PARIS, September 4, 2007 - The shadow of the press freedom dispute between the media and the International Rugby Board hung over the run-up to the World Cup finals which begin in France on Friday (Sep 7).
Negotiations in Dublin a fortnight ago had promised a compromise settlement which would at least have secured goodwill all round for the forthcoming tournament. However these hopes foundered when the representatives of the International Rugby Board, whose headquarters are in the Irish capital, took several steps back from the terms of the truce.
Key issues which remained outstanding concerned the IRB's wish to claim free access/use to all copyright pictures taken by news organsations at the finals and restrictions on the number of still pictures which can be distributed to public-facing websites during matches.
Anger over the pictures issue prompted Agence France-Presse to warn the French sports minister, Roselyne Bachelot, and the French Rugby Board that it was considering withdrawing from coverage of the tournament. Reuters and AP were other major international agencies considering similar action.
Further confusion was created when photographers and reporters turning up at accreditation centres to claim their already-allocated identity documents were told they could do so only on condition that signed up to the "old" accreditation agreement. News International was one of several organisations which issued its photographers and journalists a legal disclaimer statement to hand back to the accreditation staff.
"Clearly no individual journalist has the authority - or indeed wish! - to answer for his or her employer when it comes to overall financial, technical and presentation issues," said Keir Radnedge, a commissioner of AIPS, the international sports journalists' body.
AIPS is one of more than 40 UK national and international media organisations which formed an alliance earlier this year to resist what Radnedge described as "sports authorities' attempts to force their own commercial interests over into areas which comflict directly with the media's right to go about its own business of reporting the news unfettered."
A statement issued on behalf of the press freedom coalition said:
"Talks between the IRB and the coalition seemed to have made progress in removing some restrictions on news coverage but serious issues remain that may have an impact of news coverage of Rugby's World Cup.
"For months we have attempted to safeguard our desire to bring news of the event to the public through our legitimate editorial operations. We have twice travelled to the IRB's Dublin headquarters in an attempt to ensure that our traditional newspapers and news services are able to carry reports and pictures as and when editors determine and not according to arbitrary IRB rules.
"These meetings have led to progress in removing some coverage restrictions imposed by the IRB, including their original desire to determine how pictures appeared on our news pages and rules that were seen to limit freedom of expression.
"However, the IRB has gone back on some other outcomes of the most recent Dublin meeting, particularly in its refusal to fully recognise news media copyrights.
"In addition, the IRB said its greatest concern was that photographic stills on the web might be used for quasi-broadcast and news media organisations had sought to reassure them on that front. However, the IRB insists on arbitrary quotas for stills on websites during a game, although now at a higher level than originally imposed.
"Editors must be free to adapt to changes in public habits in consuming the news and this has been recognised by the FIFA and the International Olympic Committee amongst other forward-looking organisations.
"In addition to the public, sponsors too benefit from a free flow of news and we sympathise with those Rugby World Cup sponsors which have expressed their own concern that they might be caught up in a backlash with valuable exposure of their brands reduced.
"The news media organisations are dismayed that the IRB still wants to impose quotas on the number of pictures which can be shown on newspaper websites during the games while the world is able to see, hear and read about the matches as they unfold via television and other media.
"We represent nearly 40 news media organisations from around the world which routinely and daily cover rugby at all levels to the benefit of the game and its partners. The value we give in such coverage until now has never been questioned.
"At a time when the IRB is trying to present itself as a big player on the world stage, seeking Olympic recognition and trying to promote itself and sponsors in new areas, we urge the IRB look to the bigger picture and allow the news media to get on with its legitimate social function to tell the news.
"It is regrettable that the IRB has 'drawn a line in the sand' and refused to work with the news media organisation to resolve outstanding issues."
In response Greg Thomas, the communications director for the IRB was reported as having said: "Our sponsors are 100 per cent behind us. They care only about the TV audience and that will be 4billion for this tournament. They also want banners on stadiums, they don't care about newspaper coverage. We have drawn a line in the sand. If the media feel they have to stay away, that is their decision."
The Press Freedom Coalition includes:
World Association of Newspapers;
European Publishers Council;
European Newspaper Publishers Association;
Periodical Publishers Association;
Reuters;
Associated Press;
Agence France-Presse;
Newspaper Publishers Association;
Newspaper Society;
Society of Editors
Fairfax Media, Australia and New Zealand;
News Ltd;
News International;
L'Equipe
Mirror Group;
APN/Independent News & Media;
New Zealand Newspaper Publishers; Association;
New Zealand Press Association;
Australian Press Council;
dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH;
European Pressphoto Agency;
Getty Images;
World Editors Forum;
International Sports Press Association (AIPS)
Sports Journalists Association;
Football Writers Association;
Optasportsdata;
Infostrada;
SIC - Sociedade Independente de comunicação, SA;
Associated Press Sports Editors;
American Society of Newspaper Editors;
National Newspapers of Ireland;
European Federation of Magazine Publishers;
PressesSports;
National Union of Journalists;
European Federation of Journalists;
Scottish Daily Newspaper Society
