I can’t speak for anybody else but Tom mentioned he wouldn’t go to a convention that asked press to pay to cover it either.

I suspect most press already pay to attend the conventions, travel, hotels, etc, just like most of those going. If they have to stand in line ups and pay to get in the door what’s the point of working the convention? They can just do what they feel like while at the show. No putting off social gatherings to do write ups, no trying do interviews, no going to panels you’re not all that interested in, no skipping stuff you’d like to see because there is something “newsworthy” going on at the same time, etc.. I know my experience at a convention would be very different if I had to pay to get in.

It’s a symbiotic relationship between conventions and the press. Conventions (and those at them) want/need press and press want/need stuff to cover. While the conventions themselves might be doing well and feel they don’t need the press, those exhibiting at the convention would very much like the press there to get the word out on what they’re doing.

I think almost all conventions know this including most of the big ones. Fan Expo is the only convention I know that’s asked for press to pay to get in for a day and I’ve been doing them since 2002.

I feel I should note that Fan Expo does screen their applicants and there is a separate company that handles the media. So I don’t think this is a case of trying to weed out the non-press fans looking for free tickets.

If the press has to pay to get in, or if the press passes are limited to “big name” press only, and all the other press has to pay like everyone else, what are they going to do? Not cover it? There will still be coverage and there will still be bloggers and journalists who cover it in spite of having to pay. Those who don’t cover it will have to answer to their readers. Are the journalists and bloggers going to tell their readers “sorry, I had to pay like everyone else so I didn’t cover it”?

The last SDCC I went to was 2009 and the press thing was out of control. When journalists have a freaking entourage, when jerkwater usa newspaper editor gets press passes for his kid and a few friends and the result is a 2 paragraph blurb in the weekend edition (I happen to know this happens regularly as I know the editors kid) then its time to scale WAY back on the number of media and reporters who get in.

Or just make them all pay. For something like SDCC where big name stars have to go to promote their projects, what is Entertainment Weekly going to do? Not show up?

I was disappointed that I had to go to the press office every day to get a new pass but the PR firm handling it was extremely friendly and tried their best to accommodate everyone. It was easily accessible and you didn’t have to wait in any lines to get to the press office. I arrived thirty minutes before the doors opened and received my pass without issue. I asked if someone else from our site could use my pass for Sunday and they made the change right away.

My only complaint/request is for a dedicated media room with free wifi access so press could have somewhere to write up and post.