Download the Attending Press Policy (.pdf).

Attending Press Policy

CoNZealand will actively support members of the press and writers for online media who are covering the events before, during, and after the convention. We aim to provide information about this convention specifically and about our Guests of Honour, Worldcon and the Hugo Awards.

Please note, interviews with our Guests of Honour or any other programme participants will be held online and need to be booked in advance. There will not be opportunities for unscheduled interviews between events.

Press Passes and Credentials

Press Credentials

Press Credentials identify attendees as press. They will be available to paid convention members who are covering the convention for the press or online media as part of their attendance. All members of the press are welcome to make use of the press services offered by the convention.

Press Passes

A Press Pass is a complimentary admission to the convention that includes the right to attend the convention (or specific events at the convention) for a limited time. Press Passes will be given to “Out of Community” mainstream media to allow them to access and move around the convention site. Press Passes do not include any World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) membership rights. Anyone qualifying for a Press Pass automatically gets Press Credentials. See below for more information on eligibility.

Press Pass Eligibility

Press Passes are available solely for working press staff—defined as individuals employed by recognised professional “Out of Community” media outlets such as television and radio stations, newspapers, and other news outlets, who are on assignment from those outlets and who would not be attending the convention if their jobs did not require it. This includes immediate support and technical staff.

Press Passes are not issued to persons who are attending the convention in a personal capacity. Worldcon has a long tradition that all members of our community—fans, professionals, staff, and programme participants (save only our Guests of Honour)—pay for their memberships. Members of the convention staff or Programme Participants are presumed to be attending the convention primarily in their personal capacity, not as a member of the press.

Similarly, staff from genre press publications and fannish news sources such as fanzines and websites are not considered “Out of Community” press for the purposes of this policy and are expected to purchase a membership.

Privacy

As CoNZealand will be held online, holders of press passes and credentials will be asked not to screenshot or publicly share any images or videos of people or conversations without their prior consent.