Guidelines For Issuing Press Credentials To Bloggers

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

The Washington Capitals asked Eric McErlain (whose blog Off Wing Opinion is very respected in the blogging hockey community) to come up with guidelines for issuing press credentials to bloggers.

I'm posting this here in the hopes of avoid the "blogs" crap. Keep in mind that most pro teams are wrestling with this issue right now. Also keep in mind that some of you may turn to a blog in order to keep your hand in certain sports between jobs or to increase your industry profile.

Anyway - here is what Eric came up with:

    Guidelines for Granting Press Credentials to
    Bloggers and Other Online Media Representatives

    Our organization, in an effort to better communicate with and inform our fans and sponsors, is committed to working with the emerging class of independent reporters and columnists who reach their audiences via blogs, podcasts, videoblogs and other online media. However, because these communications vehicles are so new, and the practitioners are not connected with established media organizations, some confusion exists as to how professional sports franchises can and should interact with them on a continuing basis.

    The following is a list of guidelines that the team will use in order to decide how to issue press credentials to independent online media representatives:

    * Individuals may apply for credentials on a game-by-game basis unless otherwise specified. Requests for credentials must be sent by e-mail or in writing to the Director of Media Relations. In addition, the team must have at least a three working day window to consider an application.

    * Access is a privilege, not a right, and the organization reserves the right to revoke this privilege at any time. The organization also reserves the right to deny/revoke credentials to any outlet that publishes objectionable content.

    * The organization prefers to work with online media outlets that have an established track record covering our team, our league and professional sports. As a general guideline, we would like to work with outlets that have been in continuous operation for at least 3-6 months. Please note, however, that we do have some flexibility in this area. For example, while a blog concentrating on a specific time-limited event like the NHL Draft or the Stanley Cup Playoffs couldn’t be reasonably expected to meet the above guideline, an exception could easily be justified on the basis of subject matter.

    * All applicants must submit traffic data from a third party (Sitemeter, Technorati, Feedburner, iTunes or an equivalent) in order to be considered. While the decision to grant access is not based solely on traffic/subscriber data, we do ask that applicants provide some degree of transparency into their operations in order for us to make a fair and timely decision on an application.

    * Obtaining press credentials is an opportunity to meet and interact with players and team officials. It is not a free ticket to the game. While continued access to the arena is not directly contingent on producing coverage every time, due to space limitations, the team must take it into consideration when granting continued access. Following the game, please forward a link to your post/podcast/videoblog to the Director of Media Relations.

    * Bloggers who are granted access to the press box and other areas inside the arena are expected to act professionally at all times. Those who do not observe the practices of professional decorum run the risk of being ejected from the arena, and barred from future access.

    * The final decision on all applications for press credentials rests with the Director of Media Relations.

Eric is looking for serious input as this is not the final draft.

http://www.ericmcerlain.com/offwingopinion/archives/006447.php#006447

[Cadet]

I like the line about "send the link to the SID"...

[HejiraHenry]

Well, the middlin'-sized paper where I'm working started live-blogging SEC games last year, when I was not here.

We got a credential to send out blogger to Thursday's Miss. State-South Carolina ESPN game with little fuss. The deal is, no play-by-play. Which would suck anyway.

Sunday's Ole Miss-Memphis game? No, sorry, no room at the Oxford Inn. We can "live" blog off the TV, I suppose.

Another brick in the wall of Fortress Orgeron? I dunno.

[dixiehack]

Ole Miss fans would probably rather read a blog from the Grove anyway.

[PeteyPirate]

    * Access is a privilege, not a right, and the organization reserves the right to revoke this privilege at any time. The organization also reserves the right to deny/revoke credentials to any outlet that publishes objectionable content.

The second part of that would seem problematic for anyone attempting to cover a beat, unless "objectionable" was defined better.

[Nathan Scott Phillips]

    * Access is a privilege, not a right, and the organization reserves the right to revoke this privilege at any time. The organization also reserves the right to deny/revoke credentials to any outlet that publishes objectionable content.

