planning was best ever - I had a very clear idea what stories we were pursuing, all written down systematically and distributed to the team in advance. But implementation fell over. I attribute this to the problems we experienced with technology, which slowed us down and heavily distracted us at the beginning, and also meant we couldn't print up the planning templates which would guide us clearly as to the various TASKS to achieve each day.
3.2 Authors of motions gave us very little help despite efforts by Lucy and I to get them to do some preparatory work. James Abbott (space), Danny Bates (animals) were exceptions. PR man Mike Foster looked closely at the agenda and gave advice about angles to pursue, which was useful.
4. PRESS OFFICE LOCATION
4.1 It was too far away from the centre of gravity of the conference. This problem occurred because the phones weren't installed in time (see below), and that was the only building available to us which could have phones installed at short notice. At conferences at our customary venues (Hastings, Scarborough, Southport, Weston) and next spring at Llandrindod, this won't be a problem - but we'll need to speak with Conferences Committee about this before returning to Lancaster.
5. PRESS OFFICE SETTING-UP
5.1 This was better thought-through than ever - but still proved very problematic due to technology problems (see below) and late arrival of some equipment.
5.2 However, this conference has left us with a written-down procedure of what work stations need to be set up for what purposes, so in future planning will be easier even with an inexperienced team. And NB we're gradually increasing the size of the conference media operation, which is essential if we're to keep increasing our conference coverage. (I can remember when a conference press office was one computer and a stand-alone fax machine!)
5.3 We had proper press office cover throughout Wednesday while we were in transit - thanks to Alan Francis - but we had to divert to Lancaster before we were really ready to start work from there, due to telephone problems and setting-up delays.
5.4 Decisions:
a. In future, aim for all equipment to arrive by midday the day before conference starts.
b. Continue to use the big list of jobs that need doing as part of set-up.
c. Aim to get enough people there to enable us to commence work from the conference press office the day before the conference starts.
6. PHONE LINES
6.1 Telephone lines were not installed in time. This was not our fault - they were ordered months in advance and the order was followed-up by phone and email in plenty of time - but a failure of communication occurred somewhere between our Conferences Commitee and the venue.
6.2 This set us back in setting up, in testing and in starting work. I had wanted us to start phoning radio stations on the Wednesday, which should have been feasible. Instead we worked late Wednesday without any external output (other than reponse to incoming calls from broadcast media); we were severely handicapped Thursday in telephone work; and the knock-on effects were felt until Sunday.
6.3 Action:
a. Next time, Spencer to make sure he's allowed to speak to the venue IN PERSON, not have to go through Conferences Committee - unless Conferences Committee can give us an ABSOLUTE GUARANTEE that 3 lines will be waiting for us Wednesday lunchtime.
6.4 We had all the requisite telephone double-sockets and extension leads at the outset - yet the former didn't seem to work, which led to plugging and unplugging of leads which we shouldn't have had to do. We'll have to see what happens next time, because we've used these double sockets successfully before (and I use them at home).
7. COMPUTERS ETC
7.1 Best ever planning and provision - we had 4 dedicated computers (normally have 2) - which greatly increased our potential capacity. We also had a G drive which should have allowed us greater flexibility - thanks Adam Boardman. But we failed to exploit the potential, due to technical problems which sapped our time, plus minor but irritating incompatibilities between computers. Also we ended up with different versions of press releases scattered around different computers, and post-conference had difficulty in finding some of the press releases - which was worse than previously, despite the G drive.
7.2 Actions:
a. The Archway press office computer needs its own modem - SPENCER to action.
b. The coordinator's computer needs a fax modem and Word 97 - SPENCER to action.
c. We need a clear briefing on what a G drive is, how it works, what it'll do for us, and a briefing on how best to use it. Eg can we arrange it so that all computers can access the same email address book and the same files? Press office management and regular workers need to understand all this before we arrive. ADAM, please could you provide this briefing?
7.3 The computers all travelled by different routes, which gave us resilience against the possibility of a person/vehicle not arriving with our computers. One vehicle was delayed arriving - which could have been really serious if the rest of the computers had been in the same vehicle. (We had that problem in autumn 2001.)
7.4 Decision:
a. We should aim for ALL equipment to arrive in the conference press office by lunchtime the day before conference, so that everything can be tested and problems resolved before conference starts, and external output can begin from the conference press office that day (aiming for more coverage on the first day of conference).
8. FAX
8.1 I asked for a stand-alone fax machine from party office but one didn't arrive. This problem was compounded because the two laptops didn't seem to be able to fax out (despite software), my own computer lacks a fax modem and I wasn't aware that Lucy's didn't have a modem.
8.2 Decision:
a. Ideally we need to ensure a stand-alone fax travels with us. Fax modems will usually be sufficient, but occasionally we'll need to fax from paper, and having to rely on the conference venue for services can be inconvenient.
8.3 Action:
a. GRACE, please can you check that the laptop in party office has Bitfax loaded and that it works?
