ERS Media and Embargo Policy

• Registration
• Eligibility criteria, access and facilities 
• Media credentials
• Embargo policy
• Photo/Video/Audio recording rules
• Third Party Press events

Registration

The Congress is open to bona fide representatives of print and electronic media. In order to be accredited for the Congress, you must work for a newspaper, news service, magazine, radio or television stations, or an online news publication and provide evidence of this. 

Media registration in advance is strongly recommended. ERS welcomes a maximum of three journalists and two camera crew members per media outlet. 

A copy of a valid press card, an official letter of assignment as well as all supporting documents must be uploaded on to the registration system or printed and carried if the registration is performed onsite at the Congress. Company, media outlet business cards or membership cards are not accepted as credentials.

The ERS Press Office reserves the right to withhold approval of press registration if the applicant and/or the outlet do not satisfy the criteria for press registration or if the media registration form is sent without the requested supporting documents.

The ERS Press Office reserves the right to ban from a current or future meeting any person who provides false information about their affiliation or credentials.

The decision of the ERS Press Office is final regarding all press registration requests.

Eligibility criteria, access and facilities

Categories entitled to register as media

Reporters/Correspondents/Editors/Writers

The PRESS badge, property of ERS, is identified by a RED badge, is non-transferable and must be worn at all times in the Congress venue.

ERS will only accept letters of assignment from recognised trade and mainstream:

• Magazines, newspapers
• News agencies and newswire services
• Broadcast media (radio or TV)
• Web sites, newsletters or blogs that consistently publish editorial news coverage, provided they are widely accessible with complete editorial independence and freedom from sponsors/advertisers

Freelance journalists are required to submit all the requested documents (press card and commissioning letter) and in addition two bylined medical/health/science articles published within the previous six months as well as coverage from the previous year’s Congress (if applicable).

Companies or organisations producing publications, videos and other products intended for educational purposes (strictly without a commercial component) can request one Press badge for the actual reporter/editor/writer only:

The RED Press badge entitles the holder to:

• Access the ERS Press Centre, including the Press Working Area and Press Conference Room.
• Attend the official ERS Press conferences and briefings.
• Access the Interview Rooms located in the Press Centre, which can be booked for 30-minute slots to conduct private interviews. Please contact Beth Maguire to arrange bookings.
• Attend sessions listed in the scientific programme only. This strictly does not include sessions from the educational programme.

Photographers or camera crew members

Photographers or camera crew members accompanying approved media representatives will receive a RED Press badge and a YELLOW filming lanyard upon completion of the media registration form. Photographers and camera crew members will not have access to embargoed material.

The RED Press badge and YELLOW filming lanyard entitles the holder to:

• Access the ERS Press Centre, including the Press Working Area and Press Conference Room.
• Attend the official ERS Press conferences and briefings.
• Access the Interview Rooms located in the Press Centre.
• Permission to film only in the specified areas indicated on the filming badge for the specific dates and times noted.

Video or audio recording during a scientific presentation or session during an ERS event is strictly prohibited. Video recording or photography in the Exhibition Hall and Poster Area is strictly forbidden.

Breaking of the Photo/Video/Audio Recording rules by any media outlet, press representative or any third party acting on their behalf is a contractual breach of the ERS Media and Embargo Policy that may lead to sanctions.

Media credentials

If you are a print journalist - newspaper/magazine/or scientific journal, you will need to provide:

• Copies of three articles that have been published by a recognised media outlet that you have written, with your by-line on the article. We require scanned or hard copies of the original published article. If these articles are published online, you may send the complete URL rather than scanned or hard copies of the article; AND
• A letter from your editor stating that he or she supports your application and that you have been assigned to cover the Congress; AND/OR
• A copy of your media card. 

If you are a broadcast journalist and filmmaker, you will need to provide:

• Audio or video files of a broadcast programme you have worked on, which includes a section where you appear on camera or your name is mentioned in an audio clip. You may send the complete URL rather than upload the film. AND
• A letter from your editor stating that he or she supports your application and that you have been assigned to cover the Congress; AND/OR
• A copy of your media card. If you do not have a media card, your editor must state this clearly in the above letter.

If you are an online journalist (official news website), you will need to provide:

• The complete URL’s of three articles you have written that have been published by a recognised media outlet, with your by-line on the article; AND
• A letter from your editor stating that he or she supports your application and that you have been assigned to cover the Congress; AND/OR
• A copy of your media card. If you do not have a media card, your editor must state this clearly in the above letter.

If you are a blogger, you will need to provide:

• The complete URLs of three blog posts you have written in the last year; AND
• A letter from your organisation stating that they support your application and that you have been assigned to cover the congress for their blog; AND/OR
• A copy of your media card. If you do not have a media card, your editor must state this clearly in the above letter.
• This category will be marked on the quality and relevance of links provided. Being published on a blog does not automatically grant media accreditation.

