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Monday, January 15, 2007

Ind. Gov't. - Bloggers in Some States Get Press Credentials

The January issue of State Legislatures, a publication of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), has a story titled "Bloggers Press for Power: Whether bloggers qualify for press credentials is getting a lot of attention in state capitols." Here are some quotes:

Eileen Smith, who blogs on InthePinkTexas.com, believes treating “qualified” bloggers as press is in the best interest of the legislature. “A known, credible blogger on the floor is better (and far less dangerous) than an unknown anonymous blogger in the gallery,” Smith says. She suggests considering a blogger’s education, experience and even legislative background when deciding who is “qualified.” Bloggers deserve consideration, Smith says, if for no other reason than their power.

“My statewide readership consists of influential political insiders, decision makers, motivated individuals, elected officials and their staff, lobbyists and voters,” Smith says. “I would contend that the reason traditional media outlets are granted press credentials is not because of their inherent objectivity, but because they have political power, influence and a direct line of communication to the public.”

Smith covered the 2006 session and plans to ask for credentials in 2007. At press time, Texas officials were working on a policy that would apply to bloggers.

Martin Kennedy, an economics professor at Middle Tennessee State University, will be new to legislative blogging this session with his Legislative Report. He, too, plans to request credentials. Why? “Credibility and access,” Kennedy says. “To make contacts more easily, to spread the word about the blog.”

Officials in the Tennessee legislature say he’ll likely get his wish. It’s easy in Tennessee. He just has to rent space in the press room.

Bill Hobbs, a media relations and blogging consultant who publishes the personal political blog BillHobbs.com, believes even Tennessee’s policy should be updated to be fair to “grassroots journalists” who may not be able to afford to rent space.

Letting bloggers have credentials would give the public another way to follow the legislature, Hobbs says.

“Journalists covering the state capitol can’t cover every piece of legislation that’s filed, but bloggers can focus on specific topics. I cover tax-type stuff, and I don’t cover legislation that may affect abortion rights,” he says. “Bloggers provide a second, larger set of eyes and ears and can find stories the news media missed.” * * *

Scott Gant is a lawyer in Washington, D.C., whose book, We’re All Journalists Now: The Transformation of the Press and Reshaping of the Law in the Internet Age, will be released in June. Are bloggers journalists? is a big question, but Gant takes a step further back and asks whether professional journalists should get preferential treatment at all.

Gant’s argument goes back to the Bill of Rights. He says the Supreme Court has never found that the “freedom of the press” provision of the First Amendment grants any rights that “freedom of speech” doesn’t apply to all citizens.

“Giving special privileges to established news organizations might violate the federal Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection,” Gant says. “There hasn’t been enough attention to that issue.”

Christine Tatum, national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, says newspapers are the “Fourth Estate”—another check and balance on our three branches of government. It would be wrong, Tatum says, not to save space for professional reporters.

“We’re talking about helping advance and promote an informed citizenry, which I contend is one of the cornerstones of democracy,” Tatum says. “We have to make room in these places for people who represent news organizations to be there. That’s how news organizations have traditionally functioned. They’re the ones who are willing to sit and listen to the blather and the grandstanding.”

The article goes on to look at topics for legislators such as six suggestions on how to reach out to blogs, and a discussion of where to draw the line: "All blogs shouldn’t be credentialed just because they exist, experts say."

The Thicket, also from the NCSL, describes itself as "a blog about the state legislative institution and federalism written by and for legislative junkies. Contributors are among the nation's foremost statehouse observers at the National Conference of State Legislatures."

Today Nicole Moore at The Thicket , the same writer who wrote the article in State Legislatures magazine, updates the story:

At press time, Texas, California and Tennessee were about to be faced with the question of whether to grant a blogger press credentials.

Tennessee has since said yes. Martin Kennedy, an economics professor at Middle Tennessee State University who blogs at Legislative Report, says he is a "proud member of the Plaza Press Corps." So he might be the first blogger to have press credentials in a legislature. But it's really not that difficult in Tennessee. You just have to rent space in the Capitol.

Stay tuned for updates on California and Texas as they become available. We'd also love to know if there's movement on this issue in other states.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 15, 2007 04:53 PM
Posted to Indiana Government