2.10 Covering a conference (continued)

For many science journalists much of the time, conference programmes appear too daunting and technical for them to judge which speakers are worth contacting. In this case, try contacting the conference organisers – whose email and other contact details are often provided on the conference website – to ask them which presentations they might recommend for a journalist to cover.

Furthermore, if the conference is large and well sponsored, there may be a PR team that has already selected newsworthy presentations, prepared press releases, and arranged press conferences. The PR team can put you on their mailing list or can personally provide you with press releases.

Some science journalists base their entire conference coverage on news that is pre-selected by conference PR teams. The stories can be excellent and may cover important developments. But remember – there may be other good stories to be found elsewhere at a conference, outside of the press room, which are not the subject of a press release. These may be your exclusives!


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