Local senators side with IHSA

8 comments April 2nd, 2008

It’s not bad enough that state Sens. Brad Burzynski and Dave Syverson voted against a proposal that would prevent the Illinois High School Association from regulating how news organizations use photos and video of high school sporting events, they voiced their opposition on the senate floor.

Burzynski and Syverson were two of only five no votes in this long-running IHSA photo policy dispute.

Contrast their position with that of their fellow local Republicans in the House. Dave Winters and Ron Wait are co-sponsors on an identical piece of legislation.

Winters sees it as a free-market issue.  Many of my media friends see it as a freedom of the press issue.  The press doesn’t need any more restrictions.

I look at it from a parent/fan perspective. If the local newspaper photographer takes a picture of your son or daughter playing in a tournament game and that photo only appears online, you won’t be able to buy a copy of that picture if the IHSA prevails.

Let’s say your kid only gets to play garbage time in a state tournament game. The official IHSA photog probably won’t take a picture of your kid. Your local newspaper photographer is more likely to.

The photo wouldn’t make it into the paper, but would be included in an online photo gallery. If you liked the picture, you could buy it. The IHSA doesn’t think we have the right to sell it to you.

The IHSA is not just stopping professional newspaper photographers, but has also stopped parents from taking pictures.

Last fall in Peoria, parents who were trying to take photos of the all-state cross country runners and the winning teams as they stood together at the podium with their trophies were shooed away.

So the IHSA photo policy hurts you as much as it hurts us.