Editorial: IHSA finally did the right thing
The Illinois High School Association did the right thing in dropping its efforts to exclude newspaper photographers from championship sports events if their publications offered photo reprints for sale.
We're a bit biased here, considering we were co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to the IHSA's action Tuesday. We also were strong supporters of legislation that was drafted in direct response to the IHSA's attempt to restrict access to public events and interfere with how newspapers do business.
The IHSA all along tried to portray its actions as benevolent to the high school athletes themselves. In essence, it claimed it was protecting high school athletes from being victimized by the commercial forces of newspapers.
The IHSA apparently believed newspapers covered championships more to make money off selling photo prints than because of the newsworthy nature of the events themselves.
Tuesday's out-of-court settlement between the IHSA and the Illinois Press Association means this issue is resolved. Yet we believe it is important that the IHSA exhibit more than just grudging acceptance of this matter. It needs to know exactly why its attempt to control news coverage of these events drew the ire of sports fans, the media and lawmakers.
There is an obvious First Amendment aspect to all this in that the IHSA sought to impede coverage of events that clearly are public in nature - and clearly engage extremely high public interest - and are played on public property. Whether newspapers choose to sell reprints of their photos should not be a concern of the IHSA any more than should the subscription prices of those newspapers.
The argument that newspapers seek to cash in on high school sports by re-selling photos is ridiculous. In 2006, The State Journal-Register sold $357 worth of photos from IHSA events. In 2007, $454. Those figures don't even begin to pay for the cost of employing, equipping and transporting a full-time photographer to a single out-of-town game.
Under the IHSA's rule, the only professionally produced memento any player, parent or fan could ever have of a game would be one purchased from the Wisconsin-based company with whom the IHSA had signed an exclusive deal. With newspaper photographers barred from the sidelines, there would be no action photos that could be clipped and scrapbooked with only a 75-cent newspaper purchase.
In attempting to control access this way, the IHSA was trying to exert inappropriate control over high school sports. It essentially was trying to own its events the way NASCAR and the NFL own their events.
The IHSA's mission is to administer high school competition, not own it.
In reality, no entity "owns" these tournaments and championship games. They belong to everyone, and deserve the same unhindered coverage as other public events. The IHSA needs to understand not just the letter of Tuesday's settlement, but its spirit as well.
State Journal-Register