Blogger Resources Offered in Downtown Pittsburgh During G20 Summit

The following was posted on Pittsburgh Bloggers and is copied in full, on the assumption they want to pass it along.

Obviously, it's targeted mostly @ protest participants and members of the informal press covering the G20. But it may also be of interest to local bloggers or any others with an interest in covering the G20, or using the G20 to promote/debate local issues.

I really don't know squat about technology, but I suspect it's a pretty powerful tool for those who use it well.

I don't know Facebook, barely know blogger and am just learning to use Twitter right.

I posted about tagging your tweets #myg20, but other heavily searched tags will be #g20, #pittsburgh, #g20 voice.

An organization named G20Voice is offering blogger resources in downtown Pittsburgh during the G20 Summit. Here are the details they provided, including how to register ahead of time:

We've been busy putting together a lot of resources and briefings for bloggers at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, and we're hoping you're planning on joining us. Whether you received official accreditation from the State Department to get inside the Convention Center or not, you can get in close to the action with access to wifi, electricity, food, and (oh yeah) government and policy experts by being a part of G20 Voice.

G20Voice is part of an ongoing project that gives everyday people the chance to participate, engage, and influence the powers that be, via the blogosphere. Its purpose is to ensure that those who have been entrusted with power don’t forget that we need to end poverty and inequality and deal with climate change. Bottom line: If you want to cover the G20, we want to get you access and help your coverage get noticed.

Here are some details about what we're doing in Pittsburgh. (Continue reading)

BRIEFINGS
G20 Voice is scheduling policy experts and government leaders to answer your questions about the policy discussions and decisions taking place. The briefings/interviews will take place in the August Wilson Center September 24 and 25. We'll be posting the schedule as soon as the details are finalized. The other groups using the Center will be bringing in experts and leaders as well, multiplying your access to answers.

FACILITY
We're partnering with USCAN and other public interest groups to provide a G20 Media Center for bloggers in the August Wilson Center. Even though it's just a block from the Convention Center, it is outside the security zone, meaning you don't need State Dept. clearance to get inside. It will be open for your use September 24 and September 25 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. We will serve a continental breakfast and a second all-day meal of sandwiches and salads.

WEBSITE
The new G20 site will will be posting G20 Voice coverage of the event. If you're a participating blogger, we'll post a bio of you, linking to your blog, and post teasers of your posts that link to your site for the rest of the blog. We'll also be providing Flickr pix and YouTube video for you to use in your blogs, and promoting G20 Voice bloggers via Twitter, Facebook, and other G20 Voice accounts.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
If you're planning to cover the G20 in Pittsburgh and would like to participate in G20 Voice, fill in the form here for G20 Voice credentials to gain access to the August Wilson Center Media Center: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEVkRnROckkzZVRqMTdfai1fYm5XSmc6MA. Make sure to check the box for G20Voice on the form. We're don't intend to turn away any serious blogger, but we'll need your name, your photo, the URL of your blog--just stuff like that.

If you participate, we'll ask you to display a little "G20 Voice Contributor" badge on your site and provide short teasers we can display on the G20 Voice site to promote (and link to) your posts. If you tweet, it'd be nice if you used the hash tag #g20voice too.

PASS THIS ON
If you know of any other bloggers planning (or wanting) to cover the G20 in Pittsburgh, please forward this e-mail to them.

Thank you for your attention. I hope to see you in Pittsburgh!

~Julie

________________________
Julie Roth
G20 Voice Organizer
Oxfam International