Reuters, AP Refuse To Cover Cricket Matches Over Restrictive Press Accreditation Rules
from the but-football?-baseball? dept
Sports leagues around the world have been trying to put more and more restrictive rules on various journalists and news organizations when it comes to reporting on their events. In the US, both the NFL and the MLB have put ridiculous restrictions on what reporters can write about or post on their websites. While, technically, these leagues cannot stop news organizations from covering their events, they can restrict what kind of access they have. Of course, for basic coverage, when the events are televised, reporters could just as easily cover the event while watching it on TV. Still, it's been disappointing that the major news organizations have refused to stand up to the football and baseball leagues over this attempt to restrict their reporting.Apparently, they only do that on sports that don't get as much attention (in the US, at least).
Last year, we wrote how the press was planning to boycott various cricket matches over similar attempts to limit reporting. And, once again, major news organizations like Reuters are proudly announcing that they will not be covering certain cricket matches due to the press policies. The Associated Press has announced similar plans, and says that the AFP is also refusing to cover the matches. At what point do these sports leagues realize that they're better off with press coverage than without?
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Filed Under: australia, cricket, reporting, restrictions, sports
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AP Hypocracy
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(Un)fortunately America != world
Ouch! You're totally undermining that how much money is involved in this game and how big is the crowd that watches/plays/cares about this game. My underestimated wild guess would be that ten times the number of people care about baseball.
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Re: (Un)fortunately America != world
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Re: (Un)fortunately America != world
I did say "in the US".
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How do you kidnap somebody
Kriner, J
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Re: How do you kidnap somebody
Step 2: Put it on a rag
Step 3: Cover your face with the rag
Step 4: Inhale deeply
Step 5: Kick file sharers off the internet
Step 6: ...?
Step 7: Profit!
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What's big in the US isn't always big worldwide and vice-versa
However, AP/Reuters aren't part of the major cricket news sources. So most people couldn't care less if AP/Reuters stopped covering cricket, since nobody really uses those for their cricket news.
Now, if ESPNCricinfo, Fox, Channel 9, the ABC or News/Fairfax were to refuse to cover the games, then Cricket Australia might start to take notice. But a boycott by AP/Reuters really isn't going to bother them all that much.
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Re: What's big in the US isn't always big worldwide and vice-versa
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Re: Re: What's big in the US isn't always big worldwide and vice-versa
ESPN, Star Sports, Channel 9, are the ones which can make such a call for and I would say that even if they call off. Others will be willing to take their place because of the money involved. They have dedicated channel to cricket only. AP/Reuters can do whatever they want, it won't change anything.
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Re: Re: Re: What's big in the US isn't always big worldwide and vice-versa
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Re: Re: Re: Re: What's big in the US isn't always big worldwide and vice-versa
Sure, AAP and Reuters are big newswires, but print media journalists are perfectly capable of finding alternate sources if those two aren't covering things a paper wants to include.
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Re: Re: What's big in the US isn't always big worldwide and vice-versa
"This decision follows notification from Cricket Australia that they do not intend to change terms and conditions for accreditation which resulted in a suspension of coverage by Reuters and other international agencies last season."
Funny - I don't remember any impact on game reporting last year. All the Australian newspapers, TV channels and radio stations had the latest scores and match reports, ABC still broadcast live, as did channel 9.
Just goes to show how relevant AP & Reuters are in this regard...
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Re: Re: Re: What's big in the US isn't always big worldwide and vice-versa
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Re: What's big in the US isn't always big worldwide and vice-versa
I know. That's why I had the parenthetical explanation in the post.
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Re: Re: What's big in the US isn't always big worldwide and vice-versa
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Re: Re: What's big in the US isn't always big worldwide and vice-versa
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Cricket is MUCh bigger than any US sport.
Population of India = 1100 million
plus UK, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand that adds up to about 2 billion. One-third of Earth's population plays and watches cricket. Baseball and American football are the quaint pastimes of an ethnic minority.
The amount of money bet on cricket is in the US$ billions and broadcasting rights are huge. The rights to carry the Test Matches can be enough to guarantee a network's profits for the year.
Cricket players at the international level achieve world wide fame, are knighted (Sir Ian...), get medals and are set for life after retirement.
[Note to self - is there any support group for geograhically challenged Yanks?]
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Re: Cricket is MUCh bigger than any US sport.
Again, how hard is it to read the post? I clearly said sports that don't get as much attention IN THE US.
[Note to self - is there any support group for geograhically challenged Yanks?]
Same place as the support group for those who start acting holier than thou without first reading what I actually wrote. :) I'll meet you there?
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IE, a company could step in to report where Reuters/AP don't, and gain the readers they would otherwise have had?
I'm not suggesting this is necessarily a good thing (if it's supporting backwards reporting agreements and such) but just wondering if the same principle wouldn't apply.
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