The Southeastern Conference is expected to impose rules that prohibit the news media from posting video from games, practices and news conference.What does it all mean? Well, for one, no more videos on this blog of practice or player interviews, but that's really just the start.
The rules also limit televised highlights from games.
They were released to member schools on Thursday and a copy was obtained by The Tuscaloosa News, which reported the new policies Friday.
SEC spokesman Charles Bloom said the new restrictions are designed to protect the league's agreement with XOS Technologies for a new digital network.
Bloom said the policy is subject to change. It limits TV stations from carrying clips of longer than three minutes and allows highlights to be aired for only 72 hours after a game ends.
The SEC Digital Network is expected to launch in time for the upcoming football season.
As teams, conferences and leagues expand their multimedia platforms, these things will continue to occur. (And they already have in other places, including the NFL.) The thought among many of these organizations is that you, as fans, don't care. They think you'll be satisfied with the controlled information you are given from them -- essentially replacing the media with a public relations firm.
Maybe that's true, but I'm guessing after your favorite team gets spanked by a rival, you're not looking for the watered-down version of what happened. Perhaps you really don't care where the information is coming from, but my guess is that you value quality journalism a lot more than they give you credit for. Maybe you go to one place and one place only for your news. But I'd be willing to bet the majority of you have gotten used to being able to surf a few dozen sites to get a broad view of Georgia football.
Look, I know things are changing for the media. I've been as vocal about the problems of the newspaper business as anyone. But for all our problems, I'm pretty certain that most fans appreciate the work most of us do -- even if they don't necessarily like all of it. And if you don't things like this will seriously affect the coverage you get of your favorite teams, you're being extremely naive.
If you want to read more about this, including the agreement the SEC wants media members to sign, the Tuscaloosa News has all the details.
Posts
6 comments:
how can we help?
Good grief.
The videos, etc., are invaluable, I'd rather fight than switch.
As if centralizing media will give us more? Puuuhhlleeezze.
I'm an SEC guy, but they're wrong on this one.
~~~
This sucks
This is terrible in my opinion
Doesn't even make sense from a business perspective. Why can't ESPN just aggregate all the content you guys publish after the fact? All that aggregated content is more ad real estate for them.
Operationally, the WWL can't match the boots on the ground from several dozen outlets, so why not just co-opt it and give fans everything, instead of one shitty, watered-down version?
Legally, this almost seems like a first amendment issue. Seriously, you guys can't interview a player after practice if it's in video format? Newspapers need to stand up to the Mouse before it's all over in a hurry.
I say we go all V for Vendetta style and march on Bristol (ESPN headquarters) with everyone wearing the helmet of their favorite SEC team.
G
Post a Comment