The New York Times reports that bloggers en masse are being credentialed as the press at the Democratic and Republican national conventions:
This year, both parties understand the need to have greater numbers of bloggers attend. While many Americans may watch only prime-time television broadcasts of the convention speeches, party officials also recognize the ability of bloggers to deliver minute-by-minute coverage of each day’s events to a niche online audience.
“The goal is to bring down the walls of the convention and invite in an audience that’s as large as possible,” said Aaron Myers, the director of online communications for the Democratic National Convention Committee. “Credentialing more bloggers opens up all sorts of new audiences.”
So Peoria bloggers, if they wanted to, could travel to Denver or St. Paul to cover national conventions and be treated as the press. Meanwhile, here in Peoria, bloggers are excluded from District 150 press conferences.
We get treated pretty well by other local governments, including the City of Peoria. And while national bloggers do a lot of good, there’s more of a need for local bloggers covering city councils and school boards than there are for bloggers joining the herd at the national conventions. Ironically, there’s a debate in the media whether the attention (and resources) devoted to covering GOP and Democratic Party conventions is worth it.
But, yes, District 150 needs to acknowledge bloggers are news media, too.
Billy, yes, I only meant to indict D150. In my experience, no other local governmental body has excluded bloggers from press conferences.
Speaking of 150–C.J.–I had asked for information about Manual teachers–their
teaching credentials–type of certificate, endorsements (subjects they
can teach, etc.), master’s degrees, etc.
Shangraw just told me that the information is ready and will be
available as soon as she blocks out all names and identifying
information–that the attorney has advised her to do so.
I know that NCLB demands that parents be allowed to check the
credentials of their children’s teachers–do I have the right to ask
for names.
My main reason for wanting names is so that I can identify which were
the old Manual teachers as opposed to the new.
I will accept the info without names–but just curious if they are on
firm legal ground.
I asked the same question on District Watch website.
Does that mean that tax paying citizens aren’t allowed in? Or does it mean that bloggers are not tax paying citizens?
Sharon: Certain information is exempt from FOIA. The first thing you’d need to do is have the district tell you under what exemption they’re withholding that information. My guess is they’ll say 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(b):
It goes on to list specifically: “personnel files and personal information maintained with respect to employees, appointees or elected officials of any public body or applicants for those positions.” I’m sure what they’re objecting to is matching up names with confidential personnel information.
Once you determine that that’s indeed the case, you can appeal it if you want. You could make the case that information for which you’re asking “bears on the public duties of public employees” and are thus not an invasion of privacy. That wouldn’t cost you anything but time. If you were denied again, then you’d have to actually sue them to take it further.