By Duncan Mackay
February 1 – FIFA today issued a press release which seeks to reassure South Africa’s media that the purpose of accreditation terms is “not, and has never been, to restrict press freedom”.
It follows complaints from South Africa’s leading media groups that clauses in FIFA’s accreditation regulations effectively banned journalists from reporting stories that “negatively affect the public standing of the Local Organising Committee or FIFA”.
The three groups – Avusa, Media 24 and Independent Newspapers – had engaged lawyers to take up the concerns of the South African media.
But Webber Wentzel, the lawyers employed by the media groups, were today reassured by FIFA that the clause was not an attempt to gag them.
The FIFA statement said: “We have had joint consultations with the key stakeholders from the international press, including WAN (World Association of Newspapers) and AIPS (Association Internationale Da Le Presse Sportive), during the drafting process of the terms and conditions and we have incorporated into the terms and conditions some of the suggestions that they have made.
“We have also had meetings with SANEF (South Africa’s National Editors’ Forum) and with other representatives of the South African media.
“The contacts with WAN, AIPS and other media stakeholders have been very fruitful during the past years and we even have a standing media committee at FIFA which includes representatives of AIPS, WAN, individual journalists and photographers as well representatives from each Confederation.
“The purpose of the media accreditation terms and conditions is to regulate the behaviour of people entering the 2010 FIFA World Cup venues, first and foremost to ensure the safety of everyone in those venues.
“The purpose is not, and has never been, to restrict press freedom.
“FIFA would like to make it clear that it does respect the freedom of the press.
“Editorial independence in the coverage of the FIFAWorld Cup is guaranteed and this principle is enshrined in Article 1 of the terms and conditions, the second paragraph of which states as follows:
“‘For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in the terms and conditions is intended to be, or shall be interpreted as restricting or undermining the editorial independence or freedom to report and comment of Accredited Parties.‘
“This is an overall principle and, as the wording implies, the terms which are the cause of the complaint must always be read bearing this principle in mind.
“We should also point out that the particular provision which has been complained about as restricting the freedom of the press was contained in the media accreditation terms and conditions for the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009.
“There were no complaints regarding press freedom on that occasion and there is no instance of FIFA have abused the provision to restrict press freedom.”
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