Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Woods' Appearance Not a Press Conference, Just a Glorified PR Event, and a Farce at That

Tiger Woods is making a big splash in the media Friday with what some majors news outlets are calling a press conference.

But in reality, it's nothing more than glorified public-relations event as it will be attended by friends, colleagues and associates, with only three reporters invited. Those lucky three are being instructed that the golfer and habitual adulterer will not take questions.

That's a key component of a press conference you know, reporters ask questions. Usually hard ones. My only question is: Why would any journalist attend such a farce? I'd tell them to send a transcript.

From the Associated Press:

Tiger Woods will end nearly three months of silence Friday when he speaks publicly for the first time since his middle-of-the-night car accident sparked stunning revelations of infidelity.

However, his agent said Woods will not take any questions from a small group of media.

"This is not a press conference," Mark Steinberg said Wednesday.

It will be Woods' first public appearance since Nov. 27, when he crashed his SUV into a tree outside his Florida home. Woods' only comments since then have been made through his Web site.

Woods is to speak at 11:00 a.m. [Eastern] Friday from the clubhouse at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., home of the PGA Tour.

"This is all about the next step," Steinberg said. "He's looking forward to it."

Still, there was strict control over the appearance, typical of Woods' career.

Steinberg described the gathering as a "small group of friends, colleagues and close associates," who will listen to Woods apologize as he talks about the past and what he plans to do next. He said three wire services have been invited -- The Associated Press, Reuters and Bloomberg -- and he asked the Golf Writers Association of America to recommend pool reporters.

Only one camera will be in the room to provide live coverage via satellite. Steinberg said other writers with proper credentials could watch from a hotel ballroom more than a mile away.

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