APME has added its support to a letter sent by Knoxville News Sentinel Managing Editor Tom Chester to Charles Bloom of the SEC over video restrictions at coaches’ press conference.
APME President Bob Heisse signed for APME.
The SEC restrictions make no sense and are just another example of obstacles we face in covering college sports.
Here is the Knoxville letter:
March 9, 2012
Dear Mr. Bloom:
Sports Editor Phil Kaplan has advised you via email this afternoon that our sportswriter Mike Griffith has advised us that SEC officials are preventing the use of Flip Cameras or other video devices during press conferences with coaches at the SEC tournament in New Orleans.
Phil has notified News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy and myself that there is nothing in the credential that he agreed upon that prevents news organizations from using Flip Cams or other similar recording devices during the SEC tournament press conferences. The credential, Phil says, is the same as the one he agreed to during the men's and women's basketball seasons, which did not restrict this type of video coverage.
University of Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin is a public employee of the state of Tennessee, the SEC tournament is being held in a public arena in the state of Louisiana and during the press conferences coaches are discussing their job performance. They should not be restricted under any circumstances.
We are putting you on notice that we consider this video restriction to be invalid and unenforceable and that we intend to shoot the UT press conference after tonight's game.
We are supported in this position by Bob Heisse, president of the Associated Press Media Editors.
Sincerely,
Tom Chester
Managing Editor
The Knoxville News Sentinel
865-342-6344
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