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Newsroom Preparations for Toronto 2000

It is anticipated that 400 media representatives will cover the General Conference Session in Toronto. The Session 2000 Newsroom will provide accreditation, as well as press facilities, for both the Adventist and external media.

Toronto, being one of the world's foremost cosmopolitan cities, offers media sophistication comparable to such cities as New York or London. The Newsroom operation will avail the Toronto press corps, both religious and secular, with access to the Session proceedings and associated events. Equally, the Adventist Review or the Adventist World Radio reporters, as well as the representatives of numerous church or non-church media entities, will be offered the use of the press services during the ten-day event in the SkyDome.

In Toronto, the Newsroom operation will coordinate two primary services to accredited press-official news coverage of the Session and its events through the Adventist News Network (ANN), as well as operation of press facilities for all of the accredited representatives of the media.

Similar to previous Sessions, each world division of the Church, as well as its institutions, will be able to access the Session proceedings and events and cover it for their audiences and readers. "The SkyDome Press Box will provide adequate space and services to accommodate the needs of the print, radio and television media," says Ray Dabrowski, communication director of the General Conference and in charge of the press operation at the Session. "We expect much interest-and not only in the Church-from the media. In 1995, in Utrecht, the press office was one of the busiest places of the Session. Our 20-member international communication Newsroom team is ready to be even busier in Toronto!"

The Newsroom will provide local and international services, and individual work stations, equipped with modem access, will be set up for accredited journalists. The ANN Newsroom activities will include photographic services, and the news will be uploaded in an as-it-happens mode on the Session 2000 web page at www.adventist.org (see following article).

"With today's technology well utilized in our communication, the only unknown now will be the choice of the content matter. Communication will happen live and instantly," Dabrowski says. "Our intention is to make sure that the news will be delivered quickly and that the reporters are provided with a user-friendly and open atmosphere to cover this important meeting."

The Newsroom plans daily morning news briefings and will coordinate news conferences. One of the biggest challenges at such mega-events is providing the reporters with access to individuals who are sought to be interviewed. Plans include staging several news conferences with church leaders.

It is expected that several news releases will be issued daily by Adventist News Network. "This is primarily a business session of the Church, so our press office is always challenged to bring the news that would be of interest. Church growth, its challenges, and the excitement of sharing the victories for God will no doubt prove to be worthy of reporting. But the presence of the Christian witness in the contemporary world will attract media attention," says Jonathan Gallagher, news director of the General Conference.

The SkyDome press area will provide the accredited press with access to needed technical facilities to prepare their reports. The reporters will be able to view the proceedings and events of the Session from the press box. Seating has also been arranged near the stage. The newsroom will liaison with the Session audiovisual broadcast team to provide services required by the media. [Ray Dabrowski]