The second part of that would seem problematic for anyone attempting to cover a beat, unless "objectionable" was defined better.

This particular criteria probably applies in all press boxes, but any team that went around abusing it would take too much crap if they barred a newspaper reporter over negative coverage.  They probably really mean "libelous" but wouldn't want to limit themselves by inserting a legal term there.

[Lugnuts]

3-day window to consider application?  Not fair for anybody.  Sometimes a trade is made, a big player is called up, a special circumstance.  It should be one business day for all media.

I've never heard of those 3rd-party traffic monitors.  I'm pretty sure Nielsen ranks.  So I'd set a spot in the Nielsen rankings, and if they make the cut, they're in.  I would also require that the site is a commercial venture - i.e. accepts legit ads from legit companies - not the Google stuff.  Here's the bottom line:  A blog can be "respected," but to credential, it must have hits.

Forget the line about e-mailing the P.R. guy.  If the blog is big enough to receive a credential, P.R. guy can find it himself.

The point here is to give big, legit bloggers the exact same privileges as the mainstream media-- because they are the mainstream media now-- while restricting the guys doing it as a hobby.  The answer is NOT to give the hobbyists some half-assed privileges.

Either you're in, and you get treated like everybody else, or you're not in.

[Columbo]

I don't like the idea you have to supply a link to the PR department. If they're interested, they can certainly find it themselves.

It's not like they'd expect the Washington Post beat writer to drop off a paper in the morning.

Yes.... they should supply a link.

Blogs are like fleas, newspapers more like dogs.

[Trust NoOne]

Supplying a link is reasonable.

I think for the most part, it's hard to argue with. I think using either Nielsen or Alexa is a good metric (although Sitemeter is OK, if you have a smaller site, not in the top 100K) — as is the requirement of a certain amount of time in service.

The PR staffs have to have some ways to delineate the professional sites from the teenagers.

I think it's a good first step and bodes well — if we see the same thing from other pro sports in the years to come.

[Nathan Scott Phillips]

Lots of different people get into regular season games anyway through various means. On two occasions in a MLB pressbox I sat next to a guy who spent the whole game posting on a message board for that team.

[playthrough]

Forget the Nielsen ratings, etc....how about a copy of a pay stub? Money talks- or at least it certainly separates the hobbyists from the pros. If a BLOG! is someone's way of making a living, I've gotta think he/she has the chops to be able to handle a credential or a seat on press row. So show it via a paycheck.

I'm not being completely serious, but to me that's always been the bottom line with online media outside of the mainstream sites. Hobbyists -- though some do a damn good job with their sites -- are just that, so should they get access to something Joe Ticketbuyer wouldn't?

[Lugnuts]

That's why I said the part about the advertisers.

Anybody with a good laser printer and a bank account can make up a pay stub.

But if half a million people read your website, and it's sponsored by McDonald's, now we're talking.

[Blitz]

Well, the middlin'-sized paper where I'm working started live-blogging SEC games last year, when I was not here.
We got a credential to send out blogger to Thursday's Miss. State-South Carolina ESPN game with little fuss..

Bloggers will be admitted to press boxes more frequently when there is less demand by other media, which is the case, I'm sure, with tonight's MSU/SC game at Starkville. That big pressbox won't have an ass in every seat, even with all the folks they routinely allow to come in (with spouses) for games. As the season progresses and games get bigger in Starkville and other places like Athens or Gainesville or Baton Rouge or T-Town, the bloggers will be squeezed out and turned away by already-harried SID staffs.

Just a prediction.

Bloggers should stay the hell out of press conferences and pressboxes, if you ask me.
They ought to be banned.
What they say is all opinion. It's all like a giant column, running down the left side of the front page of the World Wide Web Gazette.
Sure they mix in some facts, but when you get down to the meat and potatoes of what these folks say ... it's all about their opinion.

[Bob Cook]

Well, the middlin'-sized paper where I'm working started live-blogging SEC games last year, when I was not here.
We got a credential to send out blogger to Thursday's Miss. State-South Carolina ESPN game with little fuss..

