The RNC, citing a shifting array of occasionally false excuses, denied press credentials to Y-Press youth journalists; even after attempts by Mike Pence and Murray Clark to assist the group.
First the excuse was that “it had always been GOP policy not to give credentials to people under age 18.” Which was false since the group had gotten credentials in 1992, 1996, and 2004. Then, one Republican official told them “It’s because you cannot vote.” Finally, the GOP was “just following policy.”
Sounds to me like nobody really knows why they’re rejecting these kids. They can decide who gets access to their own convention, of course; but it sure sounds like they missed the boat on this one. I was a high school journalist of sorts (working on my school paper); and I can tell you that some young journalists do fine work and take their job more seriously than some seasoned, adult journalists. (I do not speak of my own work in this respect — I mostly wrote an opinion column for the paper; the easiest job in the newsroom and now known as “a blog.”)
Update Looks like Y-Press got into the RNC through guest pass credentials.
Someone forgot Luke 18:15 “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them…”
I guess the GOP doesn’t listen to Jesus anymore…
Nah, Jesus was into that peace, love hippy crap. The God of the Old Testament, now he was a MAN.
But the Y-Press website clearly says that Y-Press kids are covering the Republican convention.
Yet another unsubstantiated Dem smear?
I don’t see any reports from them there, only that they were planning to go.
Did they forget their laptop or something?
Y-Press laptops at the Republican convention seem to be working fine according to the Y-Press blog at the R convention
is mook really suggesting that the indianapolis star article about y-press—”a non-profit youth-media organization that […] is located in the Indianapolis Star building”—is false? does mook think mary beth schneider was somehow hoodwinked by democratic party operatives?
the mind reels.