Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Two Cents On Blogger Accreditation

My friend Jeff has a great post up, that covers much of my perspective on the LPC decision, so I won't rehash. Kinsella also has a succinct post on the subject. I've sort of held back blogging about this subject, just a bit of whining on twitter and lots more in private. However, I have a couple points to add, because the way this whole decision went down is instructive as to what is wrong with the Liberal Party.

I'm the one who first applied for accreditation, primarily because I wanted a power cord and a chair to plant my computer, but also because I did want access to certain things. I don't consider myself "real" media, let's get real here. However, that designation doesn't distract from relevant commentary, my opinions expressed here have value, it's up to readers to decide how much. What really bothers me is PROCESS itself, not necessarily the decision itself.

Of course the decision is money related, I know that rationale for a fact and that's understandable. Truth be told, the glitzy blogger room at the last convention was rarely used, most of us we are on the floor where the action was, it was a WASTE of money. Ditto for the Thinkers Conference, again, nice to have I suppose, but not of much practical value. As well, some did attend events using accreditation, without paying any fees, so the party didn't capture this money they otherwise would have. Never mind the PITTANCE that number would be- the actual number of bloggers insanely small- for a party desperate to trim fat, an easy candidate. In other words, some sound logic for toning down the expenditure.

Here's the RUB though. Did the LPC ask any social media types for input? NO, I found out the new world order from a request, there was no consultation or anything, just LPC types in Ottawa deciding what is best, and in so doing revealing just how out of touch they really are, HEREIN lies the problem. Had this party acted like an egalitarian entity bent on renewal and rebirth they would seek out opinion, and surprise, surprise, they would have found most involved were already PLANNING on paying, and most didn't see a need for a blogger room, cost concerns not an issue!

My immediate reaction to the decision was to say, and this VERBATIM, the LPC will create a needless optical problem, once people like Stephen Taylor get hold of this decision they will cause a stir and we'll look bad. What would it say about a party that is claiming to be inclusive, egalitarian, grassroots in focus, for the people, bent on true renewal and forward thinking, to go BACKWARDS on social media? Here we have countries like Israel formally recognizing bloggers as journalists, and the LPC moves the other way on social media types? Again, the whole thought process denotes a real disconnect, how ANYONE couldn't have foreseen the reaction escapes me, because it was obvious and predictable.

There will be no re-think, because that's not how the LPC operates, father knows best and others are unfortunately left to rationalize bad decisions. All this decision does is tell me the Liberal Party needs to cleanse itself of the elitist attitudes that pervade the entire apparatus. Bloggers were going to pay anyways, bloggers didn't need bells and whistles, the concerns of no real concern, but that knowledge would require REAL outreach and a two way conversation. I will be going as a delegate with revolutionary spirit under foot, because this baby is broken and STILL doesn't get it....

Two cents.

15 comments:

Jerry Prager said...

this baby keeps shooting itself in the foot, that's why it's underfoot.

CK said...

edYou're worried about what the likes of a Stephen Taylor thinks?? Stephen Taylor who shills for a dictator PM??

Who cares what a gargoyle like Taylor thinks? You've given him way more importance than he deserves.

Steve V said...

I don't even read Taylor, that's not the point. You could make that comment about just about everything these days...

sharonapple88 said...

this baby keeps shooting itself in the foot, that's why it's underfoot.

You have to admit that one's foot is a convenient target. :P

Who came up with this decision?

Steve V said...

Headquarters.

Dr.Dawg said...

I attended the last LPC Convention as a non-delegate blogger, and used that Bloggers' room continually.

At the time I compared the openness of the Convention to the Conservative one I had attended earlier, where they kept media and bloggers pretty well bottled up.

As you note, the Cons have learned a thing or two since. The Liberals, however, are madly pedaling backwards in time, in their continuing race to oblivion.

Steve V said...

We did use that room, what I mean is we could have survived without it, access to a riser, powercord and internet would suffice.

Morakon said...

Give them hell at the convention Steve. This pisses me off. I prefer reading blogs to the Liberal website. I'm very interested in the convention but wasn't willing to dish out to go. So I want to read about it on my favorite blogs. It's so backwards. I've fired off an email to the party commenting that this is not the way to keep my Victory Fund dollars flowing

Steve V said...

Thanks Morakon. Like I said, it won't impact me, since I'm a PAYING delegate, VICTORY FUND contributor anyways, but for others that's some kind of bullshit asking them to shell out 1100 as an observer.

Steve V said...

And, watch how they don't change the policy, it will be a testament to the ivory tower thinking and assuming this is all inside baseball stuff. It's that logic that has us on life support, but what do I know....

Morakon said...

You would think they would want as much media at this as possible. Someone might want to tell them that this new Intertubes thing is getting popular.

JimBobby said...

This decision begs the question: If they can't get the little things right, how can they manage the big things? Stupid, ill advised, uninformed, arbitrary, unsavvy.... and many more negative adjectives apply. This really doesn't bode well for that highly touted "renewal" the party is looking for.

JimBobby said...

Cherniak just tweeted that LPC reversed policy.
http://twitter.com/Cherniak/status/149630350027534337

Steve V said...

Nothing has changed.

JimBobby said...

Yeah... reading the official letter proves nothing has changed. No independent journos or bloggers.