This was a press released issued by the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention Committee to Credential Bloggers in 2004, Making Convention First to be Covered by a Press Corps of Bloggers
Organizers Name Blog Team, Invite Public to Vote Online to Choose Official Journal’s Name
Boston, MA – Continuing efforts to allow more people to participate in the Democratic National Convention than ever before, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today launched the first-ever Convention blog, an interactive online journal, and named Eric Schnure as the official Convention blogger. In addition, organizers announced that some members of the blogging community will receive credentials to attend and participate in this summer’s Convention, making the 2004 Convention the first to be covered by a press corps of bloggers.
“The blogging phenomenon is bringing more people and ideas together every day, and as Convention planners, we are excited to open our event to that spirit and enthusiasm,” said DNCC CEO Rod O’Connor. “The DNCC’s blog will create an unprecedented opportunity for more Americans to exchange ideas and feel a part of the political process and our Convention here in Boston.”
The new blog, located on the Convention website at www.dems2004.org/blog, will run through Convention week, July 26-29, and will feature guest posts from prominent local and national political figures as well as members of the rapidly growing blogging community nationwide. The DNCC’s blog will also feature a listing of links to the Convention’s credentialed bloggers.
In the spirit of civic participation and the democratic process, the DNCC is inviting the public to vote online to choose the official name for the Convention blog. Visitors to the blog will be able to vote for their favorite name among the following candidates: bostonDparty, The Demosphere, Unconventional, and The Gavel.
Building on the enormous popularity of the internet-based phenomenon, the DNCC blog will create a forum to educate and exchange ideas on issues important to the Democratic Party and the country – mirroring the idea exchange that will occur inside the FleetCenter in July during Convention proceedings. These themes are consistent with Boston’s unique history as a birthplace of freedom and American democracy. By posting to the blog, citizens will be able to offer comments and ideas – from anywhere in the country - on different weekly featured themes related to the Convention, providing an extraordinary opportunity for political participation.
“There is already tremendous interest and excitement about this summer’s Democratic National Convention,” said O’Connor. “By launching our blog now, we hope to engage Americans across the country in a national conversation about the Party and the country leading up the Convention. Boston will be the physical focal point of that conversation – a conversation ideally suited to bring back the spirit of early American democracy to a Convention in the city where it was born.”
Accomplished political speechwriter Eric Schnure will serve as the official 2004 Democratic National Convention blogger. Schnure served as a principal speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore and has held various other communications positions in the Clinton Administration, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs in the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Chief Speechwriter and Communications Advisor at NASA. Schnure is currently a communications consultant and writes speeches for prominent Democratic politicians, executives at Fortune 500 companies, and members of the entertainment industry.
In addition to Schnure, Matt Stoller will serve as the Blog Community Coordinator for the DNCC. Stoller is the producer and co-creator of the Blogging of the President web project, an interactive media series on the ongoing digital transformation of politics and media. The nationally syndicated radio component, broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio in late January, was one of the first attempts to bring the conversation in the blogosphere directly into the broadcast media.
The DNCC is currently accepting credential applications from bloggers interested in covering the 2004 Convention. To welcome the first press corps of bloggers to this summer’s Convention, the DNCC announced today that it will host a breakfast for the blogging community on the opening day of the Convention, Monday, July 26th.
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