9. COVERAGE OF CONFERENCE MOTIONS
9.1 Little achieved. Some was planned, eg around both climate change and space. Implementation was hindered (a) by lack of cooperation from proposers of motions (who usually seem to feel they've done their bit by writing the motion, and who don't always understand the need to use the debate to get media coverage of conference), and (b) by delays in the conference press office.
9.2 Action: SPENCER to approach Policy Committee to seek its support in encouraging proposers of motions to cooperate in publicity both before and during conference. (PolCom have traditionally been reluctant to do this because they don't understand media requirements - must try harder to educate them!)
10. COVERAGE OF EMERGENCY MOTIONS
10.1 We need these planned in advance. There was better facilitation of them than ever by Conferences Committee, but the Thursday and Friday sessions almost didn't have the motions we needed.
10.2 The motion on Iraq gave us potential for coverage, and we got a small amount (print and radio). More could have been achieved with greater focus and determination.
10.3 The Tyne tunnel motion got coverage in the North East - well done Nic Best. (A good example of a local/regional press officer using conference to get coverage back home. Very few seem to attempt this, despite continual encouragement!)
10.4 The Nigeria/Miss World motion probably could have achieved coverage, but I think we missed the boat by not being quick enough.
10.5 The Cyprus motion had potential for coverage in the UK Greek media. We may have got some that we don't know of.
10.6 Recommendations:
a. We should continue to encourage people to submit emergency motions early so we can seek advance publicity.
b. We should allocate tasks regarding emergency motions to press officers, and pursue those tasks more systematically, with clearly agreed deadlines.
11. PRESS OFFICE MANAGEMENT
11.1 This is always a problem. Basically, the external communications coordinator has numerous other things to do, and so can't be in the press office (or even engaged in media work) the whole time. In the absence of paid permanent media management, there's no-one else is a similar position of overview.
11.2 Vanessa could have fulfilled this role, and did so some of the time, but pregnancy caught up at last and kept her out of the press office more than we'd expected. Lucy was too busy with hands-on media work to have been the manager.
11.3 I'm advertising for a volunteer with media experience to act as conference press office manager, meaning they'll be closely involved in the preparation from months in advance, and so will provide the continuity needed.
11.4 Recommendation:
a. In the absence of a dedicated press office manager, we should aim for a team of three people (the coordinator and two others) to fulfil the management role, so that at least one will always be available. These three should work together closely from the early preparation phase, so as to ensure cohesion, continuity and clarity of purpose.
12. NEW/INEXPERIENCED PEOPLE
12.1 Everyone worked hard, was cooperative and was flexible. It was a good team. Minimal supervision was provided. Did the newer people feel they were adequately supported? I think so, but not all the time. Need to pay better attention to management next time.
12.2 It seems press releases and letters got done more effectively when two people cooperated (which also made it more fun). The press release OK'ing session on Sunday morning was used as a training event, and was useful and fun.
13. WORK PRACTICES
13.1 General organisational improvements might be as follows:
a. Volunteers' job descriptions so people know what they're supposed to be doing?
b. Better use of rota so we know when to expect everyone to be available, and where everyone is where they're not in the press office.
c. List of speakers/contact details etc to be more accessible - on the wall by each phone?
14. RESULTS: MEDIA COVERAGE
14.1 The amount of coverage was within the parameters of expectation. Up on last autumn, but autumn 2001 was overshadowed by the 11 September terrorist attacks. Few journalists attended this time, partly due to distance from London and clash with TUC conference.
14.2 Coverage was disappointing in the sense that more effort was put into planning than usually happens, so I was hoping for more.
14.3 Actual coverage that I know about is below.
PRE-CONFERENCE
Euro motion got Martyn Shrewsbury coverage in at least one local paper.
START OF CONFERENCE
BBC NW TV (Jon Barry - local Greens; John Whitelegg, NW Greens towards 2004 Euro-elections).
Radio 5 Live (Margaret Wright?, Darren Johnson).
Radio 4 Today (Penny Kemp).
BBC Radio Lancs (Darren Johnson).
BBC Radio Shropshire (Emma Bullard).
THURSDAY
Lancaster Guardian, front page with picture (Cllr Jonathan Sear, Lancaster eco-house).
FRIDAY
Guardian Unlimited, interview with Darren Johnson.
Radio Essex, Cllr James Abbott (space, general GP)
BBC R2 Steve Wright Show, mention.
SATURDAY
LBC (Darren Johnson).
BBC Radio Wales(?) (Martyn Shrewsbury).
Independent: tiny mention re Iraq, also tiny mention re waste in London (Darren Johnson).
BBC Radio Lancs (Cllr Jonathan Sear, eco-house).
BBC Radio Notts (Margaret Wright).
POST-CONFERENCE
First magazine - 2-page piece by Cllr Jon Barry.
Magic FM (Newcastle - Tyne Tunnel EM).
South Shields Gazette (Tyne Tunnel EM).
Astronomy Today piece re space motion.
Firefighters website - report of firefighters' strike EM.
Al-Ahram, Egypt(!) - very big piece based on interviews with Chris Busby, Molly Scott Cato and Sinna Mani, re DU, Green economics and imperialism, written by member Peter Snowdon.
ENDS