Petrelis Files

SF Chron: Mainstream Reporters 
Scrum at News Conference

Remember a few weeks back the report at the SF Appeal about the police department revoking and denying press passes to new media types like bloggers, and how the public info officer for the SF cops said he'd received complaints from traditional media folks, saying some people with the passes were disruptive at news conferences?

Okay, maybe you forgot about it so let me remind you the point was the police, under whose control the press pass process rests, were clamping down on non-mainstream news people because they allegedly weren't as responsible as others with passes.

Well, lo and behold, those corporate media professionals themselves sure know how to act up with each other without any assistance necessary from bloggers. The Chronicle yesterday noted the following disorderly behavior from reporters:

The most gripping drama in the Chauncey Bailey homicide trial so far was when the impromptu noon-hour news conference with defense attorneys in the lobby of the Alameda County courthouse turned ugly between two reporters covering the story.

Eyewitnesses say KTVU's John Sasaki tugged Bay Area News Group investigative reporter Tom Peele with his hand, hoping to get the reporter out of the line of sight of his camera operator. Peele glowered at Sasaki, then sputtered, "Don't ever touch me again, Pretty Boy."

... But when the media scrum was over, witnesses say, Peele marched over to the TV newsman, got into his face and let loose with an expletive-laced tirade - once again warning Sasaki not to touch him. Peele was eventually pulled away by another reporter. ...

Peele called it a "minor incident ... the sort of thing that happens all the time" when reporters jockey for position during a news conference. ...

Happens all the time? Then why are the SF police revising their approval-process for non-traditional online reporters and bloggers who want an official press ID card? There are quite a number of inconsistent standards at play here.