The right to report in the digital age

As a baseball fan, I regularly read the sports news and opinions provided to me by traditional media sources. As a citizen in the digital age I also look to alternative sources for my baseball fix, particularly blogs. This year MLB is taking blogs seriously and that may be bad news for the little guy.

Baseball has been negotiating for months with sports editors over the terms under which reporters, photographers and bloggers can hold media credentials and what news outlets can do with the content they gather during games. The spat started when baseball issued its annual credential guidelines, which include tight restrictions on digital content such as photo galleries, audio and video on Web sites and blogs.

First of all, it’s unfortunate that baseball decided to negotiate only with sports editors and not involve at least representatives from the blogging community. If you’re going to develop rules for a new media source, it would have been sensible to speak with bloggers about what they’d like to be able to do.

More importantly though, is the issue of ownership in this digital age. How much should MLB limit bloggers rights? Where is the line between providing exposure for the sport and violating broadcast contracts?

Baseball’s new guidelines are mostly the same as in any other year: a one-page document that reporters, photographers and editors would typically sign as a matter of procedure to obtain press passes. But this year came important differences: photo galleries could no longer include more than seven pictures. Web sites are limited to no more than two minutes of audio or video from any game and that content can stay up for no more than seven consecutive days.

Of lesser concern to the sports editors, Cherwa said, is a provision limiting bloggers to posting less frequently than once per half-inning.

The big leagues’ blogging policy hasn’t resulted in any credential revocations but an incident at a college baseball game last June showed how contentious blogging can be. A Louisville Courier-Journal reporter was thrown out of a game between the University of Louisville and Oklahoma State for posting live updates to his blog.

The NCAA later said live updates from its events are allowed, but must be limited to scores and how much time is left on the clock.

It seems that there’s an aspect to this that MLB and the other big sports are missing here. Bloggers provide free advertising and exposure. Most are also among the most hard core of fans as well. Why would you want to prevent your most devoted followers from sharing their love of the game?

Also, I think it brings up the issue of who is an expert in this age. I think it’s fair to say that many of the top baseball commentators are relatively clueless about modern forms of baseball analysis. By the same token, some commentary found on the internet is among the very best in the business.

Limiting the creative options of those truly innovating the ways we think and talk about the sport hurts fans, it hurts bloggers and hurts the game. Pursuing every opportunity for profit creates competition where there should be collaboration.