Scribes slam ‘restrictive’ rules for World Cup, Club Games

IN PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA

International journalists attending an annual conference here have accused Russia’s 2018 football World Cup organisers of human rights violations and subsequently appealed to world football governing body, Fifa, to withdraw some ground rules around next year’s tournament.

The journalists attending the 80th International Sports Press Association (AIPS) congress in Seoul and Pyeongchang said rules by Moscow organisers restricting areas of operation during the tournament infringed on basic human rights that guarantee freedom of expression and movement.

The journalists, drawn from over 100 countries, also criticised restrictive accommodation arrangements being made by organisers of next year’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

“AIPS can’t accept the growing trend of federations and organising committees making it almost impossible for freelance journalists or those not working for large media conglomerates to afford covering international events,” argued AIPS president Gianni Merlo.

“Such is the case of the Gold Coast 2018, where journalists wishing to book accommodation that includes nine rooms or less, have to pay the full amount in advance - something nearly impossible for most.”

Meanwhile, Russian World Cup organisers are shielding journalists away from covering “issues other than the World Cup” and are also restricting the media’s movement round the country during the Fifa Confederation Cup this July and at the World Cup next year. The journalists at the AIPS congress issued the “Korea Declaration”, a communique criticising the restrictions and infringements of basic human rights at both the Russian and Australian competitions.

“AIPS as the ultimate professional body representing the international sports media calls upon organisers of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games to immediately amend its unfair and restrictive media accommodation policy,” the declaration read. “Journalists intending to cover the 2018 Commonwealth Games are required to pay 100 per cent of their accommodation costs up front if booking nine rooms or fewer via the organising committee’s GOLDOC Accommodation Reservation System.

“GOLDOC’s unacceptable accommodation policy discriminates against journalists and media organisations from less wealthy nations and favours large well-funded agencies and media conglomerates. Unless this policy is not amended forthwith AIPS will recommend that members intending to cover the Games should seek alternative accommodation options.

“AIPS also calls upon GOLDOC and the Commonwealth Games Federation to ensure that non-rights holder media covering the Games are provided with fair and adequate access to sources and are not restricted in their professional duties by unfair news access rules.”

The AIPS also faulted the International Olympic Committee’s ban on candidate cities making presentations to journalists as part of the bidding process.

On the Russia situation, the AIPS statement said: “AIPS calls on Fifa and its Russian organisers to withdraw the restrictive clauses in the media’s Terms and Conditions for the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup. These are unnecessary and unacceptable restrictions on the freedom of the press and have no place in a modern society.”

AIPS President Merlo said he will soon meet with Fifa President Gianni Infantino to discuss the Moscow restriction. During the conference, former NTV sports editor Evelyn Watta was elected one of AIPS’s four vice presidents.

The conference also discussed investigative journalism, with renowned German investigative journalist Hajo Seppelt accusing the media of “going to bed” with officials and sports federations.