/24-7PressRelease/ - DENVER, CO, June 29, 2008 -- When bloggers arrive 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 nonstop action: The Big Tent, a new media center created by local organizations, national blogs, Digg, Google and YouTube.
"We're creating a central place for bloggers, new media journalists, and nonprofit leaders to have the resources they need to cover an important national event, as well as the opportunity to share ideas and talk about the critical issues facing our country," said Bobby Clark, Deputy Director of ProgressNow, a Denver-based organization that will co-host The Big Tent along with DailyKos, The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, and its sponsors, Digg, Google, and YouTube.
The Big Tent will be a 9,000-square foot, two-story structure that will house work space for bloggers and new media journalists as well as a the Digg Stage with events for the public.
There will be dedicated space for new media journalists and bloggers with free wireless network access, work space and a lounge with couches, televisions, food and drinks. A Google Retreat with massages and smoothies will greet guests at the entrance.
A significant section of The Big Tent will be open to the public where the Digg Stage will present nationally known speakers and panels on global warming, the new energy economy and other hot topics during the day. There will also be workshops on blogging, community organizing and technology training, as well as a place where people can record thoughts or comments on video to share with the world via YouTube, among other activities.
"The democratization of media will contribute to the largest forum for public discourse in Presidential election history," said Beth Murphy, Senior Director of Marketing with the popular social news website, Digg. "Bloggers and citizen journalists will be critical contributors during this historic process. The Big Tent is a step toward leveling the playing field for these new media journalists who have not traditionally had the same access or resources. It also supports Digg's broader initiative to help people discover new voices and share ideas during this important election season."
"Ordinary citizens across the nation have used new technologies to bypass traditional gatekeepers in both the media and political worlds and single-handedly transformed the face of modern politics," said Markos Moulitsas, founder of Daily Kos. "The Big Tent will allow those citizen journalists and activists, in politics and even outside of it, unparalleled access to the year's premier political event."
Added Bob Boorstin, Communications Director for Google, "Citizen journalists, bloggers and new media mavens are changing campaign coverage this cycle. We're proud to join an effort that gives them greater access to democracy in action and amplifies their voices during the Convention."
About the Big Tent:
Located at The Alliance Center 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 structure offering work space for journalists, bloggers and new media, as well as the Digg Stage with events that will be open to the public, and a YouTube area where people can record comments and ideas to broadcast to the world.
The Big Tent will also host sponsored happy hours each day from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., followed by live coverage 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 will still be going with late-night entertainment, including concerts and films.
Applications for a four-day pass can be submitted online through June 30th at http://BigTentDenver.com.
About the hosts and lead sponsors:
The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado is a nonprofit organization created to advance environmental, economic and social sustainability in Colorado by building broad support among individuals, nonprofit organizations, business, government, and academia. The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado's green office building, the Alliance Center at 1536 Wynkoop Street near Union Station, is home to 27 nonprofit organizations. To request a tour of the Alliance Center, contact Emily Andrews at eandrews@sustainablecolorado.org.
Daily Kos is the premier online political community, bringing together activists, elected officials and ordinary citizens committed to expanding participation in our democracy. Dialogues and conversations, action items and fundraising, citizen journalism and electoral politics--all converge at the site in a lively, effective format that furthers progressive causes and elects responsive representatives.
ProgressNow, the largest online activist community in Colorado, was created to provide a strong, credible voice in advancing progressive solutions to critical community problems.
Digg has become the leading destination for people to discover and share the best content from anywhere on the Web. With approximately 26 million visitors a month, Digg surfaces the best content as voted on by the community, from the largest online destinations to the most obscure blog.
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.
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