OpEdNews » How come our favorite online news services didn't get credentialed for the national presidential conventions?

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July 24, 2008 at 13:27:15

Headlined on 7/24/08:
How come our favorite online news services didn't get credentialed for the national presidential conventions?

by Jane Stillwater Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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Dear TruthOut, OpEd News, Lone Star Iconoclast, Common Dreams, Black Commentator, Smirking Chimp, Counterpunch and Novekeo:

I just called the Congressional Press Gallery to see if I had been credentialed to cover the Denver and Minneapolis conventions. I hadn't been. That wasn't really a big surprise. But then I started asking the press gallery rep if any of the online progressive news services that I write for -- even occasionally -- might have gotten credentialed so that perhaps I could go to the conventions on their coat-tails instead. "What about OpEd News?" I asked. No.

"TruthOut maybe? Counterpunch? The Black Commentator?" Nope, nope, nope.

"Novekeo? The Lone Star Iconoclast? How about The Smirking Chimp?" Zero, zip, nada.

"Common Dreams?" No. "What about the Huffington Post?"

"No, not them either. We don't credential blogs." But then the guy looked again. "I take that back. They have been credentialed." Whew!

Either none of the rest of you applied to get credentialed to these incredibly important events or else your credential applications have been turned down -- in which case, if I was you, I would be totally pissed off.

The mainstream media has blindly supported the war on Iraq, lobbied for the congressional deregulation laws that led to our housing foreclosure crisis and dollar destabilization, gave the 2000 and 2004 election fiascoes a pass, etc. Yet they are being credentialed and you are not?

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5 comments

Amanda is a managing editor at OpEdNews and has worked with Rob Kall on the site since 2004. A retired research ethnographer specializing in organization and technological innovation and strategic business development, she now resides in Georgia where she builds and restores wooden and fiberglass boats with her husband, Tom, a retired electrical engineer. Amanda grew up in the Commonwealth of Kentucky on the 9AA that runs along the Ohio in an area that gave the world Larry Flynt, the Clooneys, R...

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Amanda LangAmanda is a managing editor at OpEdNews and has worked with Rob Kall on the site since 2004. A retired research ethnographer specializing in organization and technological innovation and strategic business development, she now resides in Georgia where she builds and restores wooden and fiberglass boats with her husband, Tom, a retired electrical engineer. Amanda grew up in the Commonwealth of Kentucky on the 9AA that runs along the Ohio in an area that gave the world Larry Flynt, the Clooneys, R...

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Jane, Is there a link...

Jane, Is there a link where we can view those media outlets that have been approved to cover the 2008 political conventions? It would be great to see who applied, who was granted access, and who was denied.

by Amanda Lang (22 articles, 13575 quicklinks, 431 diaries, 577 comments) on Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 3:26:27 PM

Stillwater is a freelance writer who hates injustice and corruption in any form but especially injustice and corruption paid for by American taxpayers. She has recently published a book entitled, "Bring Your Own Flak Jacket: Helpful Tips For Touring Today's Middle East". According to Ms. Stillwater, "It's a fabulous and entertaining book. I loved writing it. And I hope that you will love reading it too." It's available at http://www.amazon.com/Bring-Your-Own-Flak-Jacket/dp/0978615719 or you c...

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Jane StillwaterStillwater is a freelance writer who hates injustice and corruption in any form but especially injustice and corruption paid for by American taxpayers. She has recently published a book entitled, "Bring Your Own Flak Jacket: Helpful Tips For Touring Today's Middle East". According to Ms. Stillwater, "It's a fabulous and entertaining book. I loved writing it. And I hope that you will love reading it too." It's available at http://www.amazon.com/Bring-Your-Own-Flak-Jacket/dp/0978615719 or you c...

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55 bloggers in Denver

According to Google, the DNCC has credentialed a bunch of blogs (not mine! Humph.): http://www.demconvention.com/credentialed-blogs/. Their criteria apparently is whether or not these are state and local political blogs.

According to http://www.demconwatchblog.com/2007/09/how-many-journalists-will-cover.html, about 1,500 journalists will be at Denver -- plus or minus the 55 blogs. Who knows what the Republicans will be doing.

Sorry I can't come up with more information for you. Not only has Google failed me on this but I'm also too busy right now trying to talk my local MSM papers into sending me as their "color" reporter!

by Jane Stillwater (439 articles, 0 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 57 comments) on Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 5:07:08 PM

Bob Kincaid is a founder and host on the Head-On Radio Network ("The H.O.R.N.), America's Liberal Voice. "Head-On With Bob Kincaid" can be heard every weeknight from 6 to 9 p.m., Eastern at www.headonradionetwork.com Archives are available at www.whiteroseociety.org
Bob KincaidBob Kincaid is a founder and host on the Head-On Radio Network ("The H.O.R.N.), America's Liberal Voice. "Head-On With Bob Kincaid" can be heard every weeknight from 6 to 9 p.m., Eastern at www.headonradionetwork.com Archives are available at www.whiteroseociety.org

Hard to get into the Moose Club if you don't know a Moose

The conventions are social clubs. They credential the groups whose messages they think they can control.

While I can't speak to efforts by those you referenced, I can tell you that the Head-On Radio Network ("The H.O.R.N."), America's Liberal Voice, jumped through all the hoops, provided all the information demanded and were told "You're ONLY on the internet." That was that. No tickee for the big Moose Lodge Christmas party for us!

Ultimately, it appears that informational bigotry was at play. The "independent" in "Independent Media" is a profound threat to the buggywhip media and this sort of "gatekeeping" is about all they have left.

After all, it's worth remembering that Faux News will be providing the pool coverage in Denver. Yeah. Faux News.

by Bob Kincaid (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 43 comments) on Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 3:32:35 PM

Steven Leser specializes in Politics, Science & Health, and Entertainment topics. He has held positions within the Democratic Party including District Chair and Public Relations Chair within county organizations.

Steven Leser writes for www.opednews.com, an internet only media site that has grown to become one of the highest traffic news sites in America, reaching more traffic, according to alexa.com, than all but the thirty largest daily newspapers in the US. Mr. Leser is one of t...

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Steven LeserSteven Leser specializes in Politics, Science & Health, and Entertainment topics. He has held positions within the Democratic Party including District Chair and Public Relations Chair within county organizations.

Steven Leser writes for www.opednews.com, an internet only media site that has grown to become one of the highest traffic news sites in America, reaching more traffic, according to alexa.com, than all but the thirty largest daily newspapers in the US. Mr. Leser is one of t...

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OK, I'll come clean on this & Rob will probably kill me...

I had a wide open invitation to apply and get credentialed on OpEdNews' behalf and cover the convention. I have an in with the Obama campaign and could have gotten this in a walkover.

I wasnt interested. I didn't consider, however, that I could have handed the creds over to someone else and so I openly apologize to everyone and Rob in particular.

I just cannot afford to put my life on hold for a hold week for a big party, as fun as it would be. I loves my Barack Obama, but there is really nothing of substance that happens at either party's convention anymore.

I still have an invite to go to the convention but not as a credentialed press person or anyone with status. Again, I am passing. I even have a beautiful place to stay offered, but I cant do it. The flight alone is something that I could barely afford and couldnt justify just to go to a big party and hear great speeches.

I understand what the author is trying to say, but its not all that big of a deal, really. You can cover the convention quite well from your easy chair.

by Steven Leser (210 articles, 44 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 1384 comments) on Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 7:56:32 PM