Should Bloggers be Given the Same Rights as Mainstream Journalists?

The past 20 years have come with important changes to our media industry as we know it. Print newspapers are becoming extremely rare, and mainstream media outlets are struggling to compete with small, independent outlets. The Internet has truly changed the way we consume and produce media today.

These changes have been largely in part due to the influence of bloggers and their content. Blogging allows essentially anyone to be a journalist, whether they are reporting on local issues in their community, or on a national level, some bloggers' content can be held in the same esteem as reports from mainstream media outlets.

Therefore, many have been asking whether or not these bloggers should have the same access rights as "real reporters." Access to political rallies, government meetings, etc. Obviously these bloggers have access to these events as members of the public, but they want the same rights as the mainstream press has; access to interviews with candidates, special admittance, the ability to have cameras and film. There have been several instances where bloggers have been denied these rights.

In Oregon, back in 2008, Mark Bunster was denied access to an executive city council meeting in Lake Oswego. Mainstream news outlets are allowed access to these events, and Bunster insisted that he indeed was a reporter.

Bloggers have reported issues with access to events like Trump rallies, but this is another issue entirely, as Trump has been extremely selective with which outlets he will allow into his events. POLITICO reporter Ben Schreckinger was also denied access to a Trump event that he was previously given access to, and Trump has denied other liberal or "foreign sounding" outlets like Al Jazeera America.

Regardless, I feel that if bloggers are producing content that is just as factual and creative as mainstream media outlets, they should be allowed access to the same events.