Mult box

Rules

A whole set of etiquette and mores has developed amongst journalists governing the use of mult boxes. Because it is often difficult to get a good sound recording from a digital recorder for later broadcast or transcription for newspaper reporting, journalists have developed informal rules for their use. For example, the media should treat the sound engineer well, because while reporters can be selfish and competitive with each other, and the equipment can go wrong in many ways, the engineer allows all of them to get a good signal. It is also extremely important to show up early at press conferences; this "early bird gets the worm" habit allows one to test equipment, to avoid problems caused by the chaos of most press conferences, and to work cooperatively with the engineer.

The NCAA has a specific, written policy on the use of mult boxes for all NCAA championships.

Availability

United States government agencies usually provide a mult box for media use at press conferences. However, they are not always consistent; the United States Department of Energy sometimes makes a mult box available, but then does not make a "media avail with speakers"; yet at other times does not allow a mult box but follows it up with a "press availability". Some state government agencies or courts also may provide such equipment for free to media, but charge a fee to rent it for private events held on state property.

Some colleges and universities provide the use of a mult box gratis to media who need it to record large academic events such as commencement, speaker, or funeral, but charge for leasing to certain organizations. Larger houses of worship, such as a basilica or cathedral, may provide a mult box for certain religious services, but not others, depending on their policies and the nature of the mass or eucharist. Large media events, such as the Grammy Awards, Alamo Bowl, etc., often provide a mult box for media at their press conferences as a convenience.

Installation

A mult box can be an extraordinarily expensive piece of audio-visual equipment to purchase, so many organizations rent them from a communications company or government agency. Larger venues may make them available to the media for free, but rent them to private parties.

In 2011, the United States Mission to the African Union donated a state of the art mult box to the cash-starved African Union in a formal ceremony, in which they also presented new interns who will be trained to use it.

References

References

1. Greenhouse, Mark. (July 7, 2007). "Audio Terms of Endearment". NPR.
2. Palamara, Gary. (June 20, 2007). "The View From the Back of the Room - II: Tips for Reporters and Others Covering Press Events". Radio World.
3. (September 29, 2008). "Mult Box Set Up for Press Feed".
4. (February 15, 2012). "Rick Santorum's Way to Win? Run a Campaign on a Shoestring Budget". Yahoo News.
5. "Johnny Dangerously" ([[pseudonym]]). (June 16, 2008). "Mult box procedure and etiquette". [[Sportsjournalists.com]].
6. unknown. (2016). "NCAA Championship (News, Media and Press Conferences)". [[NCAA]].
7. See ''e.g.'', https://www.ntsb.gov/news/2012/120323.html [[NTSB]] press release; accessed May 10, 2012.
8. (August 22, 2011). "TOMORROW: Secretary Chu to Visit South Carolina to Attend Small Business Summit, Highlight Clean Energy Innovations With Rep. Clyburn (press release)". United States Department of Energy.
9. See, ''e.g.'', in [[Ohio]], [[Supreme Court of Ohio]]'s [http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/PIO/MediaRequestInfo/default.asp Guidelines for News Organizations Broadcasting, Televising, Recording and Photographing Sessions of Court], [http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/events/YourEvent/index.aspx Ohio Statehouse's webpage on "Your Event at the Statehouse"], and [http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/Communications/Media/UseOfTapeRecorders.aspx Ohio Statehouse's webpage on "Use of Tape Recorders at the Ohio Statehouse For News Media and Others"]; all accessed May 10, 2012.
10. See, ''e.g.'', [http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2012/05/commencement-events-may-10-11-at-vanderbilt-university/ Press release] from [[Vanderbilt University]], [http://www.cianewswire.com/2012/05/mediaalert_hfhk.html Press release] from [[The Culinary Institute of America]] {{webarchive. link. (2013-03-10 , and [[Virginia Tech]] [http://www.vt.edu/in-memoriam/dec12-service.html press information web page] {{webarchive). link. (2012-08-05 ; both accessed May 10, 2012.)
11. See, ''e.g.'', [[University of Washington]] Classroom Support Services [http://www.css.washington.edu/Rental-List "Rental List" web page] {{webarchive. link. (2010-06-20 and [http://www.css.washington.edu/Fee-Categories University of Washington web page listign which groups are charged what rates]; see also [[New York University]] [http://www.nyu.edu/campusmedia/events/rates.html web page for Events Media Services Rates] and [http://www.nyu.edu/campusmedia/events/policies.html New York University policies web page]; all accessed May 10, 2012.)
12. See, ''e.g.'', [http://archphila.org/press%20releases/pr001946.htm Press release] from [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia]] {{webarchive. link. (2012-07-03 ; accessed May 10, 2012.)
13. See, ''e.g.'' [http://www.alamobowl.com/main/media_schedule.php Valero Alamo Bowl media schedule & info web page] {{webarchive. link. (2012-04-14 and [http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/press-release/apr-05-2012-400-am Grammy Awards press release]; both accessed May 10, 2012.)
14. (September 22, 2011). "United States Mission to the African Union donates Audio Visual Broadcast Media Mult Box to the AUC". United States Mission to the African Union.