Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!decwrl!vixie!asylum!sharon
From: sharon@asylum.SF.CA.US (Sharon Fisher)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Press policy at MacWorld Expo
Keywords: press, freelancers, no coverage
Message-ID: <12269@asylum.SF.CA.US>
Date: 9 Jul 90 14:35:21 GMT
References: <12233@asylum.SF.CA.US> <1990Jul4.060616.19026@mthvax.cs.miami.edu> <12242@asylum.SF.CA.US> <1715@tssi.UUCP> <1990Jul9.005454.333@mthvax.cs.miami.edu>
Reply-To: sharon@asylum.UUCP (Sharon Fisher)
Distribution: na
Organization: The Asylum; Belmont, CA
Lines: 37

In article <1990Jul9.005454.333@mthvax.cs.miami.edu> bsherman@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (Bob Sherman) writes:
>In <1715@tssi.UUCP> nolan@tssi.UUCP (Michael Nolan) writes:
>>I agree that LEGITIMATE press credentials are a good idea, and that it's
>>probably been somewhat abused in the computer trade press.  I'd have no
>>problem submitting an assignment notice from my editors if that's what
>>MACEXPO wants.  I do about six trade shows a year, and manage to write
>>stories from about half of them.  I pay my own bills at the major trade
>>show for my hardware manufacturer's user groups, so I'm NOT freeloading.
>
>And what fault do you find with the policy of the magazine getting
>the credentials and sending them to you instead of sending you an
>assignment notice that you have to present to get the credentials..???

Time.  Magazines are extraordinarily busy, disorganized places.  It's
easy for somebody to fax me a letter at the last minute.  It's not so
easy if the magazine has to know they're going to hire me in time to
request the badges and get them to me.

>The end result is the same (ie: if you are assigned, you get credentials)
>but it certainly helps hold down the abuses.
>
>>Nothing will kill off a continuing trade show like bad publicity, and if
>>MACEXPO is being extremely firm about their press credentials, that's 
>>probably what they'll get! 
>
>Why should a professional policy on media ticket distribution cause them
>bad publicity. Nowhere did the original message say they would not give
>credentials to the trade publications. It only indicated that they
>would not provide them direct to freelancers or stringers, however the
>publications sure can distribute them to whomever they wish to have 
>attend the show on their behalf.

This is not clear.  *No* magazine has received passes yet, and I saw a
posting by someone from Computer Shopper that they were told they
couldn't get passes -- they would be limited to Mac magazines.  I
haven't had this confirmed.  Also, nobody seems to know how many
passes magazines will be allowed to have.