The following summary – produced by the international news industry body, the News Media Coalition – is aimed at assisting you in deciding whether to cover an event of news and public interest.
The NMC opposes conditions imposed on written Press, news photography or video journalism which limit your ability to freely, fairly and accurately report the news and to utilize copyright in such material. Limitations to look out for include:
1. COPYRIGHT: Terms state that copyright in news organisations’ or newsgatherer’s own content belongs to the event organiser or performer.
2. EDITORIAL CONTROL: Where access to create news comes with obligations to:
-
- approval of content
- refrain from negative coverage
- avoid reporting on or showing matters that have occurred
3. PAYMENT: As a Press representative (as opposed to being a commercial partner to an event) you should never be obliged to pay for access to report the news.
4. LIMITS ON USE: Terms of Press accreditation which stipulate Editorial end-use are accepted. But there should be no limits on:
-
- duration of use
- platform (TV, mobile, online, social media, print)
- which country material can used
- archiving and re-use for editorial purposes
5. FREE USE OF CONTENT: Organisers should not insist on free use of your content in exchange for accreditation.
6. CEDING MORAL RIGHTS: Terms should not demand you waive your Moral Rights i.e. you agree to forgo personal right to protect the integrity of your work, have some agency over how it is used and be properly credited.
AND REMEMBER: Accreditation terms should be clear and made known in reasonable time before an event.
If you come across any of these issues refer them to your ‘commissioning editor’ and the NMC, via info@newsmediacoalition.org