SEC Revises Controversial Credential Policy -- Most Restrictions Lifted

By: Joe Strupp The Southeastern Conference, which had drawn complaints and potential boycott from some media organizations over a new restrictive credential policy, has revised the rules to allow more use of photos, video, and blogging by news outlets.

"The SEC was very receptive to a lot of our problems. I've been doing this a while and I've never had a commissioner or league president be as involved as Mike Slive has been," said John Cherwa, chair of the legal committee of Associated Press Sports Editors and special sports projects editor at The Orlando Sentinel. "They listened to us on photo galleries, use in books and the resale of photos, among other issues. They also helped to sharpen some of the definitions of things such as game action and blogging. Now, we did not get everything we wanted and we still believe some of the restrictions, especially concerning video and video highlights, are too severe. There are still many issues."

But Cherwa said he expected most media outlets to sign on to the revised credential policy.

When the SEC credential was first issued in mid-August, it included the following restrictions:

- No use by newspapers of video and audio game highlights on their Web sites.
- Time-limited restrictions on use of post-game and pre-game video and audio.
- Use of photos online only as part of regular news coverage, not for other purposes, archives or sale.
- The SEC and its universities must be granted licensing privileges to use newspaper images for its own news coverage and other uses.
- No blogging on newspaper Web sites of game events during games.

Cherwa said the new credential policy eases most of those limitations. It states the media can now: keep photos online as long as they wish, sell images, blog during games as long as it does not include play-by-play, post audio and video of game-related events such as press conferences and interviews but no game action, and they do not have to let the SEC license images.

SEC officials issued a statement about the new credential rules, noting it came about after discussion with the APSE, Associated Press Managing Editors and American Society of News Editors.

Those three news organizations had opposed the previous restrictions in a letter to the conference last week.

"The SEC has always had a positive relationship with the media," SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said in the statement. "When contacted by major media associations, we immediately began constructive dialogue to address their concerns. While there were a few changes we could not meet, there was agreement on many of the issues. We look forward to maintaining communication with the media as we work to balance the issues important to the media and the SEC's ability to protect its digital rights and trademarks."