Tuesday, February 28, 2012

APME sends letter about sports credentialing concerns to NCAA


APME has sent a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert and Vice President of Communications Bob Evans registering its concerns over language and intent of the NCAA credential for the upcoming basketball tournament..

The letter, signed by the presidents of APME, APSE, APPM, SPJ, NPPA and the Kansas Press Association, expresses concerns about restrictions on how news organizations use and share their content with other news organizations.

Here is the letter in its entirety:

Mark Emmert, President
National Collegiate Athletic Association
Bob Evans, Vice President of Communications,
National Collegiate Athletic Association
700 West Washington St.
Indianapolis, ID 46206

February 27, 2012

Dear Sirs,
The Associated Press Media Editors, AP Sports Editors and AP Photo Managers, and The Society of Professional Journalists, have serious concerns with the language and intent of the NCAA credential being circulated for the upcoming basketball tournament.
We have forwarded the concerns of our organizations to your Public Relations Department. We want you to be aware of this situation.
Our most serious objections are in the language that attempts to restrict how we can use our content and how we share that content with other news organizations. Much of the language details how we may not sell photographs taken at events to third parties, including commercial entities or the general public. It goes on to state any secondary use is prohibited without prior written permission.
Our interpretation is that news organizations cannot share their content with the Associated Press or other organizations in their publication group. This defeats the purpose of the Associated Press cooperative, which represents the majority of American newspapers. It places restrictions on how we may use content our organizations and parent companies have spent considerable capital creating for our communities.
Tournament time is here and our members are waiting to hear how these issues will be resolved.
We look forward to talking with you.

Bob Heisse, President
Associated Press Media Editors
bheisse@comcast.net

Mike Anastasi, President
Associated Press Sports Editors
manastasi@sltrib.com

John Rumbach, President
Associated Press Photo Managers
jrumbach@dcherald.com

John Ensslin, President
Society of Professional Journalists
spjprez@gmnail.com

Sean D. Elliot, President
National Press Photographers Association
president@nppa.org

Kansas Press Association

CC:
Teri Hayt, APME
First Amendment Chairperson
thayt@azstarnet.com

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