Student preparation overview –  Press Corps

At the Montessori Model UN conference, students can choose to represent an international news agency according to the Press Corps Background Guide (Background Guides will be available online immediately following your registration for an MMUN conference). Delegates in this committee must be in Middle School, as this is a writing based committee that requires basic knowledge of journalism, as well as a highly developed knowledge of the English language. Thus, although it is not necessary to restrict this committee to students where English is their native language, it is imperative that their knowledge of English is at the seventh grade level of proficiency. This point cannot be stressed enough. Even one news outlet that does not fully comprehend English will significantly hinder the progress of the committee as a whole. Furthermore, we highly encourage that the students who participate in this new committee be interested in English language (i.e. writing) and/or journalism.

The preparation process is composed of two main phases. The first phase allows students to understand the context in which they will be operating at the conference, to develop the profile of the news agency, and to identify their outlet’s perspective concerning the policies and its implications on the committee topic issues chosen. During the second phase, students develop a position for writing an unbiased article.

A) Research – it usually begins at least 4 months prior to the conference.

1. UN → Students work as a group to research and understand the context of MMUN, i.e. The United Nations and its role in the world today.
2. News agency → Students investigate the viewership, past major stories that have been award-winning, and whether the agency is a member of a coalition of news sources (e.g. Associated Press).
3. Topic → Students work in pairs to research the topics being addressed by their assigned committees. This work begins with students studying the MMUN background guides to better understand the committee topic.

B) Writing an editorial per each topic.

A team of two delegates will have a “Topic A”  for Day 1 and a “Topic B” for Day 2 and each must have their own editorial, making two editorials per news agency (delegates must be knowledgeable about both topics). The list of Topics is fixed for Day 1 and for Day 2, Press Corp Participants will be able to choose from a short list of topics for each day. The editorial will be in the style and with the perspective of student’s publication (therefore reporters should use the third person when writing). It must be submitted to the committee Bureau 6 to 8 weeks before the conference. If a single reporter is the sole representation of their news agency on a committee, then s/he is responsible for both editorials. Outline:

1. 1. Agency’s stance→ Introduction of agency profile and investigation of the topics that the news organization normally focus on, and its already established viewers/readers.
   2. Past Articles → In-depth analysis of past stance implications concerning the different specific issues
   3. Possible theses → Preparation of the base of an article. Here is a link to a Press-Corps-Sample-Editorial.

At the Conference

The Press Corps committee functions differently than the other committees offered by MMUN. In particular

1. Press Corp does not use any formal Rules and Procedure.
2. There are no points or motions during the committee session. Although reporters will receive placards and may raise them in case there is an inquiry, they will not be used for motions.

Committee Session

After a brief introduction, the committee will receive instructions from the Bureau. This briefing will include instructions about the fundamentals of reporting. Specifically, it will cover how to report at MMUN, concepts such as journalistic integrity, how to conduct interviews, and ways to take diligent and efficient notes.

After the briefing from the bureau, reporters should recall that they prepared for two articles; one on Day 1 and one for Day 2. On each day, reporters are tasked with writing an article proposal, which outlines the specific aspect of a topic that an individual wants to report on. It’s important to garner a thesis statement that will allow for a more nuanced article, but also leaves enough research to be done when the reporting begins. The bureau will provide an example and walk the committee through how to make a proposal on the first day.

At this point, reporters will go to the committee room that is covering their Day 1 topic. For the first reporting session, reporters are asked to only take notes and refrain from interviews. Typically at this point of the day, delegates in different committees are finishing their speeches, then going into their regional blocs afterward. It’s imperative for reporters to respect the committees in which they report in, and always defer to the respective bureaus who are the final authority. The Press Corps Bureau will be monitoring all committee rooms as well, ensuring that if reporters have any questions or concerns, a Press Corps expert will be there to assist.

When it is time to return to the Press Corps room, individuals will organize their notes, share their findings, and ask any questions about article development. Besides this break, the rest of the day will involve reporters going back to their committees to report. After the first break, reporters will then be permitted to interview delegates if they wish. Although the bureau will give a thorough briefing on how to conduct briefings, a point of note is the importance of copying quotes accurately to ensure maximum journalistic integrity.

Finally, the remaining committee session is spent on writing. Reporters will be writing two articles, which do not have any word limit or requirement (although the average word count is approximately 600-800 words in previous years). The articles will be reviewed by a member of the bureau, who will also be available to assist at every stage of the writing process.

You can either directly register to the next  MMUN workshop or firstly attend one of our conferences as a visitor. Should you require any further information, please contact us at info@nullmontessori-mun.org