CNET Says “Press Conferences are Over”

I take my responsibility for maintaining the PR Death Watch list seriously.  It is a lonely and thankless vigil. So little free time.  So many PR sacred cows to slay, and anachronisms to highlight; all those knives to keep sharp; so much blood to drain from cutting board (well, you get the picture).

That is why I thought “great now I have some help, from none other than CNET!” when I saw the headline Press Conferences are Over (thanks for your tweet about this @bakertweets).

In reading further, though, it became clear that the story is not about the death of the press conference; rather it related a journalists’ pet peeves, and was based on reporter Kent German’s experiences at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona.

German has some good tips that are worth reading.  See the link for the full story, and the following excerpts:

I may be in the minority here, but I’m at a press event to work. I’m there to get in, get the news and get out because I have a story to file. A bar is nice and food is welcome, but I don’t need either. Skip the chitchat and the fluff and let’s get on with the program.

…If you do hold a press release event, there are a few things to remember-

First off, your product, and not the location in which you show it, is the star of the show. A location can be an accessory of sorts, but when it becomes inconvenient or ill-suited to the event then I don’t care how fashionable it is.…

Remember that we’ll want to take photos of the phones that you unveil, so please give us the light we need to do so.

Seriously, folks, you could hold your event in a tent and I would be there. It’s my job to attend, so if the tent has enough room, the Internet works, we have a place to sit, and press check-in isn’t complete chaos… then I’ll be a happy camper.

But even better,.. Just send us an e-mail with your announcements. You know we’ll cover your news anyway, so let’s just save each other time.