Maintaining a blogger’s reputation backstage will keep the passes coming

Before a blogger can even step backstage, the key is to have a press pass. However, with the increasing number of bloggers in the online world, getting the “backstage pass to the world” may not seem as easy. Many traditional journalists don’t consider bloggers journalists, and as the debate continues, the online blogging community gathers to help each other get a foot behind the curtains.

 

In a 2012 interview with The Express Tribune, journalist Talat Hussain stated that bloggers are “not backed by any sense of accountability or responsibility.” Hussain also said that while many groups claim they are journalists, they “are not.” According to Hussain, the “frantic pace of exchanges” in the online communication has caused bloggers to “dumb down” their content to “cram information into the limited mediums of communication online.”

 

During Obsidian Finance Group vs. Crystal L. Cox in December of 2011, a judge explained that bloggers are, in fact, journalists. Kevin Padrick of the Obsidian Finance Group sued Crystal L. Cox, a self-described “investigative blogger,” based on defamation. Although the judge ruled in favor of Padrick, he clarified the definition of “media.” According to the judge, Cox’s action in tainting Padrick’s name on the web denies her of “media” status.

 

Sheila Francis, a spokesperson for Verizon Center in Washington, DC, spoke to Back of House on their policies in releasing press passes to bloggers:

 

“First, the number of followers the channel has. How long has it existed, and what is the history of coverage of concerts and events? And if that’s all set and ready to go, we’ll pass your request on to the tour for approval, and it’s up to their discretion whether or not the blogger gets approved.”

 

It is apparent that in the online world, a traditional media accreditation would come in the form of analytical data: length of existence and the number of followers. Francis also emphasized the importance of having a history in covering the intended event, stating that Verizon Center “[looks] for media outlets that show a history of coverage for [a] particular event.”

 

Several online communities geared toward bloggers, such as The Blogger Connection and TwentyTwenty, are providing vital information to online writers: how to get a press pass. Former CBS journalist Debbie Mitchell wrote in The Blogger Connection about the step-by-step process for obtaining a press pass for independent journalists and bloggers, even those that are available for purchase.

 

What could maintain a blogger’s reputation backstage is professionalism. According to Joey Clift of TwentyTwenty, “it’s easy for bloggers to get press passes nowadays, but that could change if artists start having bad experiences with them.” Although, as reminded by Francis, “every journalist has their right to their opinion,” a blogger’s key to the backstage press pass will always remain in the hands of the venue, and obtaining that key means maintaining a reputable blog.