I just returned from the DNCC press walk-through that introduced the national press to the convention facilities and helped answer our questions about being credentialed and about all the logistical issues surrounding the big party next year.
Probably before I post this, McJoan will have all of the information on the front page already, and I am sure that any thread there will eclipse my modest efforts at covering essentially the same ground.
Still, my diary will have something that her's will not, and that is this picture of her speaking with Gov. Dean. You can also catch a glimpse of DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry in the background in the yellow outfit.
Alas, McJ is the celeb and I am but the paparazzi. Nevertheless, I will report some details as I saw them.
UPDATE: Kos in the comments tells where the real party is going to be!
UPDATE 2: McJoan has it up on the front page. Lets take the comment party over that way!
The convention is working hard to make bloggers and new media feel welcomed, but the constraints on floor access still are going to be tight, and there are going to be some hurt feelings around the Colorado netroots. There is however some great news if you are a blogger from Guam.
There are two rounds of credentialing.
The first round is to assign one (1) blog 'outlet' from each state to their delegations. Colorado gets one. California gets one. The territories each get one. There will be 56 of these in total. Vacancies in this total will be reassigned to other states, but they really do not want more than two from any state. These people may get slightly more access to their floor delegations than otherwise.
The 56 credentials go to organizations. The organizations will choose who is the 'reporter' carrying the credential at any given time. The site and perimeter constitute a large piece of real estate, there will not be very many ways to make smooth transitions between 'reporters' but that will allow a slight broadening of participation.
Applicant organizations for the State Blogger Corps need to have blogs at least six months old, and have at least 120 politically related blog posts. They will be asked to submit daily audience numbers, Technorati stats, and anything that makes their blogs, "stand out as being an effective organizing tool and/or agent of change."
Anyone who doesn't make this cut is tossed in for consideration with the round two candidates.
There is no decision yet as to how many in round two. This pool includes the overflow of round one, the national bloggers, the semi-political 'niche bloggers' and anyone else engaged in new media who may not need access to a specific delegation.
Everyone who does not make the second cut will still be able to participate in outreach events beyond the convention walls.
The credentialing will be directed by Jason Rosenberg of the DNCC.
Details will be available from the DNCC Press Gallery at demconvention.com.
It looks like Rosenberg is doing what he can, and the Convention itself is being more proactive about welcoming the new media than they have in prior years. We have a ways to go before we can hope for better than 'separate and almost equal', both in the minds of the party and certainly before we have that sort of status in the minds of the 'traditional' media. All of them agree however that we are the coming wave and we are changing the way things are done.
Leah Daughtry promised the crowd that bloggers were going to cover the convention in innovative and ground breaking new ways. I'll see what I can do to break some ground for her, but she will have to let me in the room first.
"Good news and bad news, TakeBackTheHouse!
The good news is we are letting bloggers into the convention. The bad news is that you are competing for a credential with EmDash of Unbossed and Jeralyn of Talk Left.
You don't even win on 'pretty', blogger boy."