The Hindu : International : Blogging the conventions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 22, 2004

International

International

Blogging the conventions

NEW YORK, JUNE 21. A handful of scribes publishing in a newer medium will join the mainstream journalists at this summer's political conventions in the U.S. during the run-up to the presidential elections. They will be blogging.

Democrats are holding true to their ``party of inclusion'' billing vis-à-vis the online chroniclers, whose Web logs have leapt in popularity this year as political junkies increasingly get their fix with mouse clicks. Democrats say they will offer media credentials to a handful of bloggers. The Republicans say they are yet to decide what to do about them — credentialling deadlines passed with no announcement on whether bloggers could even apply. A GOP spokesman said details are still being worked out, but some analysts believe the party is wary of bloggers, who tend to be less predictable than mainstream journalists.

More than 50 bloggers met last Tuesday's deadline to apply for the Democratic National Convention credentials, of which an undetermined number will be selected based on originality, readership level and professionalism. Democrats consider blogs important for engaging younger voters and expanding journalism to the citizenry. For traditional media, both the big parties generally rely on rules established by committees of journalists to get passes to cover Congress. But no such procedure exists for blogs. Bloggers with Democratic credentials will get the same access as any other media to most of the Fleet Centre in Boston. If they need assigned spaces, they will be asked to pay for phone, furniture rental and other expenses just like mainstream journalists. But bloggers will share proportionally fewer passes to get on the convention floor where speeches are delivered.

As for the Republicans, Sree Sreenivasan, a New Media Professor at Columbia University, said the party ought to embrace at least a few sympathetic bloggers. ``Most bloggers who believe strongly in one party or another aren't going to stray from the message,'' Mr. Sreenivasan said. ``They will give access to stories that may not be covered otherwise.''

Some of the bloggers say their plans involve little more than going where the mood takes them. Their personal accounts are unfettered by editors — and most do not pretend to be objective. ``We don't have those constraints, which provides for more colourful coverage,'' said Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, whose Daily Kos is among the most visited political blogs. Many bloggers will wade through the largely scripted events, looking for fresh ways to expose the ``pandering and stupidity and... unpredictable madness'' on the sidelines, said Australian blogger Tim Blair, 39. ``This is a real landmark for the legitimacy of the blogger and a testament to their growing influence, said Jonathan Dube. ``That doesn't necessarily make them mainstream, simply because not enough people are reading them right now.''

— AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section

Abu Ghraib a scene of crime, says judge

First private space flight 'a success'

'Pakistan, Saudi Arabia set stage for 9/11'

Army gave us shelter: Karuna's ex-aide

Blogging the conventions

Seoul rules out troop plan change

A tired celebrity

Iran seizes three British naval vessels

Irish ban on polygamy

Britain to veto French E.U. choice

U.K. school bans skirts

Sukhoi engine problem overcome: Russia

India, China agree to enhance ties

Indian found dead in Saudi Arabia