Thelma Dreyer, Blogger
A month after putting out the call, House Communications Director Georgette Deemer announced that she has found her blogger: Thelma Dreyer. She will take over the reigns at the Hawaii House Blog, documenting life at the Capitol. Of course, as Deemer commented on my earlier post, her position as Assistant Communications Director comes with many other duties as well, but it's safe to say that "blogger" will be the label that sticks.
Dreyer is described as a "journalism/PR major" (in my day, an unholy pairing) and a French major from UH, fresh in from a year in France. She has some PR work experience as well. As far as I can tell, though, she's new to blogging. (Though it's conceivable she might be a spectacularly famous and pseudonymous blogger in France, I guess.) She hasn't got much of a Google footprint, apart from a quote in a 2004 Ka Leo article about voting:
"Honestly, I vote on what name I know and have heard the most," said Thelma Dreyer, public relations-journalism major at UH.
She's definitely a PR major.
As Doug White notes, not many people earn a living by blogging. On the other hand, being paid to do it (and on the government payroll, no less) will probably bring some editorial constraints.
Deemer said her hope is for the Hawaii House Blog to be more than a collection of press releases.
"The House blog is not a personal blog. It’s a blog representing the House leadership and the Majority," Deemer explained. "I’d like it to be an issues blog, not a PR blog."
Backed by "The Man" or not, it's always good to have another voice joining the local blogosphere. Welcome, Thelma Dreyer. I'm looking forward to the conversation.
