Regarding a media pass, there was a photographer with a PRESS pass at a solar cook-off I attended on Sunday. I asked if he was with Reuters or AP (jokingly), or the local daily paper, and he said no. My next guess would have been the university paper, but he informed me that he was with the Bulletin, http://www.lascrucesbulletin.com/ It’s a weekly, and I think of it as one step above the Thrifty-Nickel or Penny-Saver. Now, this photographer had a DSLR, but it was a Rebel, so the employment requirements can’t be that high. My suggestion to you would be to find a similar local paper and present your portfolio and article ideas to them to see if they’ll give you a pass.
On the event side of the arrangement, you need to get with the promoter and producer, i.e. the people who control the guest list, and convince them that your coverage will improve their future revenue.
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