FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY
Reinventing the Press Conference: Chat Room Sessions from ACS National Meeting in Salt Lake City
Update: Click here for a list of our scheduled online press briefings.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) Office of Communications is offering the news media the opportunity to join press briefings whether covering the meeting onsite or from a remote location. This new updated format during ACS’ 237th National Meeting Mar. 22-26 in Salt Lake City will provide access to the increasing number of journalists who cover scientific meetings from their home base.
Watch the briefings live at http://ustream.tv/channel/acslive. Archived sessions will also be available at this address.
ACS’ Virtual Press Conference room
Borrowing the popular chat room concept from the Internet, we will provide news media with access to both real and virtual chat room sessions during the Salt Lake City meeting.
Reporters attending the meeting can gather with scientists in an informal setting in our Press Briefing Room at the Salt Palace Convention Center, Hall A, in Salt Lake City. Scientists will summarize their research and field questions. Offsite reporters can enter a virtual version of this Chat Room over the Internet. In addition to seeing and hearing the real-world activity, offsite reporters can submit questions.
Like hosts of a traditional chat room, we never know how many participants will join a session. Each session will proceed, regardless of attendance, so that digital transcripts can be made and posted online as a resource for individuals unable to attend.
Use the built-in chat box to ask questions during the
press conference (requires Ustream.tv registration).
Chat Room sessions begin at 11:00 a.m. MT on Sunday, Mar. 22, and continue during the week. A full schedule is available here. Watch for a complete schedule. For now, get a head start by registering at Ustream.tv, a live, interactive online video site.
To register with Ustream.tv, go to http://ustream.tv/sign-up-step-1. It’s free and only takes a minute or two to sign up. To join the chat room during one of our sessions, visit http://www.ustream.tv/acslive and click the “Login” button at the top right of the Ustream window. Ustream requires the latest version of Adobe Flash, which can be downloaded without charge here.
Use the chat box to the right of the video window to submit questions to the researchers. To resolve connection problems contact Adam Dylewski (a_dylewski@acs.org) or Mike Woods (m_woods@acs.org). After the press conference is complete, recorded versions of the sessions will be available by going to the ACS Press Room (www.acs.org) and clicking on “Chat Sessions.”
The American Chemical Society ― the world’s largest scientific society ― is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.