Not Getting My Panties in a Bunch

Before being promoted to writing director at the public relations agency where I work, I was an account manager who had a software company for a client. My job, among other responsibilities, was to serve as a go-between between my client and editors at various publications in an effort to secure editorial placement in said publications.

I was contacted by someone at a magazine wanting to get a copy of my client's software for a review in their publication. When I relayed this interest to my client, they had me question the person as to what their publication covered, how many readers the publication had, etc. I performed my job as requested and received word that it was a Jewish publication written entirely in Hebrew. My client was skeptical that it was a "real" magazine and had me ask them to send in a copy before OKing the request. Well, I got the magazine, it was real and it was written entirely in Hebrew, which I do not read. Although I didn't really see much in the way of technology reviews, I convinced my client to finally send a copy of their software rather than continuing to make this editor jump through hoops to receive it, fearing that by doing so, we were negatively affecting what would ultimately be written.

What does this have to do with Disney? Well, Disneyland's publicity department recently made personnel at various publications jump through hoops and "re-register" for access to the various press releases and editorial photographs available on its media-only website. After doing so, StartedByAMouse.com found itself in a similar position to the aforementioned Jewish magazine written in Hebrew -- somehow "not real." While -- congratulations! -- I was accepted as a "registered user" of the media website, my "credentials" have been reduced from what I've enjoyed for years and I can no longer access the "editorial photography and videography section of [the] website."

While I feel a bit snubbed, it doesn't change our coverage that much. I've long provided my own photography to accompany articles that I write about Disneyland. That should continue if I continue to cover the "Happiest Place on Earth." But there are times that I'm not able to get photographs to share with readers, such as the images that Disneyland publicity provided of the recently re-done Dream Suite apartment in the former Gallery area or the concept art for the upcoming DCA improvements. In those cases, I guess I won't be able to report on the goings on at the Disneyland Resort and will have to chose to cover the events without pictures, not cover the events at all or to replace Disneyland coverage with coverage from one of the other areas that still recognizes this website as media and provides full access to their editorial content -- such as Walt Disney World, Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

In a world where readership at print publications continues to fall and people increasingly get their news from websites such as this, StartedByAMouse.com is as "real" as any publication out there. I have a degree in journalism from an accredited university and we are financially supported by ad revenue generated from our readership. As a business, income and expenses are reported on our tax returns. By restricting our access by not including us among their "approved media outlets," Disneyland Publicity is negatively impacting our readership and may cause us to close down or change our editorial focus to include some non-Disney entertainment venues as well.

Who knows if that Jewish magazine truly wanted the software for reasons other than editorial review, as my client suspected, but I think it was worth the effort to send a copy to them and take the chance that maybe the software might have found a niche audience that we never would have imagined and one whose access we would otherwise not have been privy to.

This particular niche site continues to receive thousands of page views a day from Disney fans around the world. Perhaps if we had access to images to include with the press releases Disneyland sends out, we may have influenced readers' decisions in planning a vacation to experience what they saw posted here. But instead readers might only see articles about the latest Disney movie in the theaters or DVDs available for purchase.

It seems like a rather short-sighted decision to limit exposure to this information through sites like StartedByAMouse.com. But I'm not going to get my panties in a bunch. While I feel like I've lost a bit in not being recognized as true media, and Disneyland may lose from a reduction in editorial coverage, I'm most sorry that our readers will ultimately be the ones to lose. Hopefully, they'll frequent the "authorized media" as well.

Matt