Media relations students gain real-world experience by staging a mock press conference to address recent issues at Carnival Cruise Lines

Rodrigues, Jill

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DOCS@RWU

Roger Williams UniversityDOCS@RWUFeatured News Story The Week at Roger5-3-2013How to Hold a Press ConferenceJill RodriguesRoger Williams UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_newsPart of the Higher Education CommonsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Week at Roger at DOCS@RWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in FeaturedNews Story by an authorized administrator of DOCS@RWU. For more information, please contact mwu@rwu.edu.Recommended CitationRodrigues, Jill, "How to Hold a Press Conference" (2013). Featured News Story. 105.https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_news/105Home News News Archive How to Hold a Press ConferenceHow to Hold a Press ConferenceMedia relations students gain real-world experience by staginga mock press conference to address recent issues at CarnivalCruise LinesMelanie Reagan '13 (le ), Bre'Anna Metts-Nixon '13 andChristopher Lane '13 took on roles of company spokespeopleduring a mock press conference staged for a media relationscourse.May 3, 2013 Jill Rodrigues ’05BRISTOL, R.I. – Carnival Cruise Lines has faced its fair share of trouble in recent months -- who can forget the ship withover 3,000 passengers adri  without power for four days in the Gulf of Mexico, while the patrons faced a sewageproblem and food shortage? -- but on May 2, the cruise line’s public relations nightmare served as a dream project forRWU’s senior-level media relations course. A mock press conference put students in the shoes of Carnival o cials asthey de ly navigated media questions and steered the conversation back to key messages much like the moreseasoned company representatives they aimed to emulate.Their cultivated mea culpa coupled with on-point answers demonstrated just how much preparation and practice thestudents had put into their inaugural press conference – a time-consuming and important event that will serve as acenterpiece for many of these public relations majors in their future careers.In assigning the press conference to her students, Assistant Professor of Communciation Hume Johnson charged themto act as Carnival’s chief operating o cer and director of operations in addressing the cruise line’s recent safety andfood issues. As Carnival spokespeople, seniors Christopher Lane and Melanie Reagan informed the “media” inattendance (roles  lled by classmates, journalism students and other members of the campus community) of thecompany’s e orts in redressing these incidents, as well as the steps that had been implemented to prevent futurecatastrophes.“I, on behalf of Carnival Cruise Lines, would like to give those a ected as well as their families a formal apology,” saidLane, a public relations major and psychology minor. “Safety has and will always be our number one priority. Despitethe tragic and fearful events, we at Carnival Cruise Lines are seizing this opportunity to learn from our mistakes.”While holding the press conference itself was the product of the assignment, students learned just as much from theresearch and planning process. As a class, they researched Carnival’s recent incidents and how actual companyrepresentatives handled public relations in the a ermath. They determined their key messages and how best to expressit. Then they got down to the nitty-gritty of organizing a press conference – writing press releases and compiling mediainformation kits, and pitching media outlets interested in attending.The students staged the press conference in Global Heritage Hall, with the Carnival logo on a screen behind Lane andReagan as they delivered their messages to the public and  elded questions from the media representatives.Finding the event “nerve-wracking but fun,” Reagan said it was an opportunity for her to translate what she’s learned inthe classroom to a real-world experience. She (assuming the role of Carnival’s director of operations) and Lane both hadto think on their feet when answering questions from the audience.“In our classes we don’t have these opportunities to experience things that are more like real life, so it was reallyvaluable to experience,” said Reagan, a public relations major with minors in marketing and sociology andanthropology.In fact, the news conference was the culmination of a number of assignments that Johnson integrated into the course toprovide students a taste of real-world media relations. Having had this hands-on practice to develop applicable skills –public speaking, preparing a strong message and sticking to it during unscripted segments – will serve him well whilesearching for a career a er graduating this May, Lane said.Share This: REQUEST INFO  VISIT CAMPUS  APPLY  MAKE A GIFTMap & DirectionsContact UsDirectoryNewsEventsAthleticsrwu.eduUndergraduate SiteGraduate SiteSchool of LawSchool of Continuing Studies    © 2018 Roger Williams University. All rights reserved.  GMAIL AT RWU BRIDGES MY RWU IT HELP SITE POLICIES WORK AT RWUOne Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 028091-800-458-7144

How to Hold a Press Conference

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How to Hold a Press Conference

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