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NFL: National Football Losers

The National Football League has devised a new rule so offensive to journalists and ethical journalism that I urge all SPJ members to complain about it.

This money-grubbing outfit plans to require all photojournalists working the sidelines to wear red, NFL-issued vests emblazoned with the logos of advertisers, such as Canon and Reebok. The new rule is set to go into effect next month.

Talk about reason to throw a penalty flag.

"We're not going to become walking billboards," said David Shribman, executive editor of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, according to an article issued by the National Press Photographers Association.

The NFL has devised other rules that would limit news organizations' ability to present video game footage on their Web sites (for example, the NFL says you can't show clips more than 45 seconds long, leave them posted for more than 24 hours or archive them online ...).

The idealist in me thinks it would be GREAT if news organizations boycotted these games -- and any other sports leagues that act with utter disregard, even contempt, for responsible, ethical journalism.

I long for an editor or producer who says: "You know what? We're not playing along. Ignoring you rather than meeting your ridiculous demands is championing press independence and freedom. That is of far more importance to this nation -- and much more of a public service -- than reporting from your sidelines."

Let's just say I'm not holding my breath. But that's not going to stop me -- or SPJ -- from speaking up about this one. I hope you'll join me by dashing off a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell:

    National Football League
    280 Park Avenue
    New York, NY 10017
Published Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:06 AM by christinetatum
Filed Under:

Comments

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Thursday, July 26, 2007 4:09 PM by Paul Simon
Amen! This is a ludicrous and money-grubbing edit.

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Thursday, July 26, 2007 4:12 PM by paulhsimon
Edict, not edit. Sorry.

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Thursday, July 26, 2007 4:25 PM by Ryan Gray
Oh, wouldn't Orwell be impressed.

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Thursday, July 26, 2007 4:28 PM by Howard Schlossberg (board member, Chicago Headline Club and Journalism Faculty, Columbia College Chicago, as well as career-long sports writer:
Oh heck, let's fight fire with fire. Our photographers will wear "logo'd" vests on NFL sidelines as long as the NFL allows us, at no charge, to put our publication names and logos conspicuously on all player uniforms so they're visible on every play and along the sidelines.

I can see it now: Eli Manning's jersey with the larger-than-life lettering, "ESPN the Magazine." Or big brother Peyton's uniform conspicuously marked, "Read COSMO!"

Thanks,

HS

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Thursday, July 26, 2007 5:19 PM by Richard Knee
I wonder if Goodell has ever read the First Amendment.

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Thursday, July 26, 2007 8:04 PM by William Anthony
Well, let's bypass the NFL and take it to the advertisers. We'll all endorse a boycott of Canon and Reebok products!

First, if Canon and Reebok have no respect for journalists, then we as journalists should have no respect for them.

Second, if Canon and Reebok need to resort to such poor and unethical standards, can the same poor standards be applied to their own products?

And, isn't it fitting, that this comes at a time when the NFL is under investigation for denying health benefits to former players?

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Friday, July 27, 2007 1:08 AM by Christine Tatum
Thanks so much for your comments. I think William Anthony is on to something -- and so, too, might Ken Paulson, editor of USA Today. He sent this note to me today:

Christine: It was good to see your forceful statement on the vests mess. Has anyone asked Canon what they’ll do when America’s news organizations give all their business to Nikon?
Ken Paulson

So, what about it, people? What -- more than letter-writing -- could we do to really make outfits such as the NFL understand that WE mean business when it comes to defending press freedom and journalism with integrity?

And what do you think we should say to news organizations that may stupidly go along with this silliness?

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Friday, July 27, 2007 8:46 AM by Lauren
The separation between church and state is getting so blurry. Journalists are driven by advertisers now...and our publications are so reliant on them that I don't know if it will ever change. I of course would love to see a publisher say no to the NFL, but it just wouldn't happen.

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Friday, July 27, 2007 11:55 AM by Christine Tatum
I'm holding out hope that ethical journalists who manage newsrooms will not tolerate these shenanigans.

Meanwhile, I think it's also important for us to call out our own, so to speak. There are plenty of photojournalists who need to take a VERY hard look at themselves and their colleagues as they complain about this ridiculous NFL rule.

As stated in an e-mail from Richard Roth, an SPJ national director and senior associate dean at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism:

"I also object to the NFL policy, but I think before photogs and others sound so pure, you take a look at photogs on the sidelines now (saw some at the Cubs game just the other day):  So, so many of them are wearing vests (freebies, I am sure) and caps (more freebies) that plainly say Nikon or Cannon on them; most of them are wearing sneakers with a Nike Swoosh on them; their camera straps have “Nikon” big and yellow on them; etc.

