IEC to consider accrediting bloggers

NEWSWATCH: At the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) conference “The Role of the Media in Promoting Electoral Democracy” at the Reserve Bank in Pretoria yesterday, Thursday, 24 April 2008, the IEC responded favourably to a proposal presented by Matthew Buckland, GM of the Mail & Guardian Online, that local and international bloggers should be invited to cover the upcoming elections in South Africa alongside journalists, and said it was committed to looking into the idea. "This is a breakthrough and I applaud the IEC for its open-mindedness and commitment to democracy. In many ways the Internet is the ultimate democratic medium. The web has made media and publishing more democratic and ensured a plurality and diversity of views," blogs Buckland.