CHICAGO—“I don’t see you on the list.” “Check somewhere else.” “There is no credential for you here.” “Try another gate.” You’re not a content creator, are you?” “We’ve never heard of your publication.”
Journalists—especially those affiliated with independent publications like People’s World—heard all these responses and more dozens of times over the past week while trying to report on the Democratic National Convention.
Essentially, they were all just variations of “Stay out!”
Our reporters navigated the miles-long maze of fences surrounding McCormick Place in Chicago, collectively submitted at least 29 press credential requests for specific sessions, and complied with every requirement and deadline we could possibly find. None of it was enough. Only with the help of a few lucky connections were we able to slip a reporter or two inside the official proceedings now and then.
It wasn’t this bad before. For decades, reporters from People’s World have been covering the conventions of both major parties with little difficulty. In the post-9/11 era, of course things got more restrictive, and the Trump assassination attempt several weeks ago no doubt further amplified the security mania.
But in 2024, it seemed something else was at work, and it wasn’t just indy outlets like ours who noticed the change.
For months leading up to the DNC and long before the assassination incident, the Standing Committee of Correspondents, a non-partisan D.C. group representing journalists, was already in a battle with Democratic officials.
“We are concerned that the decision to reduce dedicated and accessible workspace by hundreds [of spots] compared to prior conventions will hinder journalists’ ability to cover the historic nature of this convention,” the committee said.
The DNC allocated only 35 seats for the daily press gallery, along with 90 unassigned stadium seats available at random. That’s it—125 seats for the entire U.S. and international press corps. Even the corporate media were complaining. Major TV networks were incensed when the Democrats told them they’d need to cough up double what the Republicans had charged just a month earlier if they wanted a broadcast suite at the convention.
Some media “personalities” had an easier time. Content creators and social media influencers—seen as more likely to do puff pieces promoting the talking points issued by the DNC—were given exclusive access and comfy lounges from which to record their interviews and edit their material. High-speed internet connections ensured their TikTok videos and Instagram Reels were online immediately.
As for the rest of us, the people’s reporters who don’t just parrot the lines given to us? Access denied.
Despite the hurdles thrown up by the DNC, People’s World still platformed the voices that needed to be heard—the people who don’t make it on primetime every night. That’s because whenever our correspondents are at a convention like this, we don’t just rely on the Democratic Party to provide us with our opportunities.
We called on our allies—the people we know in the trade union movement, in organizations like the Poor People’s Campaign or the Rainbow Coalition, in the ceasefire and arms embargo movements. They let us know where things were happening, and we made sure we were there to cover them.
Of course, there were also the secretive and expensive events that most of us in the media didn’t know were happening until after the fact—the shindigs we absolutely weren’t’ invited to, like the high-dollar corporate-sponsored parties where lobbyists and lawmakers wined and dined late into the night.
Much of this is the norm at every major party convention, Democratic or Republican. Big money rules.
We in the media cry about access, but perhaps most people outside the industry don’t notice or care. The convention was still on TV every night, right? So, what’s the big deal?
Well, what made all the restrictions at this convention concerning is that they weren’t isolated incidents. Many others besides journalists also found themselves largely shut out or kept far away from the convention stage—Palestinians, Uncommitted delegates, and ceasefire activists, for instance.
There was one non-televised daytime panel on Palestine Monday (a historic first, don’t get me wrong) and a declaration of support for Palestinian self-determination by Harris on Thursday (another big deal), but in the middle of a genocide that has seen at least 40,000 people killed by Israel, largely with U.S. weapons, there was apparently no time to let even a single Palestinian-American address the nation—even if she was going to endorse Harris while doing so.
At a Trump convention, journalists already know we’re viewed as “enemies of the people,” and progressive people of color and movement activists don’t expect to be given the time of day. But this is the “big tent” Democratic Party, where it’s proclaimed that the First Amendment matters and that there is supposedly a place for everyone.
The barriers put up by the DNC—both physical and administrative—were an unforced error. They made it even easier for the right wing to claim that the Harris campaign is secretive and hides from the media. The New York Post, for instance, had a front-page story about the Democrats’ “fake Hollywood con-vention,” saying the whole thing was an orchestrated and controlled affair.
And while there were some positives vis-à-vis the party’s and the candidate’s approach toward Palestine, overall, the convention seemed like a missed opportunity to showcase a qualitatively new approach to the war and arming Netanyahu since Biden dropped out of the race.
It all goes to show why the independent working-class media is so essential. Without People’s World, so many stories would not be told, so many voices would not be heard.
And without you, our readers and supporters, there would be no People’s World. We thank you for supporting our mission. Won’t you continue to do so?
As with all op-eds published by People’s World, this article reflects the opinions of its author.
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