"And have you seen reporters and photographers at a car race?  They’re all in jump suits like they were drivers, and most of those suits have advertising logos on them.

"We should tidy up our own houses first."

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Friday, July 27, 2007 12:21 PM by Christine Tatum
The Associated Press Managing Editors Association sent this letter to NFL Commissioner Goodell:

Dear Mr. Goodell:

Less than a month ago, I wrote to you on behalf of the board of directors and membership of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association to voice our opposition to rules announced by the National Football League that severely limit online coverage of NFL teams by our member newspapers.

This letter is to express equally strong opposition to a new league rule requiring press photographers covering games to wear red vests with Canon and Reebok logos on them.

Commissioner Goodell, our objections to this rule are grounded in our desire not to have our working press photographers become unwilling participants in any commercial and marketing arrangements the NFL has with its sponsors.

We feel that requiring our photographers to wear this equipment with logos clearly visible on them compromises our independence as working journalists. In effect, the photographers will become walking billboards for NFL sponsors.

We realize that some kind of clearly visible method must be in place to easily identify members of the media who are credentialed to cover the games. But we don't understand the need to require our employees to help advertise products for the league's sponsors.

As I stated in my previous letter, coverage of the National Football League is a major priority for many of our members. We view it as a win-win situation for both the league and its fans, who also are our readers. But the working press should not be incorporated into the marketing apparatus of the NFL and its individual teams. It compromises our objectivity, our independence and our ethics.

We strong urge the NFL to reconsider this rule requiring photographers to wear vests with logos of sponsors on them.

Thank you again, sir, for your time.  

Sincerely,


Karen Magnuson
President, Associated Press Managing Editors Association
Editor and Vice President-News, Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat & Chronicle

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Friday, July 27, 2007 10:59 PM by Michael Luongo
This is common practice in the rest of the world.....I live part time in Argentina and when photographing Polo and other sports events, we get issued vests to identify as photographers, there are logos on the back but it was never something I thought of as offensive.  To be honest, it helps the security people know who legitimately should be on the field...if you have ever been at a foreign sports event, there is no normal crowd control.  I don't think this as terrible an issue as you might think at first glance....

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Saturday, July 28, 2007 11:14 AM by Christine Tatum
Hi, Michael!

Am curious: Why do you think journalists in other parts of the world don't have the same reaction as the one exhibited here in the last couple of weeks?

I'm all for helping with crowd control and for requiring journalists to clearly identify themselves with vests or hoola-hoops if that's what league officials need to ensure that people are where they're supposed to be.

But requiring journalists to wear corporate logos? Ummmm, that might fly in other parts of the world -- and I'd love to know why -- but I shudder at the thought of it becoming a widespread practice here.

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Saturday, July 28, 2007 10:43 PM by Michael Luongo
Christine...thanks and hello from Baghdad where I am at the moment instead of Argentina.....like I said, the logos are less intrusive than one might imagine...and with logos on so many things at sports events it just becomes virtually unnoticable...of course, if the issue is crowd control or identifying photogs then vests etc are ideal, but can be done without logos to begin with....but still I think when you look at how this is done in other parts of the world, it really is barely noticeable.....

Mike

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Sunday, July 29, 2007 1:44 PM by William Anthony
You know what - if there have been photographers and reporters on the sidelines, last season, wearing logos such as Nike, or Canon, or Minolta, or even Outback Steak House - that's just wrong. I'm hoping that the photographers and reporters just didn't think about what they were wearing.

Footwear, well, those Nike logos should be too small to matter, unless we are doing extreme close-up shots of photographers feet, and that's another website...!

When I'm in the field, I'm either sporting logos of my news organization, or no logos at all, except for footwear. I'd like to suggest that journalists on the sidelines start doing the same.

I think now that the NFL has a right to say, "absolutely no logos unless it's either your news organization, or an approved NFL sponsor".

I'm against any "official vest" program, even if it presently has no logo, because someday you might show up at the stadium and find your photog vest has MacDonalds splashed all over it!

But I didn't know that there were photographers already wearing logos. Even if it's incidental, I think that's wrong. And it weakens our position in this issue.

Does anyone have a direct link to the official NFL policy that we are discussing?

# re: NFL: National Football Losers

Tuesday, July 31, 2007 1:03 AM by Christine Tatum
Good question about that link ... Just wanted to let you guys know I'm trying to hunt down something for us ...
And gracious, Michael. Stay safe! Your work in Baghdad is DEFINITELY another discussion. Don't be surprised if I try to bait you into that one next. :)
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