Washington Redskins Won't Let Washington Post Blogger Show Photos Of Upset Fans; WaPo Caves
from the journalistic-integrity dept
We've already discussed how ridiculous it is that any mainstream publication agrees to the NFL's policies that effectively set rules for how they can report on sporting events. How can a publication claim to have journalistic integrity after agreeing to specific rules on what they will and won't report on concerning a news event? On top of that, we've pointed out how ridiculous one particular football team, the Washington Redskins, has become in dealing with fans. Despite having the longest record of continuous sellouts in professional sports, the Redskins have been suing over 100 fans who were unable to pay for their season tickets. The Redskins could have easily just resold the tickets (and, in fact, they are reselling the tickets). But also suing some of the team's biggest fans after they've been hit by the financial crisis? That's just obnoxious.Lots of fans are pissed off at the Redskins this season, and a local radio station came up with a plan to get fans to wear paper bags over their heads during a recent game -- even going out and handing out a bunch of bags outside the stadium for just that purpose. Of course, gametime came and security confiscated most of the bags, saying that such bags are not allowed in the stadium. Still, Dan Steinberg, who writes the DC Sports Blog for the Washington Post, went around looking for such disgruntled fans. And while he didn't find many with paper bags, he did find other disgruntled fans displaying their... disgruntlement. These included t-shirts that were anti-Dan Snyder (owner of the team) along with some other things. Steinberg took photos of these protesters and posted them to his blog.
But not for long.
The photos soon disappeared, and the photo editor for the Washington Post admitted that the Redskins had called them claiming that taking photos of disgruntled fans was a violation of policy:
"The Redskins said he was in violation of his credentials for taking the photographs. We honored that request, because at the end of the day, they control access to their facility."First off all, how ridiculous is it that the Redskins are so insanely controlling that it thinks that banning photos of disgruntled fans will suddenly make people not realize that fans are disgruntled?
But, more importantly, what a shame that the Washington Post would simply fold like that. Yes, the Redskins control access to the facilities, but the Washington Post is effectively providing free advertising for the Redskins pretty much every day, by writing articles about them. The Redskins don't want to lose coverage from the Post. If the Washington Post had any journalistic integrity, why wouldn't it stand up to the Redskins and say "hey, disgruntled fans are news, and we're here to report the news." And people wonder why folks don't trust the coverage in their local newspapers any more. Apparently, those newspapers -- even the big "respected" names -- have no problem caving in to ridiculous requests from those they cover.
Meanwhile, The Big Lead (which gets a few of the details of the story mixed up) wonders what would happen if other people took such photos and sent them to the Washington Post to put on its blog, since the Redskins' main complaint is that Steinberg violated his credentials by taking the photos. If others took the photos though...
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Filed Under: journalism, photos, sports
Companies: washington redskins
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Funny and stupid at the same time
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Re: Funny and stupid at the same time
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Re: Funny and stupid at the same time
Hate to be the one to break the news to you, but the WaPo is notorious for caving on stories in order to preserve 'access.' They've been resting on Woodward's and Bernstein's laurels for way too long.
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Not Surprising
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Re: Not Surprising
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Silver lining to the cloud...
Because then WaPo would have to go through the hell of refunding monies to subscribers for removing the *news* people would have been paying to read.
So, those three readers who subscribe only for the sports section, be sure to thank WaPo for caving.
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sports is the only money maker in news
In other words, WP bowed to the skins so they could keep covering the game, but they did it in a way that sites like your could still publisize the story and their paper.
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Re: sports is the only money maker in news
You would think that a media-savvy organization could milk the hell out of a public feud.
But then, that would require the WaPo to be a media-savvy organization.
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get the names right in your article
It is the SPORTS JUNKIES on 106.7 THE FAN DC
www.1067thefandc.com
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Re: get the names right in your article
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Re: Re: get the names right in your article
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?????
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Huh...
That aside, what do we expect, Snyder is another Telecom asshole. I'm done expecting anything good out of these clowns...
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And still...
Just stop covering Skins in your paper if they did not want you there! Take a stance!
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I don't even care about the Redskins but I would love to see some LOLs out of it.
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Note to Redskins
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Re: Note to Redskins
*snort*
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Fan stike?
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Re: Fan stike?
Hockey, my friend, is all that's left...and they're actively trying to kill that sport too.
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Re: Re: Fan stike?
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Re: Re: Fan stike?
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Note to Redskins
Just wait for Detroit to go 1-15 this season.
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If you're disgruntled, why go to the game?
The team isn't going to do anything different as long as they are getting money. If the fans keep giving them money, there is no incentive to change.
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Two things
Two: The newspapers are wondering why they are losing the battle... Well, Washington Post, THIS is why you are losing the battle. By caving in to the Redskins, by not reporting the news, but wanting to pander to the big league businesses/sports-groups. They are not your boss, your READERS are your bosses. Start pandering to them, and give them a reason to buy your newspaper. You have an obligation to your readers not your subjects.
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Best comment in this thread. All the other idiots have no clue what they are talking about. Yeah, I know, you are not going to any more Redskin games. You think the NFL cares if you tech weenie basement dwelling homo's write about sports? We all know you hate it anyway.
For every season ticket holder that drops their ticket, there are 10 that would gladly pay for the right to buy those seats.
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Without access to the game, what can they report on? Stupid tech stuff or IP rights like this? Yeah, that pays well.
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Whose facility is it?
Who pays for its operation?
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Re: Whose facility is it?
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blog the pictures
BTW, wasn't it a Redskins' TE that posted a picture of the playbook he was studying on his personal blog last year. A picture taken of the book in his lap -- where he wasn't wearing any pants . . . and posted it just before going to the game. The post was up for the entire game. He claimed he didn't realize his privates were in the picture.
Seems like the 'Skins could use a lesson in tech-savvy.
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Where are you Ben Bradlee?
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