UPDATE: AMPAS did not state if the 5 PM time was eastern or Pacific in the press release; since it's on the West Coast, Pacific time (PST) should be used.
Apparently the presence of this video-blogger will not be counted either. After being invited by AMPAS to submit a press credential application for the Oscar and Oscar-related events, the result was three successive rejection emails without a reason other than "lack of space".
Again, I was invited. I would think AMPAS understood their space needs ahead of time, before invitations to apply for The Academy Awards were sent out. But even more disturbing is that there's not one set of metrics that's used to determine who gets an invite or who gets admitted.
This kind of 1960s gate keeping in the 21st Century is awful. Below is the email letter of protest of their decision that I wrote to Leslie Unger, the Director of Communications at AMPAS:
Hi
With all due respect, I really must protest AMPAS decision not to grant a press credential to me for The Academy Awards and its related Nominations Events and on a wide scale.
First, I was invited to apply by AMPAS last year and because I'm on the AMPAS press list. Second, I met all of the necessary application document criteria as per AMPAS instructions. Third, I have regularly covered the Oscars and film via my blogs and videos and have an online reach that's better than the vast majority of media outlets you have credentialed (including an average of 26,000 video views a day on YouTube alone). Fourth, my overall reach is much greater than it was even when I was granted an Exterior Pass last year as my blog is on Zennie62.com and I own 100 blogs, and blog at SFGate.com and The Examiner and I'm syndicated by Newstex. Fifth, AMPAS has no - zero - set of metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of media that's asked to apply for credentials before an application is submitted.
That's really not the way to set up a system. By contrast, the Democratic National Committee had a clear set of metrics for the 2008 Democratic National Convention: Technorati authority rating, minimum number of blog posts, minimum number years that the blog was in existence.
I knew what the metrics were and determined that I met them, so I applied. The result was that my blog was one of 124 that was credentialed for the DNC in 2008.
Please note the word "number" - that's the expression of a "metric" or a way of measuring.
See:
http://demconvention.wordpress.com/blogger-credentaling-process/
And this is the list of credentialed blogs (mine is at the bottom of the list):
http://bloggers4obama.com/2008/05/30/dallas-south-credentialed-for-2008-democratic-national-convention/
There were thousands of blog that did not make the cut, but they knew the metrics going in. They could have chosen not to apply if they just looked at where their blog was compared to the metrics, but some people did not do that. But they knew and the process itself was easy. And to help those blogs that did not make the cut, The Daily Kos and YouTube created something called "The Big Tent" at the DNC.
That was and has been missing in the Oscar Press Credential process and it's really unbelievable that an organization like AMPAS would have such loose system. Your system must be numerically based so that people like myself know the rules of the game. That's a rule that's as old as discrimination law itself. Otherwise, how does one know if they're not being discriminated against racially or in any other kind of way?
I am not concerned about AMPAS tradition here; the 21st Century, technology, and American History have changed our culture such that it's a meritocracy. "If I achieve X level or number, then I get Y" is the way now and it's at the center of New Media. AMPAS must reflect the expectations of media in the 21st Century.
All of this has been most upsetting to me because it's not right. Moreover, I'm of the opinion now that AMPAS thinks I'm someone without any reach, say, or influence, thus this treatment. I remain a fan of AMPAS and of OSCAR, so it's in that sprit that I embark on my quest for change.
I understand that your office deals with many people who "want in" and claim to be press. But I am on the press list, was invited to apply for credentials, put a lot of people through their paces to meet the application document requirements, waited for the result because I would then get a sponsor for my trip on that basis, and this.
Basically, AMPAS has harmed my ability to achieve my professional objectives; given how this happened I'm deeply saddened and upset with AMPAS. The only way I know how to explain to the World what's happened is by using New Media. It just happens to be a powerful tool. Maybe then AMPAS will understand and at least work to set criteria or for that matter ask me.
That would be a good idea.
Best,
Zennie Abraham
Stay tuned for my video version.
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