Here is an overview of the proposed revisions to the New York City Press Pass application process:
- Restrictions limiting press passes to certain mediums will be removed— in the future, online, offline, on-air, etc. will all be treated equally.
- To qualify for a press pass, the journalist or journalism organization will need to provide six clips from the last 24 months showing news-gathering activity that would require a press card— that would include live reportage from police and fire scenes, public assemblies, government press conferences, or similar events.
- The new system will consist entirely of working press cards, reserve cards (issued to freelancers by a news organization), and single-event cards. The other press cards that were issued as a courtesy (but didn’t allow the reporter to cross police or fire lines) will be eliminated.
- If an applicant for a press card is denied, there is a formal process to appeal, in which the city has a set period of time (90 days) to respond to the appeal. Previously, the city had no time limit for response, and applications often fell into a black hole of city bureaucracy.
