Note: Originally Posted by Geoff Dembicki at The Tyee on March 23, 2009. Re-posted here on: July 14, 2009.

What happens to the overflow?

There’s no doubt come 2010, Vancouver will be a media circus. On top of the 10,000 accredited media anticipated by VANOC, a further 3,000 “unaccredited” passes will be issued by the British Columbia International Media Centre.

Scales was accepted into this second group, and plans to show up at Robson Square Plaza each day for official briefings and meetings with other reporters — though he’ll be barred from all Olympic venues. As thrilled as he was to receive access, he’s concerned that untold legions of bloggers, citizen journalists and tech-savvy spectators won’t benefit from the same resources.

“What happens to the overflow?” Scales asked. “Are they not entitled to cover the same stories? Are they not entitled to have a space to collaborate?”

For the past few months, Scales and Krug have participated in talks aimed at starting an alternative media centre. The True North Media House is still a work in progress, but could see 500 Games-time passes issued to everyone from international broadcasters to figure skating bloggers. Scales and Krug envision a social media hub where pros and amateurs trade sources, avail themselves of speedy upload technology and gain access to First Nations, protest and cultural groups outside of conventional channels.

“There’s going to be all these people who aren’t sports journalists who are here to figure out what Vancouver’s about,” Krug said. “The centre is about harnessing all these individuals doing alternative or outsider coverage of the Games.”

Read the rest of the article here.