Letter from the Executive Board
Greetings members of the International Press!
It is my absolute pleasure to welcome you all as a part of the International Press
Team at the SGI MUN 2022. I look forward to facilitating an intense mind -
boggling experience that will always be cherished. The International Press is the
binding force between the people and their rulers. Further, it is also a medium
for unspoken words and unvoiced opinions. As the Executive Board of the
International Press, I would like to draw your attention to the seriousness and
significance of the responsibility you are about to assume. As a Model UN
conference is a simulation of the United Nations conference, we must
understand that every member of the conference is playing a particular role,
including the Press members. Hence, as a journalist, a certain amount of
professionalism is essential, and you are required to adhere to the highest
standards of diplomacy and transparency. Always remember that you are a part
of a team. Individual competition aside, our primary goal is to procure
resourceful articles for a decent and informative newsletter.
We are in this together!
Our vision is to ensure that this is a learning experience, and we hope to embark
upon this journey creating a magnificent fusion of words and experiences. There
will be obstacles in your path, but to learn, you’ve to be willing to push
yourselves. In the words of William H Gass, ‘The true alchemists do not change
lead into gold; they change the world into words.’ I hope you have an amazing
experience!
May the force be with you!
Looking forward to an engaging conference, and to working with all of you.
Feel free to get in touch in case of any queries.
Regards,
Anurag Dwibhashyam
[email protected]
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS
The International Press (IP) is neither a traditional committee of the United
Nations nor an authentic part of any of the other UN committees. Here, the
IP refers to the collection of international press agencies that gather from
all the corners of the world to report on the activities of the proceedings of
various United Nations committees.
One of the most important tasks that journalists in the International Press
perform is formal reporting. They are primarily required to cover the event
and describe it to others in the best thought-out and concise way possible,
and for this purpose, they are supposed to take notes and submit articles
that contain the major discussions in their respective councils. A good
news article ought to be articulate, brief and be able to convey the very
essence of any discussion. There are three things which come as a part and
parcel of any International Press Team at a Model UN Conference
simulation.
1. RESEARCH:
Comprehensive research forms the basic framework of the art of reporting.
A journalist in a committee needs to be well informed, rather better
equipped with their research since it is not going to be country specific.
Half-baked knowledge on the agendas reflects factual inconsistency in the
articles. Kindly go through the background guides of your respective
committees to have a better understanding of the agenda. Knowledge of
current debates pertaining to the agenda is also encouraged.
2. UNITY:
The International Press team will consist of a number of reporters, who
need to be working in synchronization with each other. The spirit of
competitiveness should never come in the way of team-work, and all the
efforts should be to publish a prosperous newsletter.
3. CODE OF CONDUCT:
Reporters are expected to maintain diplomatic courtesy at all times towards
fellow members of the team, delegates, executive board and the Secretariat.
Even while critically looking at council proceedings; it is imperative that
respect be extended to the delegates. Frivolous reporting, like reporting on
a delegate’s attire or manner of speaking, is highly discouraged.
TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS
OPINIONATED EDITORIAL
An Opinion editorials (Op-Ed) is an article that appears opposite the
editorial page of practically all newspapers. This is a place where the writer
gets an opportunity to pen down his/her perspective on the agenda.
Research is of utmost importance and opinions must be backed by relevant
facts. These are one of the most impactful articles and creativity here is
boundless.
Word Limit - 500 to 600 words
BEAT
A beat-based article is a specialised article where the Reporter presents an
in-depth coverage of a particular issue, situation, institution, or likewise. It
involves amassment of more knowledge than a traditional news report. The
beat is a central idea around which the contents of the article revolve.
Ideally, it is the core concern or subject and should pertain to every single
line used in the forming of the article. Requiring clear observations and
grasping power, beats should be devoid of the reporter’s opinion.
Word Limit - 250 to 350 words
CREATIVE PIECE / FEATURES
‘But out of limitations, comes creativity.’ This is the only submission
where the reporters are allowed to explore any format of their own. It just
has to adhere to the agenda of the respective committee.
Word limit - 300 to 500 words
INTERVIEW
This provides an opportunity for direct interaction with one or more
representatives, or a member of the Executive Board. The questions must be
precise and must be verified by the Executive Board of the International Press.
The format should be that of a report. Reporters are to ensure that the essence of
the views put forth remain intact.
Word Limit - 350 to 500 words
OPINION POLLS
This particular type of article allows you to express your opinion in any manner
you want. Again, the content needs to be restricted to the agenda. The use of
graphs, pie-charts or any other statistical analysis is highly encouraged.
Word Limit - 250 to 350 words
PRESS CONFERENCE
The Press Conference is another opportunity for the reporters to ask the
representatives about any of their statements or policies in the committee.
Reporters must establish dialogue with the representatives and are required to
adhere to diplomatic courtesy. Decorum and composure regardless of the
situation must be maintained. Moreover, facts must be derived from credible
sources; if challenged, the burden of proof rests on the reporter.
SUBMISSION DEADLINES
All reporters are expected to strictly adhere to the deadlines allotted to them.
The deadlines for each day will be notified at the beginning of the first session
for the day.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
• Reporters are required to adhere to our Lingua Franca, British English. •
Formatting Guidelines:
Font - Times New Roman
Size - Title - 14 points, Bold
By - line - 13 points, Italics
Body - 12 points
Alignment - Justified
• By - lines are mandatory for all types of submissions. • The submission
files should be in the format Name_Type of submission_Committee_Day
For example; Anurag_Beat_UNSC_1
• Abbreviations are to be used only once they have been introduced. For
example, A Life sentence in the United Kingdom (UK) does not
necessarily mean a prisoner will spend the rest of their days in prison.
• Plagiarism will be dealt with strictly. Cite you sources and references
without fail.
• Refrain from referring to a delegate by his/her/their name. Address them by
the profile/country they are representing.
For example; The Delegate of India highlighted the mass influx of
refugees into the country post the Rohingya Crises
• Deadlines are of prime importance. In the words of William Shakespeare,
‘Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.’
• Numbers beyond within hundred must appear in words here as, anything
beyond hundred can be expressed in numbers.
• Stick to the timeline of your committee. If your committee is based on an
event in history, adhere to the time period of that event.
• Avoid using contractions in sentences. For example; use ‘do not’instead of
‘don’t’, ‘cannot’instead of ‘can’t’.
• Sentences must be well punctuated with the inclusion of semi colons, full
stops, apostrophes, and hyphens/dashes wherever necessary. • Relevant
pictures must be attached to each of the assigned articles. • Diplomatic
courtesy must be maintained while reporting. Ensure that negative language
used by any representative is expressed very subtly without offending
anybody.
• In your articles, refrain from mentioning things like, ‘The Board entertained
a motion to break for lunch.’
Marking Scheme
The following parameters would be taken into account for marking the
journalists:
➢ Punctuality in submission of articles (-0.5 for every delayed hour)
➢ Quality of research
➢ Quality of content in your article
➢ Grammatical consistency
➢ Originality and aesthetics
➢ Appropriateness of title and formatting
➢ Your hold on the committee during the press conference
Note:
• This is just a brief of the marking scheme. The original marking scheme is
much more comprehensive.
• The marking of a individual be done by taking an average of all their
articles.
Good Luck and All
the Best
