The "New Media" apparently isn’t in Suffolk and Portsmouth Virginia

UPDATE: Ms. George and Ms. Cox-Wynn, I would like to bring to your attention this article.  I will quote a key point below.  My emphasis added:

42 percent of responding newspapers have added “early teams” to cover breaking news in the morning, and many are timing their deadlines to make sure there’s fresh content at peak traffic times. They’re also adding micro-sites for targeted audiences and staff blogs, and they’re forcing their journalists to create more multimedia content.

That’s right Ms. George and Ms. Cox-Wynn.  BLOGS

With blogs taking on a more active role as viable media outlets, one would think that cities like Suffolk and Portsmouth would jump at the opportunity to send out press releases to anyone who would publish the information.

When you look at the number of people who use the Internet, and in some cases, primarily blogs to receive and discuss local news and events I find this absolutely nuts.

Please don’t misunderstand me.  I am not saying that blogs are the end all to end all.  They have a LONG way to go.  Citizen Journalists are in their infancy and as such, have to work very very hard to gain any respect in the blogging community and it almost seems will never gain the respect of “paid journalists” on the staff of newspapers, magazines and television.

In Suffolk, Debbie George had this to say:

Debbie George, the director of media and community relations, said news releases are for media outlets, and she does not consider a blog to be one. If I add one blog, then I have to add all the blogs, George said.  -=SOURCE=-

I can almost hear her voice and the inflection she uses when she says she does not consider a blog to be a media outlet.  Well Ms. George…  you are wrong.

I personally received the exact same reaction from Ms. Claudia Cox-Wynn in Portsmouth when I asked her to place me on the mailing list for news releases.  “That’s a blog!” she said.  “I can’t send you this stuff. I have people to answer to.”

Well I’m sorry folks.  This IS the new media.  Like it or not.

The funny part about this is I do get press releases.  I get them from the Office of the Governor of the Commonwealth, The Attorney Generals Office, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, Presidential Candidates, Senatorial Candidates and more.  And not just from Virginia.  I have an interest in politics in California and Florida as well and receive regular press releases and invitations to events for media outlets.

It almost makes me wonder if press releases from these cities are even worth the fuss.

I would have to agree with Mr. Panagopulos:

“First of all, we have a city that claims to be open and transparent,” Panagopulos said. “I question that at this juncture.”

So for Mr. Panagopulos, and anyone else who has been denied access to press releases because they are a blog, link to this article, or the one in the Virginian-Pilot (see -=SOURCE=- above) and link to Mr. Panagopulos’ blog at Inside Suffolk Virginia.

So much for “sunshine”.

As a side note.  One of the comments on the Virginian-Pilot article was this:

Mailing lists are a pain

Submitted by jasona57192 on Mon, 07/21/2008 at 4:41 pm.

Big mailing lists are a huge headache to maintain so I understand why they would want to keep it small. It’s much easier to just post the releases on the web site and let people come get them.

Jasona57192:  They are not a pain.  Mailing list software on the server side is EASY to set up, EASY to maintain and EASY to configure so that people can add and remove themselves from the mailing list.  It would require little work from the IT Staff and even less from Ms. George.  It would be ONE email address for her to maintain.