Finding out about the DNC’s plans for providing a central location for bloggers and citizen journalists to access the convention activities was pretty exciting. (Although there is also a sneaky, little voice of negativity in the back of my mind and it keeps making snide comments that this has an element of “controlling” the coverage.)

Reading that the Big Tent will also include events for the public, including speakers, panels, workshops, and so on really added to my excitement.

Trying to find a list of these events on the DNC web site merely created a major sense of frustration.

Despite my frustration (and that inner voice), I’m still pretty psyched about this. The 2008 convention is not the first to allow some sort of access for bloggers, but this move to create an actual space dedicated to a wider range of journalists in the form of the Big Tent seems pretty significant; it is just one more step toward legitimizing citizen journalists and recognizing their contribution to information flow.

I, however, am not one of these bloggers or citizen journalists who will gain official access, which leaves me in the realm of “the public,” so if anyone knows where to find a list of the public events at the Big Tent that are supposed to occur at the Digg Stage – please share.