Eventually someone from a blog/website will end up there, if it isn't Mr. Martinez-Alequin. The problem is: How will someone choose which blogs and which websites will get to be there? Some have been allowed to report straight from party conventions and other important events and I wonder if we will see press passes given to favorable bloggers/site administrators, subject to change with the political tides, of course.

City Hall will just be another front on the battle to determine the difference between a journalist and someone that isn't. But, if Martinez-Alequin is given a pass, the question will then be who else could have a case for a pass?

BTW, in my years at City Planning, I was twice asked to stand in the back of a room at a City Hall press conference in which a DCP initiative was being announced (inobtrusively at the end). I was there, along with a bunch of other junior people, in case DCP officials needed to ask me a question, which never happened. I found the questions inane. In once case, after a stupid personal question having nothing to do with the issue or government, Giuliani walked out, and I didn't blame him.

Of course, you always worry that access will only be granted to those who toss softballs.

Ah, but don't journalists rely on access to even get to ask the questions? After all, no one cares what all but a few incumbent pols think, let alone challengers. So there are questions that aren't asked.

Which is just as well, because there are things the incumbent pols can't say. Otherwise legislative leaders might force them to face actual elections, and cut them out of the pork.

The political and legislative leaders would have have to, or certain important interests would cut off their money.

"There is no "journalist" in New York who asks anything but soft ball questions.  Reading the newspapers, magazines and blogs that purport to report on anything in NYC is just as good as reading a press release.  There is no more independent investigatiion in journalism.  It would be better to have open press conferences.  Maybe then, at least, the attendees would demand more meaningful responses to tougher questions."

You obviously haven't ever sat in on a city hall press confrence. Room 9 reporters are consistently the ones getting under the mayors/speakers skin with important questions.  

Listen to Rafael discuss his situation on Lisacast.com, a live talk show brought to you by BlogTalkRadio. Dial-in to participate at the number below:

Date: Sunday, May 13th, 2007
Time: 1:00 - 1:30 pm PST
Dial in #: +1 (646) 478-4956

Listen live from your browser at the time indicated above or download the show from the archive from the same link.

A lot of bloggers give the same appearance as Anonymous -- seeming ill-informed and intellectually cumbersome at best, maliciously ignorant and verbally ham-handed at worst. Admittedly, so do some acknowledged journalists. If anyone acknowledges Alicia Colon as a journalist.

So how do you credential real journalists -- a category that can include bloggers -- while excluding the kind of hacks who will use the access granted by their position in inappropriate ways?

The power of the media is the power to dictate which messages reach which people. It is a power of public influence.

So in addition to accrediting those who have the support of a publisher's money and resources, the city should accept petitions for a press pass. If a blogger has enough influence that as many people want that writer to sit in on a press conference as wanted Bloomberg to be able to run for mayor, the city damn well laminate him a pass and let that person in -- if for no other reason than there's a blog somewhere that a lot of voters will read.

And no blog writer worthy of a press pass would write a favorable review for a place that wouldn't let the blog past the door. Even if that place is City Hall.