Information Regarding Press Passes

Over the past year and several months, various requests for press credentials have been floated to the Newsvine staff -- both in articles and in comments. The thought seems to be that a social-news site needs credible reporters if the community is to be taken seriously.

Thus far, no "official" passes have been awarded. Ultimately -- this is a good thing for two reasons:

1. Doing so would breed jealousy.
2. We don't need the staff to hold our hands.

Newsvine is what we make of it: Nothing more, nothing less.

If we want press passes -- if we want to be taken seriously as citizen-journalists -- we need to make the effort to make it happen.

In many cases, original reporting is as easy as making a phone call or sending an email: Request information, and you're likely to receive information. Do a little research. Find out how to contact someone who has a story to tell. Ask them if you can tell their story.

You are a member of this community. This means that you can use that membership to place yourself a few rungs above others on the ladder of credibility.

Forest Browne's recent acquisition of an America's Cup press pass is a perfect example: He took a chance, made a request -- and earned press credentials. There's no need to be envious of his position -- anyone on Newsvine can take that same chance by making the same sort of request.

Any number of popular events which you may be interested in covering provide online registration forms, and no one has anything to lose by filling one out. Of course, that request may be rejected -- and in many cases it probably will be.

Simply put: Forest didn't obtain a press pass by talking himself out of registering for one.

There's no reason why you can't be the guy or gal who stumbles into an amazing opportunity.

I recently contacted the staff in order to request information which will (in many cases) be useful in your pursuit of press credentials. (Most events require traffic statistics as part of the consideration process.)

Calvin Tang has been kind enough to provide the following (1) numbers:

• Approximately 600,000 Monthly Unique Visitors
• Approximately 3.5 million Page Views.

The following events are brought to you courtesy of a quick Google search:

Lollapalooza:

Lollapalooza in Chicago is more than just a concert. It is a musical, cultural, community experience, and is the first of its kind in this beautiful space. Grant Park is a jewel that the citizens of Chicago hold dear, and takes center stage as the star of this colossal show. Come to enjoy the music, the food, the art, the park, and each other. Remember that this is your party Chicago, and you should be proud. And when Lollapalooza packs up on Monday, we hope that the park and the city are just a little better than they were before the show began.

Kansas City Film Critics Circle (2)

The Kansas City Film Critics Circle is a group of media-based film critics who critique
current motion pictures on a regular basis. Dr. James Loutzenhiser, who passed away in November 2001, founded the group in 1967. The annual film awards are now called The Loutzenhiser Awards.

The 2008 Democratic National Convention (3)

The 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver will be a first-rate, technically savvy convention that will help put our presidential nominee on the path to victory for the November 2008 election. Working in partnership with the Denver Host Committee and the Denver Community, our goal is to make the convention an engaging celebration of the Democratic Party, the diversity we embrace, the values we share, and our vision for America.

Anime Expo 2007

Anime Expo® is the primary annual event hosted by The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). As a vehicle to promote animation and comics and a venue for the fan community, it has the pleasure of being the largest tradeshow in the US of its kind. In 2005, in its 14th year of existence, Anime Expo®'s attendance topped 33,000 attendees over the course of 4 days. Despite this success, Anime Expo® is still predominantly run by fans, who volunteer their time and efforts.

Glastonbury Festival

It's the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world.

It's like going to another country. It involves travel, and probably a queue to get in. Then you enter a huge tented city, a mini-state under canvas. The Law still applies, but the rules of society are a bit different. Everyone is here to have a wild time in their own way. The site has distinct socio-geographic regions. The more commercial aspects are around the Pyramid, Other and Dance stages, like the West End on a Saturday night has been removed to a field, beautified, and you're on every guest list, including the night time cinemas. And then there are more relaxed areas like the Jazzworld and Acoustic areas, and the family oriented areas like the Kidz Field, the Theatre and Circus fields, and an increasingly alternative aspect as you pass the Field of Avalon, the Tipi Field, and the Green Fields before you reach the hedonistic madness that is Lost Vagueness. And at the top of the site is the Sacred Space - its stone circle being a modern construction, and yet perhaps it has already seen as much celebration and ceremony as some of its foregoers.

Some of these links point to registration forms, some simply lead to contact information. Follow provided directions very closely if you choose to fill out a request form -- you should represent yourself as though you are filling out a job application.

(Also: You are ultimately a representative of Newsvine -- don't ruin a good thing for everyone by abusing your privileges if your request is accepted.)

If there is no registration form available, my suggestion would be to use whatever contact information is provided specifically for members of the press to inquire whether credentials will be provided for the event in question. (Some events provide passes, some don't.) It may also be a good idea to preface the inquiry with a bit of information about yourself, and also a brief rundown of Newsvine. (Including the above numbers.)

Provide a link to an example of your best work.

These are my suggestions, but "how you go about it" is really up to you.

Notes:

1. Using these numbers may be a small cheat as they do not represent traffic to your column, specifically. Don't ask, don't tell.
2. My assumption is that most cities provide a similar organization for film critics.
3. I couldn't find information about or a website for the 2008 RNC.

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