I am trying to avoid مؤتمر صحفي which is analagous but of a greater weight and lesser frequency. The typical daily briefing by a spokesmen is what is usually intended by "press briefing." A "press conference" is used for the less frequent but more momentous announcements (followed by Q&A) usually presented by the "man in charge" rather than a spokesman.

fuad

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Note added at 2003-01-17 01:11:41 (GMT)
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Dear HALAHouse,

Regarding your added note, I am not sure about the intended meaning.

At first, my understanding was that the term was intended in the sense of a mini press conference, the kind that is held daily by various spokespersons for various agencies (the White House, the US Department of State, etc.), where the sposkesperson reads some prepared updates about events and government positions, then fileds questions (usually evasively). This is in contrast with a heavy-weight press conference, which is rarer and weightier (usually in conjunction with an announcement about a relatively momentous development). I posted my suggested answer on that basis.

Upon reflection, I thought I\'d better verify with Amer, because the term can also be used in the sense of giving an official (a president or a minister) a briefing about what the press said on a particular day. This would help the official start the day with an update on important issues and a sense of how commentators are shaping public opinion. Such a briefing could very well be written out in the form of a \"summary.\"

To verify, I posted a follwo up question. Amer\'s answer was an enigmatic \"Thanks, Fuad,\" so I still am not quite sure which meaning is intended.

You seem to be more confident of your understanding than I am.