The News Media Coalition today calls upon stakeholders and rights owners of the Commonwealth Games to recognise the genuine needs and value of established news media sector.
In a statement released today, following concerns raised by news companies in Australia, the NMC said: ‘It is disappointing and avoidable that news companies, which provide news and sports coverage 365 days a year, should be made to feel in particular aspects unwelcome at the 12-day Games, especially ones in Australia.
As an international trade body which has been collaborating with the Commonwealth Games Federation and numerous other sports organisations across the sports event cycle, it is clear that both rights holders, such as TV companies and non-rights holding news companies, can each derive benefit from the enormous changes around us. News video, whether created by video news-gatherers or in the form of news clips, for instance, are part of the new consumption of information by the public.
What cannot change however is the desire of the independent news sector to use journalistic endeavour and legitimate content operations to deliver editorial material to consumers as fast, informed and rich as possible – and making news judgement as they see fit.
The NMC will continue to work with organisations involved in the Games on the Gold Coast in April next year to identify the needs of the news industry. We urge organisers, the CGF as ultimate custodians of the event and other stakeholders to constructively get around the table to find an acceptable solution – rather than for independent established news entities to be told how to run their news operations.’
This statement has been issued on behalf of News Media Coalition membership of news publishers and news agencies, following comments on arrangements for the news media at the Commonwealth Games 2018.
Organising committee chairman Peter Beattie, speaking in Melbourne, Australia on Friday 27th October, said he was determined to avoid individual news companies refusing to cover the event in April next year.
A strongly-worded public announcement by Fairfax Australia last week that it will not agree to the terms and rules currently required for accreditation of journalists at the Games.
Yesterday, Robert Thomson, Chief Executive Officer of News Corporation, speaking at a high-level seminar on the Gold Coast, urged Games organisers to ensure journalists and newsrooms had necessary access and opportunities to share their stories of the Games with the public.