Bloggers will be admitted to press boxes more frequently when there is less demand by other media, which is the case, I'm sure, with tonight's MSU/SC game at Starkville. That big pressbox won't have an ass in every seat, even with all the folks they routinely allow to come in (with spouses) for games. As the season progresses and games get bigger in Starkville and other places like Athens or Gainesville or Baton Rouge or T-Town, the bloggers will be squeezed out and turned away by already-harried SID staffs.

Just a prediction.

Bloggers should stay the hell out of press conferences and pressboxes, if you ask me.
They ought to be banned.
What they say is all opinion. It's all like a giant column, running down the left side of the front page of the World Wide Web Gazette.
Sure they mix in some facts, but when you get down to the meat and potatoes of what these folks say ... it's all about their opinion.

By your logic, Michael Wilbon, T.J. Simers, et al, should be banned from press boxes because what they write is all about their opinion.

I don't get what has some people's knickers in a twist about letting bloggers into news conferences or press boxes. If the worry is, there's going to be a bunch of homers clogging up space, then I recommend you never cover college sports.

If you've followed the link, I've had a lot to say there about the specific of the guidelines McErlain has put forth. My read on things is, bloggers in essence must follow the same rules of decorum and professionalism as anyone else. Teams and event organizers also aren't out of line in demanding some sort of link or something to prove that the blog is legitmate. However, I don't like the idea of the blog being forced to send something postgame. I don't see that demanded of any other form of media. If the team cares that much, they can search out the credentialed bloggers' work very easily.

I don't like the idea of a blog being booted out solely for content. Whether it's Ed Hinton or Masslive.com (both big brouhahas five-six years ago, with Masslive.com getting a court injunction to get state championship access, denied because it had "objectionable content") or Offwing.com for whatever reason, I'm very uncomfortable with teams and event using "objectionable content" as a reason for revoking credentials. If they can go after some blogger, they can go after you, too.

Blitz, you are right in that much of the decision-making will based on seat availability, just like how small papers and radio might get squeezed out for a big event. In the end, for the teams, it's all about promotion, so if the team figures a blog captures a small but passionate percentage of its fan base (as McErlain's Offwing does for the Capitals and the NHL in general), then they're apt to let 'em in.

[Chi City 81]

If they can go after some blogger, then can go after you, too.

They already did, albeit not for "objectionable content." See: Royals, Kansas City.

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

Just a couple of things to comment on from my end.

- This seems to be starting with the NHL, minor league teams and non-major college teams. Many of the papers who cover teams in those leagues no longer send a reporter on the road but rely on AP for the game stories. Why shouldn't teams try to leverage the existing passion involved with the blogs and their readers to widen the scope of the team coverage? For example - I'm going down to DC this weekend to watch Holy Cross play Georgetown and I doubt that the local paper will have anyone at the game. My Holy Cross centric game observations may be of more interest to passionate Crusader fans than a generic gamer from the AP guy (or a great complimentary piece to the AP gamer). Why wouldn't the SID at Holy Cross want that extra coverage? It doesn't cost him anything. (BTW - I did not apply for credentials because I'm down there to enjoy myself but there are many bloggers who would be of more serious purpose)

- In Eric's case - you can probably find more Capitals info at Off Wing Opinion than in either of the local DC papers. That's why he was approached and given credentials in the first place. He's a professional writer doing the blog as a hobby but because of his knowledge of the game and passion - he has developed a loyal readership base. Now he's also covering the Ravens for AOL.

- I agree that "objectionable content" is vague but I think it is there so that people who make money off porn ads aren't taking up spots in the press box. The team doesn't have to do this for bloggers so I'm not worked up if they keep a "we'll invite who we wish" vague clause. Seats will be based upon availability and bloggers are sure to get the short end of the stick.

- The professional dress observation is a good one.