Representatives of public relations companies, advertising agencies, marketing companies, pharmaceutical companies and their publications are not allowed to register as journalists or to work in the Press room. PR representatives from other organisations, whether commercial or non-commercial, are not allowed to register to work in the Press Working Area.   

Information regarding media registrations belongs to ERS. Past and current media lists are not available to be given, rented or sold.

Embargo Policy

Please respect embargo times and dates on news stories. 

The majority of the Congress abstracts, including late breaking abstracts, will go online on the Congress website at 00:01hrs CEST on 21 September 2019 and can be reported from that time onwards. 

Any abstracts that form part of the official media programme will not be published until at least 00:01 hrs CEST on the day of their presentation at the Congress and will be embargoed until that date. If abstracts form part of the official media programme, the embargo must match that on the official press release. Please check with the ERS Press Office for information about exact times of embargoes on these abstracts. 

All embargo dates and times are given on the official press releases. When asking for third party comment on releases before the embargo has lifted, journalists are requested to ensure that those interviewed understand and accept the embargo conditions.

Official media materials will be made available at the Congress to registered journalists only.

Photo/Video/Audio recording rules

1. Media outlets or press representatives who wish to film, take photos and/or record at the ERS Congress in restricted areas must complete a filming request form. Only registered press delegates are entitled to apply for and receive a filming and photography pass.  If approved, press representatives will be given a filming / photo pass for a specific time and location. ERS welcomes a maximum of two camera crew members per media outlet.

2. The ERS Press Office will approve requests on a case-by-case basis. Only registered media outlets or press representatives will be allowed to film, take photos and / or record at ERS events. ERS may interrupt any disruptive or hazardous filming. 

3. No specific permission is required to film, take photos and / or record outside the main entrance (non-obstructive of doors and walkways), or within press working areas including the press conference room and the press interview rooms. 

4. Filming in any other part of the Congress Centre, including within session rooms, is strictly prohibited without prior consent from the Press Office, and anyone found filming without consent will be evicted.

5. Presenters are the sole proprietors of the content disclosed (data, photographs, slides and so on) during the scientific and poster sessions and are able to authorise or refuse what can be filmed, photographed or recorded and to what extent this information may be used. 

No scientific session presenter or exhibitor may be photo/video/audio recorded without the presenter’s consent (including smart phones and mobile devices). Consequently, permission will only be granted if the presenter of the study has authorised photo/video/audio recording of their session. Upon presentation of the presenter’s signature, a YELLOW filming lanyard will be issued by the ERS Press Office with the details of the date, time and session in which you have permission to photo/video/audio record.

6. Film and photography is strictly forbidden in the Exhibition Hall, World Village and Poster Area at all times. No members of the press or crew are permitted to film or take photos of Exhibition stands. Any individuals found doing so may be ejected from the Congress.

7. Any film/photo/recording shall only be used for information and communication purposes and must mention the source of the material.

8. Media outlets and press representatives are expected to abide by the full ERS Media and Embargo Policy, including the Photo/Video/Audio recording rules, and to make sure that any member of staff or any third party acting on their behalf and / or under their authority, comply with the said ERS Media and Embargo Policy. 

9. Breaking of the Photo/Video/Audio recording rules by any media outlet, press representative, member of staff or any third party acting on behalf of and/or under the authority of any Media outlet or Press representative may be penalised. If a media outlet breaks an embargo, the press representative who released the information (cameraman, photographer, editor, etc.) will be held accountable and will be subjected to the penalties. The organisation/media outlet that broke the embargo may also be penalised.

Third Party Press events

Companies wishing to organise a news conference during the Congress should send a request in writing to the ERS Corporate Relations Coordinator. It is not permitted to schedule press events, either on or off site, to coincide with key conference sessions or official ERS media events. Contact the ERS Corporate Relations Coordinator as above for time slots available. Any news conference must pertain to presentations being made to the Congress in oral or poster sessions, or to the content of an Evening Symposium. This applies to any media event, regardless of whether it is held on or off site. The programme for any third-party news conference should be submitted to and agreed by the ERS Press Office before any invitations are sent out.

Third party press releases related to scientific presentations at the conference must be labelled clearly with the abstract number, time and date of presentation to the Congress, and submitted to, and agreed by the ERS Press Office before they are issued to the media. Third party press releases relating to late breaking abstracts and any other abstracts that are being held back for publication online on the day of presentation to the Congress (e.g. those that form part of the official media programme) must be embargoed to the date of the presentation, with the earliest possible embargo time being 00.01hrs CEST on the day of presentation.

If a release is about an abstract that forms part of the media programme, the embargo must match that on the official press release. Please check with the ERS Press Office for information about exact times of embargoes on these abstracts. They must be submitted to and agreed by the ERS Press Office before they can be issued to the media. Third party press materials are only permitted in the Industry Press Display Area. For further information, please see the Industry Press Guidelines and Regulations.

Third party media materials (including press releases, media invitations, flyers and posters) must not contain the ERS logo and must not be presented in any way that could be construed as suggesting endorsement by the ERS or the ERS International Congress. ERS does not make media lists available to third party organisations.