NFL continues to limit access for independent media
The latest flap involves restrictions on what newspapers can put on their Web sites from game-day coverage. An increasing number of newspapers, including The Kansas City Star, are posting game stories and still photographs from games on their sites during and immediately after games.
However, the NFL will not allow newspapers (or any non-rights holders) to show their postgame coverage of news conferences or locker-room interviews on their Web sites. Even video from a newspaper’s reporter asking questions of a coach or player at a podium or locker cannot be posted on the newspaper’s site.
posted by Mark at 6:10 PM
5 Comments:
at 10/12/2006 12:17 AM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
at 10/12/2006 1:18 AM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
at 10/12/2006 10:40 AM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
at 10/12/2006 12:32 PM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
at 10/13/2006 9:00 AM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
Post a Comment*21st century America!
That's ridiculous. At my college newspaper, it's becoming increasingly frustrating to cover corporations, sports teams and universities. And I think it's interesting that as blogs become more common, officials are trying to restrict actual journalists more and more. A blogger or YouTube user can post whatever he wants and it's not likely he'll be called to task for it. But if Mark Curnette the veteran journalist does the same he'll be punished by the NFL for posting the same stuff.
I know Web features like video and flash are becoming essential to attract people to my college newspaper's site. Without these features, our Web site would simply be a boring transcript of our newspaper. Why should readers visit our site if that's the case?
It's sad that people want to limit the media's access but at the same time, they'll be the first to complain when we're so crippled we can't give them what they want.
I have to say, as a future journalist, I find the situation very disheartening.
I think they're trying to hold that content for the NFL Network.
I think bobestes got it exactly right: the latest restrictions probably have everything to do with NFL Network and the desire for an exclusive. Almost every team has a sponsor for its interview room and those who watch interviews are compelled to look at the sponsor's logo for the duration of the interview. For the Bengals, the sponsor is Medical Mutual. Other teams have other sponsors. The Redskins have FedEx and so on.
I would imagine that none of these sponsors agreed to the latest restrictions on the distribution of content. It is in the economic interest of the sponsor to have the greatest distribution of its logo, regardless of the identity of the media outlet.
I submit that the League is treading very dangerous water here as its unrivaled prosperity is founded on an orgy of free publicity. This course is dangerous, and the League should look at the example of horse racing which showed similar hostility to free publicity in the 50's and verges on the border of complete irrelevance now.
Chip Lapp
Blue Ash OH
Chaz- I think you have gone a little overboard calling this a constitutional issue. The constitution was written to define and establish our government. The Bill of Rights, and specifically the first amendment, was written to protect the citizens of the US from the government. The first amendment reads "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or the press..." Last I checked, the NFL, as powerful as they may be, is not the congress. I don't say this because I necessarily agree with what the NFL is doing, but I get tired of everyone in this country turning everything into a constitutional issue, trivializing the very document they so righteously claim to be defending.
* Our online blogs currently are hosted and operated by a third party, namely, Blogger.com. You are now leaving the Cincinnati.Com website and will be linked to Blogger.com's registration page. The Blogger.com site and its associated services are not controlled by Cincinnati.Com and different terms of use and privacy policy will apply to your use of the Blogger.com site and services.
By proceeding and/or registering with Blogger.com you agree and understand that Cincinnati.Com is not responsible for the Blogger.com site you are about to access or for any service you may use while on the Blogger.com site.
<< Home