Media Bloggers Association
The Media Bloggers Association (MBA) is a United States membership-based, non-partisan voluntary association describing its activity as "supporting the development of 'blogging' or 'citizen journalism' as a distinct form of media".[http://www.mediabloggers.org/about About Media Bloggers Association] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622171622/http://www.mediabloggers.org/about |date=2008-06-22 }} – MBA Mission
In January 2007, an MBA member received press credentials identical to those of broadcast and print journalists at a federal court, to cover the trial of Lewis Libby, alongside bloggers from more established sites including Firedoglake, the Huffington Post, and Daily Kos.Associated Press, [http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jan/13/history-bloggers-get-trial "History: Bloggers get in trial"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807142943/http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jan/13/history-bloggers-get-trial/ |date=2011-08-07 }}, The Albuquerque Tribune, January 13, 2007. Retrieved January 25, 2007 The MBA described this as a significant step forward in its efforts on behalf of its members,Sipress, Alan, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/10/AR2007011002424.html "Too Casual To Sit on Press Row? Bloggers' Credentials Boosted With Seats at the Libby Trial"], The Washington Post, January 11, 2007. Retrieved January 25, 2007 (registration required) despite the fact that the major blogs covering the trial did not rely on the MBA for their credentials.[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/15/washington/15bloggers.html?hp& "For Bloggers, Libby Trial Is Fun and Fodder (Correction)"], New York Times February 16, 2007. Retrieved June 19, 2008
In June 2008, MBA became involved in a copyright dispute involving Associated Press demand of strict terms for bloggers quoting from their news at the request of Rogers Cadenhead whose Drudge Retort was affected.{{Cite web|url=https://workbench.cadenhead.org/news/3370/media-bloggers-association-got|title=How the Media Bloggers Association Got Involved|website=workbench.cadenhead.org}}
Criticism
Many of the MBA's members are unknown bloggers, but some are prominent bloggers such as Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit,The MBA logo can be seen on the Instapundit website Oliver Willis,{{cite web |work=Oliver Willis' blog |url=http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/06/18/media-bloggers-association-and-the-ap-story/ |title=Media Bloggers Association And The AP Story |date=June 18, 2008 |access-date=November 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081118115551/http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/06/18/media-bloggers-association-and-the-ap-story/ |archive-date=November 18, 2008 |url-status=dead }} Liza Sabater of Culture Kitchen,{{cite web | work = TechCrunch | url= https://techcrunch.com/2008/06/18/something-is-rotten-in-denmark-the-ap-nytimes-and-mba-love-triangle/ |title=Something Is Rotten In Denmark: The A.P., NYTimes and MBA Love Triangle |accessdate=2008-06-19 |last=Arrington |first=Michael | date= 19 June 2008 | authorlink =Michael Arrington |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025093713/https://techcrunch.com/2008/06/18/something-is-rotten-in-denmark-the-ap-nytimes-and-mba-love-triangle/ |archivedate=2008-10-25 }} This article is still live, but all comments have been removed from it. The cited comment originally had the number 2379728 and was posted on June 19th, 2008 at 4:05 am PDT. and Jeff Jarvis of BuzzMachine. Still, some bloggers have claimed that the MBA has made sweeping claims to represent bloggers.{{cite web |url=http://www.boingboing.net/2008/06/19/who-are-the-media-bl.html |title=Who are the "Media Bloggers Association" and what gives them to right to negotiate copyright with the Associated Press? |accessdate=2008-06-19 |last=Doctorow |first=Cory | authorlink= Cory Doctorow | work= BoingBoing}}{{cite web |url= http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/010354.html |title=AP to negotiate with sham "Media Bloggers Association" |last =Nielsen Hayden |first=Teresa | authorlink = Teresa Nielsen Hayden}}{{cite web|url=http://gawker.com/tag/media-bloggers-association/ |title=Media bloggers association |work=Gawker.com |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619064600/http://gawker.com/tag/media-bloggers-association/ |archivedate=2008-06-19 }} These critics have claimed that the MBA did not include any major bloggers as members nor represent a significant proportion of the blogging community. Michael Arrington of TechCrunch also claimed, without support, that a business relationship existed between the Associated Press and the MBA.{{cite web | work = TechCrunch | url= https://techcrunch.com/2008/06/18/something-is-rotten-in-denmark-the-ap-nytimes-and-mba-love-triangle/ |title=Something Is Rotten In Denmark: The A.P., NYTimes and MBA Love Triangle |accessdate=2008-06-19 |last=Arrington |first=Michael | date= 19 June 2008 | authorlink =Michael Arrington}}
BoingBoing, one of the blogs critical of the MBA, issued a corrective stating that it was the Associated Press and the New York Times which implied that the MBA was acting on behalf of all bloggers, and not the MBA itself.{{cite web |url= http://www.boingboing.net/2008/06/19/media-bloggers-assoc.html |title=Media Bloggers Association -- who they are (and they aren't "representing blogs" to the Associated Press) |last=Doctorow |first=Cory |publisher=BoingBoing}} MBA supporters,See notes 2 and 3 supra. See also {{cite web | work = Culture Kitchen | url= http://www.culturekitchen.com/liza/blog/exclusive_robert_cox_answers_some_questions_about_ |title=EXCLUSIVE : Robert Cox answers some questions about his coming meeting with AP |accessdate=2008-11-05}} Robert Cox himself{{cite web | title = Back Story on AP - Drudge Retort Issue | url = http://www.mediabloggers.org/robert-cox/backstory-on-ap-drudge-retort-issue | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20081227223400/http://www.mediabloggers.org/robert-cox/backstory-on-ap-drudge-retort-issue | archivedate = 2008-12-27 }} and others{{cite web | work = Making Light blog | url=http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/010354.html |title=AP to negotiate with sham "Media Bloggers Association" |accessdate=2008-11-05 |date=June 18, 2008 |author=Teresa}} have written at length in response to these criticisms.