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