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| ELIA MILLER / Scroll |
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| The Church provides a press room and accommodations for the media who attend the 175th Semiannual General Conference. |
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Anyone who has attended a general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints live in the Conference Center will probably attest that it’s a different experience than watching conference at home.
Similarly, there are different facets within the Conference Center experience, such as attending general conference as a press member.
The differences of being a member of the media begin even before arrival at the Conference Center. Members of the press must sign up before conference to attend, and their names are placed on a list. They aren’t required to have tickets or wait in line but need a press badge to get passed security.
Media affiliates do not sit with the general public. They are hosted in the press box, a walled-off room at the back of the first floor of the Conference Center.
The windows at the front of the press box overlook the first floor of the Conference Center. Lemonade, water and butter mints are also provided.
One of the biggest advantages the press gets at general conference is that the General Authorities’ talks are available in print before each session. This allows the media to prepare themselves and also assists in accurate quotations. While some General Authorities occasionally vary from their planned talk, most stay very close to what they have prepared.
Dale Bills of the Church Public Affairs Department, which manages the press, said generally 10 to 15 members of the press attend each conference session in the press box. He said that mostly western publications were represented but other groups also attend.
“While being in the press box was cool, my favorite part was listening to the church leaders speak while reading their talks at the same time,” said Kevin Frazier, a senior from Salem, Ore., who covered conference for Rixida, the campus yearbook. “And yeah, the mints weren’t bad either.”
