DNC Blowing Blog Horn – Big Letdown Inevitable

NCC Grants Coverage Access to Bloggers

The Democratic National Convention Committee is granting unprecedented
access to the authors of online web logs, more commonly known as
"blogs." The inclusion of bloggers will offer the public unfiltered
access to the energy and excitement that will be created by the 2004
Democratic National Convention.

"The implications are enormous, and it is a very important
first step by the DNC to allow bloggers there," said Blaise Zerega, Managing
Editor of
Wired Magazine, appearing on CNBC’s Bullseye.The credentialing of bloggers
is an exciting new direction in the coverage of political conventions.
"It’s recognition that bloggers are as influential, if not more influential
in many cases, than mainstream media. Bloggers" – because of [the] unedited,
instant opinion [they provide] are breathing fresh air into print journalism,"
Zerega continued.

Blogs provide their readers with a constantly updated analysis of a diverse
spectrum of topics. In the excitement of an election year, many political
blogs are becoming very popular. Zerega notes that blog readers are "passionate
and engaged. [They] go to blogs seeking specific information on specific
subjects that matter to them." He feels that the extraordinary access
given by the DNCC to bloggers will provide new perspective on Convention
coverage.
The DNCC’s official blogger, Eric Schnure, agrees.

He believes bloggers will give "a fresh perspective that people wouldn’t
get otherwise." Schnure said that on the DNCC blog he intends "to give
people a better idea of what goes into building a Convention"mto give
people a little bit of a flavor of what they don’t get watching normal
coverage
of a Convention."

from the official Convention newsletter