I tend to favor the very simple, “You’re a member of the press if you believe you are and act on the belief.” The fact that the method for publication has a far lower bar to entry than in days gone by should not automatically exclude somebody from the designation as press. I would not let something so trivial as “ability to get a press pass to event X” be the bar, unless we’re willing to hand over other constitutional issues to event organizers as well.

As for bloggers feeling they are speaking for the community and that their opinions should be given more weight, I am confused as to the “Once bloggers start” part. I think many already have. Many blogs are forum posts outside of the forums, and what you describe is certainly, if not the default, certainly common behavior on official forums.