Republicans and Democrats are wondering what to do with bloggers for their upcoming national conventions. Bloggers are applying for press credentials in hopes of covering the events in ways the mainstream media can’t or won’t. The two major parties have yet to decide whether to allow a select few bloggers, all bloggers, or no bloggers.

“This is a real landmark for the legitimacy of the blogger and a testament to their growing influence,” said Jonathan Dube, who blogs about online journalism. “[But] that doesn’t necessarily make them mainstream, simply because not enough people are reading them right now.”