Comments on: LAPD Bars BlogHer From Covering GOP Debate

By: Karoli

Karoli — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:30:31 +0000

I agree, Nancy, and want to be sure it's clear that the Republican party and CNN had no objection to BlogHer's presence. I don't know if the issue was the venue at the Reagan Library or just a more restrictive (and dare I say it, paranoid) method of getting press credentials, but the LAPD showed ZERO flexibility in this instance, despite having records of both bloggers and having no problem with either one of them.

By: Nancy White

Nancy White — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:12:40 +0000

Every party needs to make sure women hear their message. Blogher helps carry those messages – for any party.

Someone is missing the boat.

By: Karoli

Karoli — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:30:31 +0000

By: Karoli

Karoli — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:30:31 +0000

By: Nancy White

Nancy White — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:12:40 +0000

Every party needs to make sure women hear their message. Blogher helps carry those messages – for any party.

Someone is missing the boat.

By: jbowmanp

jbowmanp — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:16:05 +0000

I agree that the LAPD's stance makes no sense so I would tend to agree that it was obstruction. . But, the difference between the Huffington Post bloggers and the BlogHer would go back to the point of who gets the passes. Those who have kissed the right ___ or?

By: Karoli

Karoli — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:12:43 +0000

I agree with you about needing to have some kind of standard or criteria to distinguish 'blogger media'. Here's my problem with what the LAPD did, though. The organizers of the event had already given permission for these two to blog. They had press passes already from prior employment with MSM. The LAPD *could* have acknowledged their prior MSM affiliation and permission from the event organizers and given them an updated press pass for their BlogHer affililation. Instead, they said "get in line and send in the paperwork." Even though that paperwork was offered via FedEx, they were adamant that they wouldn't 'do online'.

Yet, the Huffington Post bloggers were there liveblogging it tonight. It remains to be seen as to how they were able to get their 'law-enforcement approved press passes', but the bottom line is that there was intentional obstruction on the part of the LAPD to facilitate what had already been approved by the event's organizers.

At the very least, that smacks of an abuse of their authority. Other members of the MSM were offering to lend their own credentials, even, though they were politely refused (and rightly so) by BlogHer.

Intentional obstruction. Read the comments over on the BlogHer site about some of the other abuses LAPD engaged in.

By: jbowmanp

jbowmanp — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:05:08 +0000

I realize that this is mostly about BlogHer and LAPD's "doesn't do online" stance but I consider many bloggers part of the "media pundits". Yes they need to catch up and allow bloggers access. Yes, many bloggers are trying to bring the political process out to the cyber world participants but this does in itself, the fact they are "bloggers", not mean the accuracy or quality of the reporting will rise.

On the fly social networking brings immediate reactions, reports, etc that is a good thing. But, just as I have to consider the source of information I get via tele, radio, and print, I too have to filter blog and social network info.

How does one go about deciding which bloggers will get access and which ones don't? I dunno. I suspect the higher rated, A Listed, and professional bloggers would. That still leaves the grass roots ideals in the dumpster. They are not going to give me a pass to blog from a debate nor most of my blogger friends.

The best way to get the process started would be of course to garner enough blogger support demanding a new policy. Then all the bloggers who demanded the change can sit back and read what all the blogger pundits have to say. Reporting is reporting no matter what the media outlet.

Just as the legal world needs to play catch up with digital copyright issues etc. the LAPD needs to catch up too.