NEW YORK (March 4, 2008) - The Online News Association sent a letter today to Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. "Bud" Selig objecting to new restrictions included in terms and conditions for Major League Baseball media credentials.
The ONA urged Selig and Major League Baseball to collaborate with the news media to develop new credential terms.
"These terms interfere with our members' ability to do their jobs as journalists and cover news of public importance," ONA President Jonathan Dube says in the letter. In the letter, ONA points out that limiting the number of photos from a game that can be displayed online to seven could potentially limit the ability of news organizations to publish reader-submitted photos and "citizen journalism."
ONA also objects to allowing the Commissioner's office to define what constitutes a game "photo gallery" and prohibit their use on news sites.
ONA's legal counsel, Jon Hart, worked with Legal Committee Chair Kurt Greenbaum and Dube to draft the letter.
The Online News Association is also working with other media associations objecting to the new credential terms.
