Rhetorique Model United Nations 2020

International Press
Background Guide
Greetings to the International Press Members!

It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you on board for the first

edition of Rhetorique Model UN. As International Press Members a
huge responsibility lays on your shoulders.
International Press is the backbone of every conference; it is your job
as Journalists and caricaturists to give life to the conference. It is
through your cartoons and articles; the conference gets a clearer
picture.
As a part of the International Press, you are expected to be aware,
accurate, precise, fluent, expressive, and most importantly creative in
whatever task is assigned to you. The aim is to not only test your pre
existing skills but also bring out your creative and multi-tasking skills,
both of which are highly crucial for you to have.
Both Caricaturists and Journalists play an important role, without
caricaturists the articles written by the Journalists are just mere words
and without the Journalist the caricatures are just a picture. While,
Journalists put actions into words, caricaturists bring the conference
to life with their perspective of the different agendas of the
committees.
That being said, I hope that this conference is an enriching experience
for all of you and we all experience and learn from this conference.

Best of luck to all the members!

Regards,

Shamita Sinha
Head of International Press
 GUIDELINES FOR THE JOURNALISTS

All submissions need to be made in the following format

Your Name-Committee-Article Type-Day (different types of
articles are explained later)
For Example, if I am a Journalist writing an OpEd for Money
Heist, I would submit my article like
ShamitaSinha-MoneyHeist-OpEd-Day1

 Each submission has to follow the below listed specifications

1. Font Size: 12
2. Font Style: Times New Roman
3. Word Limit: Will depend on the type of article you are
asked to write.
4. You have to strictly stick to the article type you are asked to
work on; in no situation you are to decide the type of
article.
5. Relevant headlines and by lines have to be provided
wherever necessary.

 Re-read each article and verify whatever you are writing

before submission.
 Make sure your articles are factually correct.
 Use of proper grammar and punctuation is necessary
 Language used has to be simple and understandable. While,
usage of heavy English words might seem enticing, please
understand that not everyone will be aware of certain words.
 Even if they are aware, they do not have the time to decipher
tough words.
 Punctuality is the key; if any Journalist is not able to submit
the required articles by the end of the deadline, their
submission will not be accepted and they shall be awarded
zero.
 All submissions are to be mailed at:
shamitasinha0@gmail.com

* Allotment of committees will be done after asking everyone’s

preferences and would be allotted on first come first serve basis.
Please note, once allotted, no requests to change the committee will
be entertained.

TYPES OF ARTICLES

1. REPORT
In a conference, a report is a summary of events that have taken
place in the committee. Here, however, one needs to remember that
we do not expect you to write about the discussion on Rules of
Procedures (RoPs) - by summary, we mean quality content that has
been spoken about in the committee. Reports are formal, neutral
and concise. They explain the happenings of a committee without
personal bias, and Journalists have to ensure that they cover the
event to its entirety. They need to ensure that someone who is not a
part of the committee can still read a report to understand what is
going on. Incidents may be reported, but they cannot have an
opinion- this is the job of an Op-Ed article (more about that later).
2. BEAT
At times, there is a lot that goes on in a committee, and to concise
all that to a 400-500-word article seems impossible. In cases like
these, we look at another style of reporting, called beat. A beat-
based article is essentially a specialized article wherein the
journalist presents an in- depth coverage of a particular issue,
situation, institution, or likewise, and which also involves
amassment of more knowledge than a traditional news report. The
beat of such an article, then, is a central idea around which the
contents of the article are formed. Ideally, it is the core concern or
subject and should pertain to every single line used in the forming
of the article. Each session at an MUN Conference has several
important discussions and numerous Caucuses. A beat captures the
essence of one such discussion/caucus, talking in detail about what
the discussion was. Hence, the Journalist needs to be present in the
committee, take notes of the proceedings and make pointers, to
ensure that the beat they write is accurate. Beats, just like reports,
are free from bias and are written in a neutral tone, describing
events but not forming an opinion on them. In both Reports and
Beats, factual information or quote by a delegate has to be verified
before being written about.