- The traffic data from third parties mentioned are the most prevalent for measuring blogs. I use Technorati and Sitemeter myself. I have about 13,000 visitors a month and maybe more importantly also have about 450 other blogs who link to my site. Honestly, I think that would put me on the outside for most pro teams (and deservedly so) but good enough for non-major college and minor league affiliates.

- I think supplying a link is reasonable. The media relations people are busy enough without a blogger making extra steps for them.

- The for-profit idea I disagree with. Again using Off Wing Opinion as an example - Eric does this as a hobby and gets very little income from his site but like I said above - it is one of the best sources available for NHL and Capitals info and analysis. Plus technically you could get an argument that many of the major newspapers aren't "for profit" enterprises either (just ask stockholders of the NYT).

[Lugnuts]

Chris,

Supplying the P.R./SID with a link to your work after every game smacks of, "Daddy, look at me!  Look what I wrote!  Aren't you proud of me?!"

"See?  I told you I wouldn't write anything negative!"

"See?  I told you I deserve a credential!"

"I'm a good boy."

As a TV person, I don't send tapes of my stories to the teams I cover (unless it's a special request), and I don't know of a single print person who sends teams clips of their work the day after games.

Part of being a legitimate journalist is that you're legitimate enough for the SID/P.R. guy to seek out your work.

Doing what this blogger has suggested is unprofessional. 

----------------

Ya know, Chris, the more you bloggers get credentialed, the more seamy underbelly you guys will see.  You're gonna find out pretty quickly that a lot of these players are assholes with some really nasty habits.  You're gonna see arguments, testiness, and bad decisions.  Then you're going to be at a loss for what to do.  If you report the truth on your blog, you risk pissing off the P.R. department and losing your credential.  If you don't say anything and paint a rosy picture, it will eat at you.

Therefore, it's best to be 100% legit up front. 

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

Luggy - I think I was looking at the link thing different from you.

I was looking at supplying the link in order to get the credentials in the first place. However - you are correct in that it asks for a link after each game. I think the wording there should be improved. I do understand that ownership does not want this to be a free "season ticket" for the blogger who is not producing the goods.

The flip side to your seamy side argument is that some bloggers may have other specific side interests for example - they may be a motor-head in which case Manny Ramirez might have something to say (Manny is a serious motor and stereo head) or electronic role playing games in which someone like Curt Schilling may have something interesting to say to those interested in that niche. Also because most bloggers have a "day job" maybe they can come out and make an emperor has no clothes observation than someone who might get fired for doing the same.

[Frank_Ridgeway]

Pro teams make decisions on which newspapers to credential, too. In some markets, weeklies aren't getting in. We're in an era when anyone can blog. Given finite space in the pressbox, I think teams should try to discern which outlets are "news media" and which are some guy just spouting crap in order to get in for free.

[Lugnuts]

The flip side to your seamy side argument is that some bloggers may have other specific side interests for example - they may be a motor-head in which case Manny Ramirez might have something to say (Manny is a serious motor and stereo head) or electronic role playing games in which someone like Curt Schilling may have something interesting to say to those interested in that niche. Also because most bloggers have a "day job" maybe they can come out and make an emperor has no clothes observation than someone who might get fired for doing the same.

Chris - and I say this in a nice way -- you couldn't have picked two worse examples to make your point.  Manny doesn't talk.  I read SOSH occasionally and am amazed at the disconnect between SOSHers' view of Manny and the real Manny.  When it was reported that Manny approached the official scorer to nitpick him-- during the biggest series of the Sox season no less-- SOSHers killed the messenger, calling the reporter a liar.  Then Ortiz basically confirmed the story by lashing out at the official scorer on behalf of his friend Manny.  I know you know what I'm talking about.

I honestly don't think-- could be wrong-- but I honestly don't think Manny would talk to a blogger with a credential... about anything.  And that's my point:  Reality creeps in.

Even if the blogger tries to make it "just about the game"-- he will find the human crap rears its ugly head, ultimately impacting the game.

