TNAG-2038-FCO40-2902-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 162

Press Arrangements

CONFIDENTIAL

We share some of your doubts about the value of the

final press conference. We recognise that few visiting

Ministers have ever come out particularly well from taking on the Hong Kong press in this rather formal and elaborate

form. As you imply, too often the journalists use it as an opportunity to score points rather than to elicit

information. And it does seem to us that the standard of

behaviour and questioning has dropped recently.

There are, however, at least two cardinal rules for a

successful press conference: a good news story and a session

that does not go on too long. A good news story laid out in an opening intervention is crucial, for this sets the

tone and interest of the occasion. It means that the

Minister can dominate the headlines with what he wants to

put across and it gives him something to revert to if the questioning gets tricky. And, if there is a good story,

then the press conference can be honourably wound up before

the questioning slides off into perversity and trouble-making.

It is probably fruitless to expect a visiting Cabinet Minister to be able to get away without a final press conference. Certainly, the Foreign Secretary will expect to

give one and may well have things to say on non-Hong Kong

subjects. For junior Ministers, the decision must rest on

whether there is something new and interesting to say at the

time. However, the format could be adapted. At present,

expectations are raised that cannot be met. There is no

need to have it broadcast live (the pre-conference publicity

hypes the occasion, which may in fact be quite tedious).

Nor does it have to last an hour. Half-an-hour would be

Anything longer seems to rest on the assumption

normal.

SB1ABB

CONFIDENTIAL

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