INDCJournal: The Final Word?

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July 12, 2004

The Final Word?

Posted by Bill

During my e-mail exchanges with the DNCC, I've stressed three points:

1. Transparency and full disclosure

2. The possibility of reimbursement for travel cancellation fees

3. Re-credentialing the disinvited

In my last e-mail, I sent samples of my work and indicated that we're bloggers - we don't need box seats, gift bags with stuffed donkeys, docking ports, WiFi or complimentary breakfast; just access. Here's what looks to be the final brush-off from Eric Schnure, official DNCC blogger:

I know you're frustrated that this didn't end up the way you had hoped. We made an error. We tried to notify people of our error as soon as possible. That's it. There's really no more to say.

Eric

A couple of observations out of this whole deal:

1. The DNCC made an error with members of the new media; expecting us to take you at your word instead of offering process transparency is extremely naive and/or arrogant, exactly the type of attitude that routinely roasts politicians.

2. The bloggers that were invited are largely too busy basking in their anointed glow to even make the case for their fellow independent journalists. I e-mailed Patrick Belton from Oxblog, asking him specific questions about the timing and nature of his invite, and he didn't even bother to respond. In the AP report, Patrick is "tickled pink" that he was invited. Way to go Patrick; perhaps you can parlay that tickled pinkness into a career in the East Coast media establishment, as you may be coming close to embracing their elitism.

Am I bitter? Not especially. I will reiterate what I've said all along: I'm not surprised or particularly angry that the Dems used subjective criteria to pick bloggers for this brand new, experimental process, but I am certainly annoyed that they would committ the atrocious gaffe of inviting and then rejecting, especially when we are talking about literally only twenty bloggers. With the notable exception of Jeff Jarvis and a few others, the fact that no larger, cohesive blogger outrage has arisen is a bit surprising and certainly disappointing.

Instead of making it right, the Dems are just battening down the hatches until the mini-outrage blows over. Looks like their strategy may work.

UPDATE: John Tabin has an update, including an e-mail from Patrick Belton that sticks up for the DNCC based on the timing of his invite. Belton thinks that Tabin may have been too accusatory in his American Spectator column because of an hour's difference in timing. I fail to see what importance an hour represents when Belton was invited via phone, a full day after we were rejected because of limited space.

In addition to Jarvis, Pennywit also nails it:

"Class" means that you don't rescind an invitation once you give it. "Class" means that if you screw up, you find a way to make it right. "Class" doesn't mean that you say "sorry" and move on.

Posted by Bill at July 12, 2004 09:52 AM | TrackBack (11)

Comments

It's all b.s. spin. You got screwed, dude. But if you come on up to Boston, you still should be able to have a good time because the Mayah is relaxing all of the curfews that are normally in place up heah.

Don't bother renting a car, though. Because they are shutting down every major highway (and side roads) into and out of the city at night.

Posted by: sonofnixon at July 12, 2004 11:30 AM

Who's going to get outraged? Right of center blogs? Well, of course, but from the DNCC's standpoint, so what?

You should be writing people like Atrios and Kos and having them carry the banner for you. But good luck. Because the ends, remember, justify the means. "Fairness" is an antiquated vestige of objectivist philosophies that have been thoroughly deconstructed by the contingencies of postmodernity and its linguistic turn.

Besides, the ends justify the means.

Posted by: Jeff G at July 12, 2004 12:30 PM

Did I mention that the ends justify the means?

Posted by: Jeff G at July 12, 2004 12:30 PM

You've still got the SIGNED copy of your acceptance don't you?

Posted by: El Jefe at July 12, 2004 01:04 PM

Yup.

Posted by: Bill from INDC Journal at July 12, 2004 01:08 PM

The Republicans have said that they'll give bloggers media credentials. Has anybody heard of Democrats or other lefty bloggers having troubles getting credentials for the RNC Convention?

I've sent an email to them asking for their policies but have not yet received a reply.

Posted by: Rob at July 12, 2004 01:23 PM

If you've got a signed copy of your acceptance, why don't you just go?

Are you concerned that the DNCC is some terribly efficient organization in which people of laserlike intelligence operate fully aware of every minor change in operating procedure within nanoseconds of the changes being made? Because if they were, they might not let you in. But if they're not (which seems rather more likely to me), they might let you in.

And in is where you should be.

Posted by: Patrick Brown at July 12, 2004 02:37 PM

Well, Patrick, if you are comfortable gambling $1,000 - $1,500 on that, as well as four vacation days, I'll take check or PayPal.

Posted by: Bill from INDC Journal at July 12, 2004 02:51 PM

Bill, I got a letter from the DNC today saying I have been allocated press credentials.

My first thought was to pass the creds onto you, if you want them. (With the qualification of posting whatever you post here on Command Post as well).

I can see how you wouldn't want to go at this point, though.

Posted by: michele at July 12, 2004 04:33 PM

Check your e-mail Michele.

Posted by: Bill from INDC Journal at July 12, 2004 04:44 PM

Re Pennywit's comments about class. I realise that I speak a slightly different language but what these DNCC guys seem to have missed is that they are simply being impolite. They screwed up, they fix it. That is the obvious and simple reaction of any gentleman or gentlewoman in such a situation.
As you are probably aware I would not vote for a leftist this side of a snow alert in Hell but I did at least think that they were, however mistaken in their ideas, capable of basic good manners. Apparently I was mistaken. Good to get the news eventually I suppose, now I don't even have to pretend to give a shit about what passes through the horrid little oiks' minds.

Posted by: Tim Worstall at July 13, 2004 12:47 PM

I take it you are someone of a right slant. Prehaps the DNC is trying to limit people who may not appear to give a fair view to the DNC convention?

Posted by: drew at July 14, 2004 10:08 AM