| 26 August 2010
There has been a lot of debate going around the hockey universe in the past 24 hours (most of it before I woke up this afternoon) about bloggers receiving media credentials for NHL games. Its a dicey issue with more angles than I can wrap my head around.
The Big Deal About Credentials
Media credentials have been reserved for journalists since the dawn of time. Creds give writers access to the press box during games and the locker room after the games. They’re able to break news and pick up “insider information.” And professionalism was a big requirement when it came to credentials.
However, in the last five years or so blogs have been showing up quicker than drunk teens at the Hawks championship parade. Anyone can start a blog and opine about the latest happenings with their teams. Thanks to platforms like Wordpress and Blogpress, blogs are free and easy to start. Pretty much any fan with an opinion and an internet connection can have a blog.
Since there was no professional requirement, blogs were never taken all that seriously by NHL teams.
However, in the last five years or so blogs have been showing up quicker than drunk teens at the Hawks championship parade. Anyone can start a blog and opine about the latest happenings with their teams. Thanks to platforms like Wordpress and Blogpress, blogs are free and easy to start. Pretty much any fan with an opinion and an internet connection can have a blog.
Since there was no professional requirement, blogs were never taken all that seriously by NHL teams.
Flash Forward
Jump ahead to today. Print media is dying. Costs of blogging are very low. Some blogs have established themselves huge followings and plenty of credibility by joining networks like Bloguin or SBNation. All of a sudden, some blogs have been requesting media credentials from NHL teams.
But teams have been hesitant, and its tough to blame them. Blogs are such a new medium that its tough for media departments to distinguish between the legitimate writers and the *ahem* basement dwellers, per se. Therefore, most teams have categorically dismissed blogs all together when it comes to credentials.
But this is an issue that isn’t so cut and dry for NHL organ-I-zations. With newspapers taking writers off beats and declaring bankruptcy left and right, it is pretty clear that print media journalists will soon be as relevant as Blockbuster or VCR repairmen. The internet is taking over as the new writing medium and blogs are all the rage.
Personal Take
One of the things in the credential conversation that is usually left out is the motives of the people behind the blogs. I’ve talked to plenty of bloggers who are writing as a way to build their resume for their journalistic career. On the other hand, there’s also writers like myself who do it as a hobby. Its the hardcore fan who is writing for fun that the NHL should be worried about credentialing.
Aspiring journalists have everything to lose when it comes to media access. Screw up once in the locker room, and say goodbye to any shot you had of landing one of the few remaining media jobs.
But hobby bloggers can afford to have their creds revoked. A blogger without credentials can still provide quality coverage. NHL teams need to establish a difference between the hacks and the good guys. They can do that by looking at a couple of things:
- Track Record. Every new blog to pop up can’t be given a press pass. Teams should set a minimum requirement for how long a blog has been covering a team, so that the blog can prove their commitment to covering a team seriously.
- Network. If a blog is a part of a major blog network, they have someone who can provide legitimacy and hold them accountable if they’re writing garbage or acting unprofessionally.
- Transparency. Teams need to know who these writers are and what kind of audience they’re reaching. Sorry anonymous bloggers, but teams need someone to be held accountable. While traffic numbers shouldn’t be the only factor, the numbers are a good indicator of a blog’s legitimacy.
- Relationship Building. Until the team and the writer have built a solid working relationship, blogs should have to apply for credentials on a game-by-game basis. This will give teams the opportunity to evaluate the quality of the work that is be produced.
Parting Thoughts
Would I like to get media credentials? Absolutely. But I understand that since this blog is very new and I’m not trying to have a career in writing, that might be difficult. I feel that if I was given the chance to have credentials, I would use the opportunity. I feel like just getting some little bit of insight into locker rooms would allow me to add some quality to my content.
For more on this topic, check out the articles from Puck Daddy and Pension Plan Puppets.
