Meeting Preparation

The preparation for writing a meeting story is the most important part. The writer must answer several questions before they begin. 1) Who is holding the meeting? 2) What kind of organization or group of people is it? 3) Who are the important figures? 4) What is the main topic for discussion?

Before the meeting arrives the writer should contact the key figures to learn a background of the meeting they will be covering. Writing will be much easier if you what to expect, because background research can and should be done.

The entire event must be covered, not just the content of the meeting or speech. The date, time, place, circumstances, audience and all those involved should be added to the writing. Being an observant writer is most important when covering a speech or meeting.

Meeting coverage stories are not always the most interesting. It is important to find an interesting angle to approach the story. For instance, you can find someone who is directly affected by the subject being covered, and then write the story on that individual, of course including all the accurate information.