How to Hold a Press Conference on Zoom
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen many events go virtual and with the second wave proving to be worse than the first, it’s safe to say that many more events will be forced to do the same. This includes that staple event of media relations: the press conference. While it is completely possible to organize an in-person, physically distanced press conference, many organizations are opting to hold virtual press conferences (on Zoom or similar platforms) instead. Not only does this eliminate any risk of spreading COVID-19 among participants, it also eliminates the need to travel, reducing hassle for time-starved reporters and making it possible for multiple speakers located in different cities to participate.
While the benefits of a virtual press conference are clear, organizing one can feel like a daunting task. We have all seen what can go wrong on a video call – from annoying sound issues to people forgetting that their camera is on to the dreaded Zoom-bombing. So, how can you organize a Zoom press conference and ensure that it goes off without a hitch?
Here are our tips on how to hold a press conference on Zoom:
Tip #1: Know the difference between meetings and webinars
Zoom allows you to host two types of events: meetings and webinars. Meetings are what you have most likely been on when you’ve done Zoom calls in the past. They allow all participants to turn on their audio and video, share their screen and see who else is in attendance.
Webinars, on the other hand, only allow the host and designated panellists to share their audio, video and screen. All other participants are in view-only mode, but can interact via polls, Q&A, chat and by being unmuted by the host.
Webinars are a paid add-on though, so not all Zoom accounts will be able to host one. For that reason, in this blog post, we will be focusing on how to use a Zoom meeting to host your press conference.
Tip #2: Adjust settings when scheduling
When you schedule the press conference in your Zoom account, there are a number of useful settings that you can adjust to make it more suitable for a press conference.
Check the “Waiting Room” box. This will send all attendees to a waiting room when they first join the call. You can then choose when and if you want to add them to the main call. This is useful because it allows you to prevent against Zoom-bombing and admit speakers and other press conference participants before letting in media.
Turn participants videos to “off”. This ensures that participants’ video cameras will automatically be set to off when they join the call. You can then allow individual participants to turn their camera on when it is their turn to speak.
Uncheck “Enable join before host”. This will keep attendees from joining the call before you do.
Check “Mute participants upon entry”. This ensures that participants’ microphones will automatically be set to off when they join the call. You can then allow individual participants to turn their mic on when it is their turn to speak.
There are also a number of useful settings that you can adjust when you first start the call:
After clicking on the “Security” button:
Uncheck “Allow participants to unmute themselves”. This will give you full control of who is muted and who isn’t. Note that when you do unmute someone, they will have to consent to being unmuted.
Uncheck “Allow participants to share screen”. This will prevent any of the other participants from sharing their screen without your consent.
After clicking on the “Participants” button/window:
Rename participants. Not everyone’s Zoom account clearly displays their name, so it can be helpful to rename them or, in the case of media, add their outlet to their name. You can also rename yourself so that your role is clear (e.g. “Moderator”).
After clicking on the “Chat” button/window:
Change chat to host only. This will allow participants to send messages only to the host via chat and not to other participants or the whole group. This is better than disabling chat completely as it allows participants to alert you in the event of sound and video issues or other problems.
Tip #3: Do practice calls using different devices and formats beforehand
Zoom’s features and user interface change slightly depending on what your setup is (desktop vs. mobile, window vs. full screen, app vs. dial in). It’s good to play around and do practice calls using different devices and formats so that you are aware of their subtle differences and are better placed to help participants should they encounter any difficulty.
Tip #4: Ensure that you take into consideration participants who will be dialling in
Since some participants may prefer to dial in from a phone as opposed to joining from their computer, it’s a good idea to think about how you will accommodate these participants on the call. For starters, you should consider including dial-in details (phone number and passcode) when sending the Zoom link to media. You should also inform participants of how they can unmute themselves and raise their hand if they are dialling in from a phone.
Tip #5: Have all the speakers join the call early
This is important because it will allow you to test everyone’s sound, microphone and camera to ensure that everything is working properly. It will also give you an opportunity to run through the agenda with the speakers and explain how the unmuting procedure will work.
Tip #6: Let all the media in at the same time
When the waiting room feature is enabled, Zoom gives you the option of letting everyone in the waiting room join the call at the same time. This will save you the trouble of having to manually admit each participant and allow you to get off to a quick start.
Tip #7: Use the raise hand feature to take questions from media
When you’re ready to take questions from media, you can ask them to show their interest by clicking the “raise hand” button. You will be able to see in the “Participants” window a hand symbol appear next to everyone who has raised their hand. From there, you can choose who you would like to take a question from and unmute them.
Tip #8: Have a co-host
If you will also be moderating this press conference, it is a really good idea to have another person from your organization join you as a co-host. This will give you an extra set of hands to help you admit participants from the waiting room, unmute speakers and select reporters to ask a question while you are busying moderating.
You can designate a participant as a co-host by hovering over their name in the “Participants” window and clicking on the “More” dropdown menu. Designated co-hosts will have greater privileges in Zoom such as the ability to mute/unmute people and admit people from the waiting room.
Tip #9: Consider recording the press conference
Zoom gives you the option to record the press conference either automatically when the call starts or at any time during the call (you just have to click the “Record” button). This can be useful in case media outlets ask for a recording – either to use as b-roll for a news broadcast or because they were unable to attend the live press conference. Just ensure that the recording you share with media doesn’t include the first part of the call before you let the media in.