"When Bloggers and Political Candidates Collide"

The Indiana Coalition for Open Government and the Indy Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists are sponsoring "When Bloggers and Political Candidates Collide" at noon on Tuesday, October 3 at the Glendale Branch Library, Glendale Mall. Seventh District congressional candidates Rep. Julia Carson and her Republican opponent Eric Dickerson are invited. Bloggers Jennifer Wagner, Indiana Democratic Party communications director; Abdul Hakim Shabazz, radio talk show host; and RiShawn Biddle, Indianapolis Star editorial page writer, will participate.

A few people have asked me about this event and why I'm not participating on the panel since I've probably blogged more than any local bloggers on the 7th District congressional race. I was contacted a few weeks back by Kyle Niederpruem, a former Star reporter who now works for the Indiana Coalition for Open Government about participating in future events planned by the her organization. She tells me that she is interested in my participation in a larger event planned for next year, which will likely include several area bloggers, just not this event on Tuesday.

For some of us, it gets back to the old debate of what constitutes a blogger. I think Steph Mineart of A Commonplace Book will agree with me on this point. Each of the bloggers scheduled for Tuesday's events do their work as bloggers in connection with their full-time paid positions. Shabazz and Biddle are full-time journalists. Wagner is a full-time communications director for the Democratic Party. Yes, they are all bloggers as well, but they are quite different from fellow bloggers like Mineart, Bil Browning, Doug Masson, StAllio, Ruth Holladay, Mitch Harper, Marcia Oddi, Zach Wendling et al who are truly independent, unpaid bloggers. This latter group, in which I include myself, is more closely allied with what Internet junkies consider to be true bloggers who write to have their views heard, often which are overlooked by the mainstream media. It's a distinction some may consider subtle, but it's a major distinction to traditional bloggers like myself.

I would encourage folks to attend the event. I haven't heard any confirmation on whether either or both of the candidates will attend. I hope both will participate. I don't believe my schedule will allow me to leave work in the middle of the day on Tuesday to attend, but I hope to hear back from those who can make the event.