Journalists get set in HK for WTO conference
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-13 11:25

Tripods set up, cameras ready and a list of questions on hand...journalists from all over the world get set to capture every scene of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Of some 8,000 participants of the WTO conference, there are a total of 3,207 journalists, 5800 delegates and 2167 non-government organization members, according to a WTO conference media here.

In order to get hold of news, embattled journalists have garrisoned the conference venue, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, before the opening of this large-scale international event which will be on December 13.

The TV/radio and agency booths at the Convention Foyer rented by local and international news agencies and broadcasters have already started operation.

Local TV station, Hong Kong Television Broadcast Limited, made use of the advantage of Hong Kong being the host of the conference, and arranged a 40-member team to station at the media center during the event.

DE/RAI, a TV/radio station from Germany, deployed 10 reporters from Germany and Beijing to Hong Kong to reinforce their manpower.

News Agencies like AFP, Reuters and Associated Press also highly regard the conference. Harrison, a reporter from AFP, said that this is already his fourth time to cover the WTO Ministerial Conference. He said an 18-person team has been arranged by their agency to participate in the report.

For Reuters from Britain, a total of 16 reporters and photographers participate in reporting the conference. Another British media team BBC has organized a team consisted 28 journalists for this event. There are about some 50 members from Associated Press are here to cover news.

Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) has been appointed as the official conference broadcaster of the conference to provide live TV coverage of public sessions.

The live video and audio signals will be available for official webcasting and the use of the media at the Press Center. They will also be shown at the press center and designated locations of the venue.

RTHK said that eight reporters from their news section will be stationed at the media center daily and they will be responsible for covering and publishing Chinese and English news.

As introduced by Assistant Director of Information Service Department of Hong Kong S.Y. Tam, the press center has the infrastructure and technology necessary to provide quality service to members of the press.

The press center provides computer facilities for about 1,000 concurrent users through desktop workstations, LAN ports, modem ports, and wireless LAN access.

Printers, telephone and fax lines, photocopiers, pigeon holes, publication stands and meeting schedule display screens etc. are also be provided.

For the 75 TV/radio and agency booths, each of them is equipped with tables, chairs, telephone lines, telephone handsets, fax line, two network nodes for Internet connection and some other facilities.

Also, to furnish members of the media with factual information about the World Trade Organization and its functions, and to provide relevant information which may facilitate reporters' work of covering this event, a series of media workshops on conference organized by the Hong Kong government was inaugurated from April this year.