Nieman Foundation at Harvard
Police departments are still figuring out how to deal with local blogs and news sites that want press passes — the key to getting past police lines in many jurisdictions. After an epic struggle, NYC blog Gothamist finally has one. Congrats to Jake Dobkin, Jen Chung, & Co. They describe a quasi-orwellian process, with a little humor leavened in:
“I was angry about having to spend so many hours preparing the exhibits and so much money on legal fees for a hearing I expected to lose,” Jake recalls. “I expressed this resentment by wearing blue socks with dinosaurs on them.”
Dobkin has written a guide for those navigating the process in New York. We wrote back in 2009 about the NYPD’s issues defining who’s press-pass worthy.