[jgmacg]

Not to insinuate or imply anything about the value of bloggers or blogging, but to play devil's advocate: At what point do we reach critical mass here? At what point are pro teams being inundated with thousands of these requests? Each of which has to be sorted through to see if the criteria are being met? How many more people can be shoehorned into the pressbox? How many more into the locker room? At what point do the athletes demand the herd be thinned? Why not just give everyone in the stands a laptop and a wifi hub?

And at what point does all this confusion create a plausible excuse for franchises and leagues to cut everyone off and simply feed information out through their own websites, as they all dream of doing?

[Lugnuts]

jgmacg -- Great points.  That's why I think the standards should be fairly high, especially for pro teams.  Nielsen would seem to be a good starting point.  For college lax, sure, they can have lower standards.

But then when you do credential a website, go all the way -- give them the same access as everybody else, and have them follow the same S.O.P.s as everybody else.

For me, as a TV person, this is an issue that fires me up.  It's getting tighter for me, and I'm seeing friggin' Fanboyblog.com with better access than me.  I can guaran-friggin-tee you a heck of a lot more people will see my story than will read his blog.

[cranberry]

Not to insinuate or imply anything about the value of bloggers or blogging, but to play devil's advocate: At what point do we reach critical mass here? At what point are pro teams being inundated with thousands of these requests? Each of which has to be sorted through to see if the criteria are being met? How many more people can be shoehorned into the pressbox? How many more into the locker room? At what point do the athletes demand the herd be thinned? Why not just give everyone in the stands a laptop and a wifi hub?

And at what point does all this confusion create a plausible excuse for franchises and leagues to cut everyone off and simply feed information out through their own websites, as they all dream of doing?

Teams and leagues don't dream about feeding information exclusively -- they get more free publicity than any other industry through the credentialing of media. However, you make good points about the overcrowding situation. It should (and likely will) come down to the size of a media member's audience. If you have a blog with a bigger audience than, say, a weekly newspaper then the organization will pay attention to you because it would be remiss not to pay attention. If you have a blog that you, your mom and your best friend read religiously, that's a different matter.

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

Luggy - I probably could have been better with my examples but to comment on the official scorer flap.

That stuff has been a sore subject in Boston for a number of years

- the last time a superstar was accused of trying to get an official scorer to change something it was an accusation by Buckley in the Herald against Nomar having a fielding error changed to a hit. It turned out that it never happened and that Buckley had to apologize to Nomar but the damage had been done (that's why there was a certain sense of why trust the messenger this time on SoSH)
- Wade Boggs was on the phone to the scorer every time he was charged with an error in the field or a hit was posted as an error. Most famously Clemens was going for the ERA title one year and Boggs had an error that lead to a run (or runs - I forget). He called the scorer to have it changed to a hit so that he would have a better fielding percentage not realizing that he just cost Clemens the ERA title. Later he tried to fix it for Clemens but the scorer wouldn't change it back (that's one reason why there is no love lost between Clemens and Boggs to this day).
- Jim Rice on the other hand never complained about scorer's decisions. If he had just a couple of errors changed to hits - then his .298 career BA may have been over .300 and that could have been the difference in him being in the Hall of Fame.

So you had the regular guy (Buckley) making things up which cast a bad light on McAdams when he made a similar claim about Manny. McAdams' claim still exists in a vacuum because we don't know if Manny like Boggs calls the scorer all the time or is more like Rice in that he never calls. The context was completely missing.

I know much of this background because of an interview a blogger did with the official scorer a while back. An in-depth interview that never would have made the pages of the Herald or Globe. Bloggers could do more of the Breslin "gravedigger" interviews and maybe give readers some points of view that they would never get from the major media outlets.

I in no way disagree with the fact that credentials must be limited but as cranberry pointed out - if the blogger has a bigger audience than some mid-size paper - why shouldn't the blogger get the credentials?

[Lugnuts]

if the blogger has a bigger audience than some mid-size paper - why shouldn't the blogger get the credentials?

Then I would give it to the blogger - sure.

The problem comes in when bloggers get preferential access because they don't report the negative or controversial.  Then they become arms of the teams.