Sharon Crosbie to return with ‘Press Conference’

Press, 1 September 1982, Page 18

Sharon Crosbie to return with ‘Press Conference’

‘■Newsmakers" will be replaced for the next three weeks by "Press Conference.”

The “Newsmakers" team is taking time off air to film some major items.

On “Press Conference." Sharon Crosbie will chair a panel of journalists drawn mainly from New Zealand's newspapers, interviewing an invited guest with a high profile in the news.

The two journalists to appear with Crosbie on each of three programmes are likely to be specialists in a major news story of that week, but the guest and panel will not be selected until a couple of days before the programme is recorded.

“We are hoping to keep the balls in the air until as late as possible to keep the programme topical," says the producer. Bruce Wallace.

Once the programme content is decided the journalists will spend time together discussing the questions each of them would like to ask. To maintain the focus of the interview it is important for

the questioners to be on the same wave length. Wallace is pleased to have Sharon Crosbie on the programme, describing her as "a real asset."

"Sharon has a big following with her radio programme and has a lot of interviewing experience. She has the common touch and a direct approach — she asks the sort of questions many viewers would want to ask.

“ ‘Press Conference' is very much the guests' programme." says Wallace. “It’s the reporters’ job to elicit what the guest wants to say and question him about why he’s saying it.

“In the last series some guests found three interviewers a little daunting, but in fact it can often be less difficult to answer three journalists than it can be to answer the unremitting logical line from one."

The format of the programme, which follows closely that of any press conference, allows for maximum information to be im-

parted. “It does not allow for personalities to take over,” says Wallace.

The format is used commonly overseas, with “Meet The Press” on British television, and several similar programmes on American television. Wallace believes that it is certainly a possible format to use on a regular basis here, “but in this country there is really only room for one studio current affairs programme each week and ‘Newsmakers’ is performing that function very well at present.”

"The biggest problem here is that our newspaper journalists often do not look or feel as comfortable in front of a camera as they do doing their normal job at a press conference." He feels, however. that from the many journalists in the newspaper industry it is possible to select a panel who can look at an issue from wide-rang-ing perspectives. “It is also an opportunity to see some new faces, and to put faces to some well-known names."

Though the programme has a “live feel” and involves very little editing, it is actually recorded two days before it appears on screen, “to fit in with the availability of guests.” says Wallace.

“In New Zealand public figures are generally very good about appearing on television. Most see it as part of their job and will do their best to fit interviews into their schedule if requested.” © "Press Conference" will be screened at 9 p.m. on Sunday, on One.