dnc convention to credential bloggers
the democratic national convention has an official blog. that’s not a big deal. what is the big deal is that several days ago, they posted this:
But we also hope this blog will be more – specifically, interactive. Consider this as version 1.0. As we get going, we’ll add more features like a comment board because we want to hear from you. We’ll have trackbacks and blogrolls that include, among others, our credentialed bloggers. We’ll offer links to interesting articles. And we’ll even have “guest bloggers” contribute their musings now and then.
emphasis is mine.
what makes that a big deal, you might ask? well, not too long ago, i said this about a little visa trouble that a particular journalist got into here in america…
for you journalists, i guess this is the fine print. not sure where blogs fit into the journalist spectrum. i can’t very well get a “letter from my employer” as i’m unemployed.
which is a reference to this requirement from the state department web site:
A comprehensive letter from the journalist’s employer on the employer’s letterhead identifying the journalist and describing in detail the nature and function of the journalist’s position. The letter must be addressed to the Visa Office, Department of State. If the employer is abroad and the journalist is the only U.S. representative, the letter must be signed by the employer and give the journalist’s U.S. office address and telephone number.
lately we’ve been talking about banning cell phones in north korea, then a little trouble with visas for journalists, and bloggers as journalists. can blogs save the us constitution from ourselves, or are we just a little bit better than north korea? is this anything like how we’re a little bit better than saddam when it comes to abusing prisoners, because when we get caught, we “investigate”?
i thought we were supposed to be orders of magnitude different in this country. i thought we were supposed to at least attempt to live up to the ideals we try to bomb into other countries. i thought we were better than this.
the dnc thinks that bloggers are journalists now. does that mean i need a visa before i post this? i guess it’s probably not a visa, since i’m already technically in the united states. maybe i need some other paperwork. if you don’t hear from me for a day or so, i’ve probably been detained for failing to file the required forms and pay the required fees to be a journalist in the united states.
i doubt they’re offering wifi in the detention facilities yet…