3. OPINION EDITORIAL (OpEd)

Opinion Editorials are articles wherein the Journalists are expected
to express their own point of view. OpEds can be based on the
Agenda of the committee discussion. Here, the Journalist talks not
only about the discussion at hand, s/he also offers their own point
of view. At Rhetorique Model United Nations Conference, we
expect the Journalists to be well-read with agendas of their specific
committees, so that the article put forward show their research as
well as their knowledge. Having an opinion is of utmost
importance in an OpEd, and this has to show through the style of
 writing chosen. Some of the functions that op-eds perform include,
but are not restricted to:
a) Debating a proposition and/or providing rebuttals
b) Providing background and/or historical perspective on a
contemporary issue
c) Highlighting aspects/dimensions that are hitherto not covered by
'news pieces'
d) Provide suggestions and/or map out a plan of action
e) Explain an idea, concept in immense detail
f) Share expertise
As mentioned above, one of the key features to an Opinion Editorial
is research. One cannot form an opinion if they are not researched,
and under-researched articles lack quality. Further, your articulation
needs to be such that your point is put forward clearly. Remember, we
are not looking for an essay, which is somewhat holistic and neutral in
its approach- we are looking at an article that puts down your
thoughts clearly, taking sides, for your opinion cannot be neutral.
Constructive Criticism is the key here, i.e. putting out criticism in a
manner that puts forward your thought clearly without hurting the
sentiments of a Member Nation and helps them work on the said
points.
Things to keep in mind while writing an OpEd:
 It should be based on verifiable facts, but should not necessarily
contain those
 It is bound by word limit, and hence you need to be concise and
to the point.
 It has to express opinions- however; opinions do not mean
baseless arguments.
  The number of aspects covered in an OpEd's argument is up to
the author, but it is necessary to keep in mind that the argument(s)
showcased are not too fuzzy.
 Arguments should be comprehended in a manner that they lead
to a final concluding paragraph and not just an abrupt ending.

4. FEATURE
Features are articles where the Journalist gets to show their creativity
to the maximum. Not essentially as important or relevant as an OpEd
or a Report/Beat, features allow the journalist to unleash their
creativity in the form of poetry, prose, diary entries, open letters, and
a lot more. These, however, need to be committee-centric; otherwise
they do not really serve the purpose of being a part of a MUN
newsletter.
Points to remember while writing a feature:
 Make them as creative as possible
 Make sure they are committee centric. For Example, in a
committee debating about the Syrian crisis, the journalist could write
a feature from the point of view of the Syrian refugees, children, and
etc.-the possibilities are endless.
 Features, while not heavy on research, need to reflect some
knowledge of the agenda at hand. For example, if AIPPM is
discussing the Triple Talaq, a feature based on the plight of Indian
women does not make sense, unless it talks specifically about Muslim
women facing atrocities because of the forms of Triple Talaq.
 The formats of all the Feature articles are same as the ones
generally used.
 CRISIS

A crisis task may be given to the Journalists, this task will not be
informed about beforehand. The journalists will be required to work
on this task along with the task given to them while meeting the
deadline. Additional points shall be awarded to those who are able to
submit such task.
 GUIDELINES FOR CARICATURISTS

A Caricaturist is the one who looks forward to covering the incidents

in the Committee, needs to be highly observant. It is a visual
depiction, so being sharp with your observation and clinical in
execution becomes essential. Basically, you will draw
caricatures/cartoons of people at the MUN. Remember that you have
to cartoon-ize the Delegates not the people who are representing
them. Your cartoons should be funny but serious at the same time.
Look RK Laxman’s work to an insight of the kind of cartoons you
need to make. One needs to be mindful of the language being used but
one should not shy away from critiquing or challenging as that is
where the change would come or begin and the point will get raised –
remember, caricaturing is equally an essential limb of reporting or
press. There won’t be many restrictions, but one needs to keep some
important points in mind too:

 A caricaturist can show the happenings in the Committee

seriously or as they happen, but it would be advisable and play
to your advantage if you exaggerate situations and impart them a
humorous touch.
 Look more towards representing things larger than life, to give it
a caricaturist’s touch and hence score more in the bargain.