Misery Index

What's next?  Obama selling ice cubes to Eskimos?

The Obama camp has put hefty price tags for reporters if they want access to the file center - which is the place to find Obama officials and spokesmen on Tuesday night. 

Bob Knight, director of the Culture and Media Institute says, "In all myyears as a reporter and editor, I have never heard of anything like that," he said, "and I just asked a colleague at a major newspaper if he had [ever heard of such a thing] and he said, 'No.'  He finds it very strange."

From the Obama Campaign...

The following coverage resource packages are available for purchase:

    *  Main Riser Position:  $935 (Includes 4 Main Riser Credentials, 5'x8' Slot on Covered Main Rise and one 20 amp circuit)

  *  Main Riser Position with Telecommunications:  $1870 (Includes Main Riser Position services, PLUS two unlimited long distance/local phone lines and one wired high speed Internet connection)

  *  Cut Riser Position:  $880 (Includes 4 Cut Riser Credentials, 5'x8' Slot on Covered Cut Riser, one 20 amp circuit)

  *  Press File Seat:  $935 (Includes 1 Press File Credential, seat in heated Press File Tent, Power, Cable Television, High Speed Wired Internet Service, Catering)

  *  Satellite Truck Position:  $900 (includes 35'x20' parking position and 100 amp electrical service)

  *  Radio Position:  $715 (includes table space and chair behind the riser, power and an ISDN BRI line for radio -- comes with two credentials)

Additional Services May Be Purchased 'a la carte':

  *  Unlimited Long Distance Phone Line - $300

  *  High Speed Wired Internet - $275

  *  One 20 amp circuit - $165

But for the super spend thrifty, there is free access to the General Media Area however, quite unappealing as compared to above.  This area is outdoors, unassigned and may have obstructed views.  Additionally, it does not include access to riser positions, satellite truck parking or the press filing center.

So lets add this up shall we?  What media isn't going to want a main riser position with telecommunications?  Seriously, your there but you can't report back in?  So that's $1870 for one person.  Then if you are going to have satellite, like all tv stations do, that's an additional $900.  So basically it comes up to $1870 + $900 = $2770 per person (this option does not specify 4 credentials).  Now, if 50 TV stations are there, and I think I'm being conservative, that would be $2770 x50 = $138,500.  Taking into consideration that there will probably be there for probably around 100 newspapers, who will want the main riser position that comes up to $935 x 100 = $93,500.  So basically Obama camp is looking at making at least $200K off the media that evening, if not half a mil.  And that's provided that your a good little reporter, and not ask "bad" questions............

I guess Obama has forgotten all the media has done for him for free.... but then again, if you as a media outlet aren't pro-Obama and anti-McCain, you are shunned, ousted, or threatened with a lawsuit.  Welcome to the "Free Press" in the "New World".  How's that for the first "change"?