A cranky media is ever a force to be reckoned with, and VANOC is taking steps at the 2010 Winter Olympics to head them off at the pass.

For the first time since security became a paramount Olympic issue, members of the media are not being subjected to mandatory security checks.

Instead, personnel at venues and the three main media centres have been instructed to select only about 10 per cent of accredited journalists for airport-style checks of their bags and pockets.

Adam Gray, vice-president for security integration at VANOC, said members of the media have been placed in the category of "trusted individuals", similar to the NEXUS system, which allows approved, frequent travellers an easier time crossing the U.S.-Canada border.

VANOC wanted to try and eliminate the long lines of media waiting to pass through security at Games venues that have often been a major headache at previous Olympics, Mr. Gray said.

"Journalists were critical. They'd say: ‘Look, I'm accredited. I've had a background check. And still I'm subject to 100 per cent screening at every venue.' So, we undertook this initiative to make people's lives easier."

The new system also allows VANOC to free up personnel for other duties.

Mr. Gray said random checks remain a deterrent, since media members don't know when they may be chosen for closer scrutiny, and their accreditation badges are still checked by a bar-code scanner.

The same process is being used for all accredited individuals at the Games, including volunteers, officials and athletes. The only exceptions are at the athletes' villages in Vancouver and Whistler, and during the opening and closing ceremonies, Mr. Gray said. "But everywhere else, there will be randomized screening."

All spectators, however, will be required to pass through the so-called "mag and bag" checks familiar to airport passengers.

"This is an Olympic first," Mr. Gray said. "If it works, it will be one of the legacies for future Olympics."