How to destroy blogger credibility in one easy step

Ever since the internet began putting out real news which began to drive the network news cycle, there has been an ongoing debate between old style journalists and bloggers over the proper role of blogs in journalism. It has taken over a decade, but by now most technology shows offer press credentials to bloggers, and essentially consider them to be on-par with old school newspeople. It appears that one tech site, Gizmondo, may have managed to undo all of that progress in a single day at CES (Consumer Electonics Show). They brought a TV-B-Gone (device which will turn off any ir-remote enabled TV) to the show, and started turning off all the large LCD and Plasma screens at the show in the middle of people's presentations. Their gloating video of the event shows many, many examples. The people behind CES are understandably furious and have banned the person responsible from all future events, and I would not be surprised to see Gizmondo itself banned.

This kind of thing may have been inevitable and is probably not so much an internet thing, as a result of the fact that CES attracts young reporters (i.e. those who are not yet worldly wise). But it has done serious damage to the image of bloggers in the eyes of the public and presenters, and is likely to make it harder for internet-based journalists in the future. Perhaps it is time for bloggers to get together and form an accreditation council to which one much apply before being designated "a responsible blogger". This accreditation could then be pulled if something like this happens, which would invalidate your invitation to all future events. Accountability is needed, and it is better if bloggers police themselves than to wait and have Congress or CES work out their own system.