Bridge blogging and the IBPA
If you are a blogger or in other ways use the new media to communicate about bridge than you are a bridge journalist!
I never really equated what I was doing, that is blogging, with the likes of those who write for newspapers and other media. But, in the age of electronic communication it is all the same – we are all bridge journalists
If you do blog, or twitter or run a website about bridge consider joining the IBPA – International Bridge Press Association. For $42 a year you can become a member.
Membership gives you recognition as a journalist. This allows you access to the press room at international events and other privileges such as access to the closed room, and a full kit the same as NPC’s. But even if you don’t go to international events there are other reasons to join. One of the best is that you get monthly IBPA bulletins mailed to you (and access to back issues). There are dozens and dozens of interesting deals in each issue, from championships and other sources including wonderful deals from Tim Bourke in each issue that you are free to use (unattributed) in any way you wish.
In the January issue which just popped up in my mailbox there was a report on the World Mind Games in Beijing by Mark Horton with, the Gold Cup by Phillip Alder, and article by Ghassan Ghanem of Jordan about Sotos Christofides of Cyprus and some wonderful deals he played over the years, a report on the Bombay pairs tournament by Anant Bhagwat of Mumbai, an interesting deal from Bob PItts of Wales amd a report on the Senior Knockout from the San Francisco NABC by John Carruthers and more. All of these wonderful deals for you to read and use from the top bridge journalists from around the world.
So if you are an electronic bridge write think about joining the IBPA and join me and many others.
Just go to the IBPA website and select the button Joining. If you want more information email me at linda@masterpointpress.com
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It’s not a commercial, but more of a public service announcement.
During my run as a bridge columnist for several suburban weeklies and one daily in an around my hometown, I was a member of IBPA and derived a LOT of material I was able to use in columns when the inevitable “Week of Nothing” arrived and I had exhausted the interesting hand bank. The Newsletter was an absolute godsend at those times. The quality back then (We ARE talking about last century) was high and I can’t imagine it’s lessened under Tim’s stewardship. If you ‘qualify’ as a bridge journalist, then by all means spend the dollars to join. It’s less than four bucks a month and has enough content to compete with monthly magazines from any bridge-playing nation’s organizing bodies.
End of sad, un’-qualified’ commercial