Media Credentials for bloggers

This specific piece deals with hockey but it could apply to any sport.

I think I know what most of you are going to say, but I'll throw it up here anyway.

http://mirtle.blogspot.com/2007/01/on-credentials-for-bloggers.html

 

It's a serious issue for every league.
FWIW, both major political parties have acclimated themselves to bloggers at their conventions. It shouldn't be that hard for leagues to do it.

 

Except political parties want as many people who'll tow the party line via blog as possible. Sports leagues have to be a lot more discriminating, just because of heightened access and limited space.

 

Well, all leagues except the NHL. I think they would be the first - and only - to offer creds to bloggers.

Even then, I know for a fact the Oilers don't even allow access to "website writers," or those that work for e-zines.

 

The NHL will take any pub it can get, with that said, it may be good for this league. However, it won't be anytime soon that this will go on in the other major sports.

I know that D-I football team that I cover has a few Web sites (bloggers) each year who want to gain access to games in the press box, post-game interviews, etc ... They are denied every time. That certainly diminishes ones credibility.

 

Too much is made of this issue. Web, newspaper, magazine, the medium doesn't matter; the determining factor for all credentials should be the verifiable size of your audience. Buster Olney in; Justin Morneau Daily, probably not.

 

Not all blogs are partisan. Some of them are news sources with a particular political bent, not unlike newspapers. But, if teams can find room for every nitwit with a radio logo stapled to a mike, they can find room for four or five people with laptops.

 

Part of it is bloggers are almost always unestablished. It'd be like starting up a weekly paper or monthly magazine and trying to get a credential for a big-time event. Not likely to happen. Show that your site has 250,000 uniques and some proof that you're reporting and working it instead of masturbating in HTML code, and you've got a shot. Otherwise, your only in is if you're a known quantity (or in ACC circles, the Tucker McLaughlin Exemption).

 

Offhand, do you how many of the 2004 conventions' credentials went to non/bipartisan sites compared to, say, Donkey Dave's Democratic Dance Party? Now my curiousity is mildly piqued.

 

How do you verify a bloggers audience? By hits? That doesn't work. This site has thousands of "hits" per day, but many are by the same person.

Blogs = People posting from their mom's basement.

 

Best I can do on short notice. I assume the total's similar for the 2004 RNC in NYC.
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/001461.php

 

Simple enough. Vistors or unique vistors. The metrics are available. And your blogs=people posting from the basement is very 2002. There are dozens and dozens of blogs with large audiences, of course most of the well-read blogs are from people who are known quantities -- celebrities, politicians and established writers.