Photographers Bridle as NFL Announces Logo Policy
Sports journalists seem to have decided that the NFL has gone too far. The league has been flexing its media muscles of late — creating its own products online, on TV and in the movie industry in ways that compete with the media companies that cover NFL games as news.
But the final straw for a lot of sports journalists seems to have been a red cotton vest.
The NFL now requires all news photographers working on the sidelines of games to wear vests — to help security guards figure out who has permission to be there and who doesn't.
The vests also bear small logos for the camera company Canon, and for Reebok, which makes the league's uniforms. As the NFL's Greg Aiello points out, they're about a half inch high and an inch wide. He says they're not advertising, just modest emblems.
But journalists worry they'll be seen as shilling for NFL sponsors.
John Cherwa coordinates the sports coverage for the Tribune Company's 11 daily newspapers, including The Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. He says size isn't the issue.
"It puts many of us in violation of our ethics policy," Cherwa says. "Because technically, to wear that, you are endorsing Canon, you are endorsing Reebok. And we can't do that."
But vests with logos are nothing new, says the NFL's Aiello.
"It's ... something that's becoming more and more common in the industry," Aiello says. "At the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl the photographers wore vests that had a big giant 'Tostidos' on the back ... which was very visible on television."
Cherwa acknowledges this has been going on for awhile — and not just in the NFL.
"But none of us really kind of realized that," he says. "And I know that's kind of embarrassing, but we never really saw that until just recently — or until the policy came out."
And Cherwa says it's caused a lot of soul-searching in his papers' newsrooms.
"The truth is there really isn't a difference — it's just now we're paying attention," he says. "I've been to five or six Olympics, and it never really occurred to me that our guys were wearing vests that said 'Kodak' on them."
Now it's occurring to journalists — big time. The National Press Photographers Association and the Society of Professional Journalists have lodged protests against the NFL vests. The Associated Press says the logos are OK — but bigger ones aren't, because it doesn't want employees to become, as it says, "billboards" for league sponsors.
Veteran sports photographer Michael Zagaris says the idea of human billboards may not be so far fetched.
"For all I know, in five to 10 years they'll be wearing those racing jumpsuits, like they have in Indy or NASCAR — replete with many logos," Zagaris says.
Zagaris has been the staff photographer for the San Francisco 49ers since 1973. He says the league wants to discourage the presence of photographers who don't work for the NFL.
With fewer photographers, Zagaris says, "then they control the images — 'they' being the league on the one hand and the networks on the other."
And the question of control is at the root of a lot of the struggle between the NFL and the news media. The league, which is working to drive fans to its own cable TV station and Web sites, now says newspapers can only post 45 seconds of NFL footage per day on their Web sites.
The NFL's Aiello says newspapers shouldn't feel threatened.
But by the same token, he adds, " we have to carefully manage our own media assets that generate the revenue that makes the league run and pays the players."
Aiello says that has nothing to do with the vests. Those logos are not meant to be ads, he says. And he promises no one will check if photographers cover them up.
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MICHELE NORRIS, host:
The NFL is flexing its media muscle. It's creating its own products online, on television and in the movies. In the process, the NFL has been shifting football farther away from sports and news and closer to entertainment. That's making a lot of sports journalist nervous.
And as NPR's David Folkenflik reports, they've decided that the league has finally gone too far. The red flag - a red cotton vest.
(Soundbite of music)
DAVID FOLKENFLIK: Mightily, the contestants stride onto the field - Iconic American giants girding for all-out war at a football stadium near you. The main players are the NFL and the news media, and the stakes could not be higher.
Mr. GREG AIELLO (Spokesman, NFL): Half an inch high, and an inch wide - you can't see it on television.
FOLKENFLIK: I guess the stakes could be a little higher. Greg Aiello of the National Football League is pointing to corporate logos on a red vest. The NFL will require all news photographers on the sidelines of games to wear vests to help security guards figure out who has permission to be there and who doesn't. The vests also bare those small logos of camera company Canon, and Reebok, which makes the league's uniforms.
John Cherwa coordinates the sports coverage for the Tribune Company's newspapers, including The L.A. Times and the Chicago Tribune. He says size isn't the issue.
Mr. JOHN CHERWA (Sports Coverage Coordinator, Tribune Company Newspapers): It puts many of us in violation of our ethics policy, because technically, to wear that, you are endorsing Canon, you are endorsing Reebok, and we can't do that.
FOLKENFLIK: A strong stand on principle, but the NFL's Greg Aiello says vests with logos are nothing new.
Mr. AIELLO: It's become something that's becoming more and more common in the industry. At the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, photographers wore vests that had a big giant Tostitos on the back of the vest, which was very visible on television.
Mr. CHERWA: None of us were really kind of realized that, I know that's kind of embarrassing, but we never really saw that until just recently or until the policy came out.
FOLKENFLIK: Tribune's Cherwa acknowledges this has been going on for a while and not just with the NFL.
Mr. CHERWA: The truth is there really isn't a difference. It's just now we're paying attention. We've actually caught on that this has been happening. I mean, I've been to five or six Olympics, and it never really occurred to me that our guys were wearing vests that said Kodak on them.
FOLKENFLIK: Now, it's occurring to journalists big-time. The National Press Photographers Association and the Society of Professional Journalists have large protest against the NFL vests. The Associated Press says these logos are okay, but none bigger, because it doesn't want employees to become, as it says, billboards for league sponsors.
Veteran sports photographer Michael Zagaris says human billboards could be next.
Mr. MICHAEL ZAGARIS (Veteran Sports Photographer): For all I know, in five to ten years, maybe people will be wearing those racing jumpsuits like they have at Indy or NASCAR, replete with many logos.
FOLKENFLIK: Zagaris has been the staff photographer for the San Francisco 49ers since 1973. He says the league wants to discourage the presence of photographers who don't work for the NFL.
Mr. ZAGARIS: And they would like it fewer and then they control the images, they, being the league on the networks on the other.
FOLKENFLIK: And the question of control is at the route of a lot of the struggle between the NFL and the news media. The league is driving fans to its own cable TV station and Internet sites, and now says newspapers can only post 45 seconds of videotape a day of NFL footage on their Web sites.
The NFL's Aiello says newspaper shouldn't feel threatened.
Mr. AIELLO: By the same token, we have to carefully manage our own media assets that generate the revenue that makes the league run and pays the players.
FOLKENFLIK: Many journalists see the logos on the vests as advertising -another chance for the NFL to squeeze another buck out of every last inch of real estate on TV. Aiello says that's not the point at all and he promises no one will check if photographers cover those logos up.
David Folkenflik, NPR News.
NORRIS: There's one sporting logo you won't be seeing anymore. Cycling's Discovery Channel team is disbanding after failing to find a new sponsor. The team, owned in part by Lance Armstrong, had the first and third place finishers in last month's Tour de France. But that apparently wasn't enough to overcome the taint of doping scandals.
In a statement, Armstrong indicated that his team would be back. Though he said, quote, "things need to improve on many levels before that would happen." Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
