Media as media coordinators

The last few years the media coordinator for a local prep basketball tournament has been a college kid who would rather listen to his iPod and talk on the phone than do his job. This tournament attracks some of the top teams in the country. Previous media coordinator was great. Had stats, chased down players/coaches for interviews, even made sure there was a meal for the writers.
While talking to the tournament organizer, he asked if one of our guys would want the job. Three-day event and the pay is decent.
Does this seem to be a conflict of interest? It obviously wouldn't be the prep writer doing this but someone else on the staff with no professional ties to the teams at the event.
Thanks.

 

Kind of a fuzzy area.

Maybe there could be a tradeoff: the paper gets a piece of sponsorship, in exchange for allowing a staff member to assume media coordination duties (on the clock of course -- you're not volunteering Stan Staffwriter to put in all this work for free).

 

Except for all the abuse the guy would take, see nothing wrong ethically. Starman is right, however, that involving the paper in some way as an institution would be a prudent political move. Besides, I'm sure the tourney would welcome that.

 

I'm sorry, there's a prep basketball tournament with a media coordinator? Damn.

 

Ethically it shouldn't be a problem but be prepared for some sniping from other newspaper's reporters ... don't doubt for a second that someone won't accuse the coordinator of favoring his co-worker ... and then you have to worry about the coordinator overcompensating to avoid the accusations ... leaving your reporter in the dust.

It might not be worth it.

 

It does seem to be a conflict of interest. But it doesn't have to be a problem.

Got a big-time all-star prep tournament locally that our SE has been in charge of coordinating for years. He's a professional by any standard, though, so it works. Might not work for a lesser man.

 

It can work if it is carefully planned and monitored.
And, if the paper gets a little exposure: Bonus Doughnuts.

 

Yeah, a tad weird...but no big deal

 

Tough shit. One condition absolutely implicit in the deal must be that Your Paper gets absolute first access to all media information (not necessarily BEFORE anyone else, but certainly never one second later). If the tournament organizers don't like it, get somebody else to handle media duties.

 

It seems like a bit of a gray area, but I think this is something that is only a problem if you let it be...

 

Appreciate the insight and opinions.