Not to be taken seriously

There are signs of life over at The Media Bloggers Association. Some of you may recall my applying to join this group almost a year ago. Instead my application along with others has been stuck in limbo. A email from MBA President Robert Cox last November saying the application process would be caught up with over the holiday weekend. That is Thanksgiving for your information or over five months ago.

Now MBA has posted their new membership guidelines.

The Media Bloggers Association has ratified a sweeping set of new policies intended to formalize practices that had evolved since the organization was formed in 2004.

The MBA Mission Statement, approved unanimously by the board, expands on the MBA's original, informal, "Promote, Protect, Educate" mission, confirms the non-partisan nature of the MBA while spelling out the goal of extending "the power of the press, with all the rights and responsibilities that entails, to every citizen.

The new MBA Statement of Principles, the result of a long and often contentious debate, is an attempt by the members to articulate an ethical code for bloggers while recognizing the desire of all bloggers for complete freedom of expression. Rather than stipulate ethical requirements for membership in the MBA, the new Statement of Principles limits itself to "presenting standards as aspirations and offering guidance on how to achieve those aspirations through education, robust discussion and mutual support." Standards to which the MBA encourages its members to aspire include honesty, fairness, accuracy, transparency, accountability, and respect for the privacy of private citizens.

The new MBA Membership Policy is an attempt to bring order to what has been a chaotic application process. Bloggers will no longer apply directly to the MBA for membership but must secure a nomination from a current member in good standing based on the newly developed prerequisites for membership. Member applicants must agree to the MBA’s membership policies. The current policy of not charging member dues remains in place but a shift in that policy is anticipated in the new policies contingent on the MBA being designated a 501c3 non-profit corporation.

This seeminly put old applicants back to square one. Robert Cox did clarify that old applicants were being grandfathered in/voted under the MBA's former membership policy.

All I say is big whippedy do. People are still waiting. When is the next board meeting? Don't mind my sarcasm, but it could be a couple of weeks before hell freezes over.

I have little tolerance for people, companies or organizations that don't answer email or live up to their promises. Or in MBA's case their former membership policy and Robert Cox's email. This is a group in name only and I was interested in the beginning but not any more. This isn't personal either, I like several MBA members, Don Singleton and James Joyner of Outside the Beltway. James has been particularly kind to me. I just think very little of the organization they are members of.

On a side note James has some excellent commentary on a MBA blogger who is being sued. I wish Lance Dutson of the Maine Web Report good luck in his battle to tell the truth. Our government wastes millions every day.

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