For the First Time, Bloggers andNew Media Journalists Will Have a Dedicated Facility and Resources for Coveringthe Democratic National Convention.Local organizations and national blogs team up with Digg, Google andYouTube to host The Big Tent new media center at the DNC August 25 - 28.
Big Green Tent ForBloggers at Democratic National Convention
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2008
CONTACT: Morrison Shafroth at 720-470-3653
DENVER, CO (June 25, 2008) -- When bloggersarrive to cover the Democratic National Convention this August 25-28 in Denver,they will have, for the first time, a central location to capture the nonstopaction: The Big Tent, a new media center created by local organizations,national blogs, Digg, Google and YouTube.
"We're creating acentral place for bloggers, new media journalists, and nonprofit leaders tohave the resources they need to cover an important national event, as well asthe opportunity to share ideas and talk about the critical issues facing ourcountry," said Bobby Clark, Deputy Director of ProgressNow, a Denver-basedorganization that will co-host The Big Tent along with DailyKos, The Alliancefor Sustainable Colorado, and its sponsors, Digg, Google, and YouTube.
The Big Tent will be a9,000-square foot, two-story structure that will house work space for bloggersand new media journalists as well as a the Digg Stage with events for thepublic.
There will be dedicatedspace for new media journalists and bloggers with free wireless network access,work space and a lounge with couches, televisions, food and drinks. A GoogleRetreat with massages and smoothies will greet guests at the entrance.
A significant section ofThe Big Tent will be open to the public where the Digg Stage will presentnationally known speakers and panels on global warming, the new energy economyand other hot topics during the day. There will also be workshops on blogging,community organizing and technology training, as well as a place where peoplecan record thoughts or comments on video to share with the world via YouTube,among other activities.
"The democratizationof media will contribute to the largest forum for public discourse inPresidential election history," said Beth Murphy, Senior Director ofMarketing with the popular social news website, Digg. "Bloggers andcitizen journalists will be critical contributors during this historic process.The Big Tent is a step toward leveling the playing field for these new mediajournalists who have not traditionally had the same access or resources. Italso supports Digg's broader initiative to help people discover new voices andshare ideas during this important election season."
"Ordinary citizensacross the nation have used new technologies to bypass traditional gatekeepersin both the media and political worlds and single-handedly transformed the faceof modern politics," said Markos Moulitsas, founder of Daily Kos."The Big Tent will allow those citizen journalists and activists, inpolitics and even outside of it, unparalleled access to the year's premierpolitical event."
Added Bob Boorstin,Communications Director for Google, "Citizen journalists, bloggers and newmedia mavens are changing campaign coverage this cycle. We're proud to join aneffort that gives them greater access to democracy in action and amplifiestheir voices during the Convention."
About the Big Tent:
Located at The AllianceCenter at 15th & Wynkoop Streets, just steps away from the Pepsi Center,The Big Tent will be a 9,000-square foot, two-story, air-conditioned structureoffering work space for journalists, bloggers and new media, as well as theDigg Stage with events that will be open to the public, and a YouTube areawhere people can record comments and ideas to broadcast to the world.
The Big Tent will alsohost sponsored happy hours each day from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., followed by livecoverage of every minute of the Democratic National Convention until 9:00 p.m.each night. When the Convention shuts down each day, The Big Tent willstill be going with late-night entertainment, including concerts and films.
Applications for afour-day pass can be submitted online through June 30th at
http://BigTentDenver.com.
About the hosts andlead sponsors:
The Alliance forSustainable Colorado is a nonprofit organization created to advanceenvironmental, economic and social sustainability in Colorado by building broadsupport among individuals, nonprofit organizations, business, government, andacademia. The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado's green office building, theAlliance Center at 1536 Wynkoop Street near Union Station, is home to 27nonprofit organizations. To request a tour of the Alliance Center, contactEmily Andrews at
eandrews@sustainablecolorado.org.
Daily Kos is the premieronline political community, bringing together activists, elected officials andordinary citizens committed to expanding participation in our democracy.Dialogues and conversations, action items and fundraising, citizen journalismand electoral politics--all converge at the site in a lively, effective formatthat furthers progressive causes and elects responsive representatives.
ProgressNow, the largestonline activist community in Colorado, was created to provide a strong,credible voice in advancing progressive solutions to critical communityproblems.
Digg has become theleading destination for people to discover and share the best content fromanywhere on the Web. With approximately 26 million visitors a month, Diggsurfaces the best content as voted on by the community, from the largest onlinedestinations to the most obscure blog.
Google'smission is to organize the world's information and make it universallyaccessible and useful.
# # #