CES 2008: The great blogger / press room controversy

Of all the things to discuss at CES, you wouldn't think that where you sit to work at the event would be an important one. But every time a group of us has come together to swap stories and share information, the whole "blogger's lounge or press room?" question comes up and with it a host of suspicious thoughts about what the CEA thinks of bloggers.

When we first heard about the new blogger category, we had a few questions. Some of us thought this might be a good thing - a generally more Internet conscious press room - and others wondered if it denoted not separate needs but separate status. I preferred to think it was the former, and that the CEA had simply recognised that bloggers work in a different way from some of the more traditional press. Furthermore, we were assured that we would have access to both press rooms, and that if we were dissatisfied with our status, we could switch to "Press" from "Blogger" and get the red badge holder instead of the white.

It didn't quite work out that way. Although freelance Shinies wearing red badges had no problems getting into the blogger lounges at the Venetian and the Las Vegas Convention Center, blogger Shinies were barred from the press lounge at the LVCC and banished to the distant blogging holes at the back of the South Hall. At the Venetian they were more easy going about freedom of movement, although when we went to pick up our press badges we were told that the staff "weren't sure what to do about this whole Blogger thing".

Some Shinies made the switch. I didn't. Although rumour had it that the press rooms had better food, the sheer amount of lard we've been fed in Blogville more than satisfied me. And all I cared about was a quiet, Internet-friendly space to work in and I got that in spades. Besides which, the women and men who staff the blogger's lounge in the Venetian are amongst the most cordial, helpful people I've ever met.

But just because I've found a comfortable spot for myself, that doesn't mean that I think it's acceptable. I've had every sort of reception wearing my white badge from confusion and suspicion to enthusiasm beyond that which greets the traditional press because to some exhibitors blogs are the unquestioned way forward. Despite that, I'm not sure splitting the categories so markedly makes life any easier for us because it makes the exhibitors differentiate between us, as if all bloggers at CES were informal, part-time proto-journalists.

What would I like to see? Well, perhaps a sub-category of Blogger within the Press section that, rather than demanding its own segregated press room, could perhaps grant access just to quiet areas for taping vlogs and podcasts. The press rooms now should surely be Internet-friendly anyway, and in fact the free WiFi in the press room was weak as hell in the blog lounge, an issue in and of itself.

I've said everything I need to say about blogging as a legitimate form of journalism before, so I'm not going to repeat myself. I'm just happy my job brings me to places like this, so I'm not going to have a major whingefest. I can only hope that the CEA has its heart in the right place and understands the impact press segregation has on the ability of all types of journalist to do their jobs.

Alexandra Roumbas is Deputy Editor of Shiny Shiny and is working from her hotel room. You'll be allowed in if you have the magic password.