The clever hacks at Gizmodo pulled a prank at CES making all those TV screens go blank all at once, then filming and posting it, I assume very much to their own sophomoric satisfaction. As Webware Rafe Needleman put it:
"The video is funny. The ramifications of prank will not be. The CES organizers only grudgingly gave bloggers press credentials to the conference, and even then kept them segregated into a working lounge that was a step down in amenity and luxury from the "press" lounge and work area. This prank will not endear the blogging class to either the CEA, which produces CES, or the companies that paid dearly for the right to occupy CES floorspace and show off their products."
A did a short stint doing PR for CEA. It gets press requests from thousands of people all over the world. It has an historic preference for traditional media that has been slowly, slowly melting over the past decade. CES is their event and they have the right to admit or prohibit bloggers. Even if you concede that bloggers are journalists, CES has the option of picking and choosing who gets admitted for free and who does not.
Gizmodo's poor judgement amazes me. Not only do they give bloggers in general a black eye. But they are gadget guys and this is the biggest show of the year for them. I would guess that next year, they will pay retail to get through the door and once through it, they will not be credentialed to attend events where news they should cover will unfold.
On the other hand, they probably will think up a clever ruse to get through the door anyhow.
