(Editors Note: I would very much like to thank Jordan for writing about this, I was mulling this over in my head all day, not sure what to write. I appreciate him beating me to it)
Interesting rumblings coming from top names in the NHL recently…
According to Greg Wyshynski, the NHL is thinking about starting to put a little bit of limitation on professional bloggers’ rights as credentialed press. Suddenly, some bloggers may not even have the right to go into the visitors’ dressing room to get the other team’s perspective.
Some teams, like the New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers, don’t allow bloggers into their dressing rooms, all according to Wyshynski. They just might be lucky to catch a player or two on the way out of the building.
The NHL is good to bloggers. They are one of the more forward-thinking professional sports leagues out there. After all, bloggers like Eklund of Hockeybuzz.com, love him or hate him, were able to be part of the hustle and bustle in the past few Stanley Cup Final clinching games on ice and in the locker room…and they are just professional bloggers! They really can’t call themselves part of the official press!
However, putting limitations on that is going against the precedent they set forth in these past few years a little bit, isn’t it?
It’s one of those situations that “you’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t”. The only journalistic responsibilities that bloggers have are the ones they believe in. Otherwise, they have free reign to insinuate, suggest, and potentially completely blast the players and executives they come across on a daily basis. The press is relegated to a purely objective lens, and maybe a short blog on the side.
But we sure get tired of the same-old, same-old, don’t we? “X team beat Y team in a game on Z night…X went A for B on the penalty kill, and some French-named goalie made several key saves…”
…you get it.
I may not be a professional blogger, but I am a blogger that enjoys putting his opinion out there (it’s what I’m doing right now…why would I hate it?!). Regardless, as a writer, I know it’s very important to have both sides of the story to have a complete picture. Sure, even as a journalist or a blogger, your lens should be situated towards the team you cover.
But it takes two to tango. Two hockey teams play the game. You need to cover both.
If the NHL wants to put restrictions on what bloggers can and can’t write about through restricting their access to the visiting teams, then they are infringing on the quality of bloggers’ livelihoods. What good is it to have a completely one-sided perspective? You can’t give credit where credit is due without both sides.
Here are my solutions to this problem. They could be completely wrong, but from a broad standpoint, they seem to work. Here goes.
The NHL should pick and choose which bloggers get credentials through a very thorough process – We can’t have too many bloggers out there to intermingle with the press. The people of the press certainly have a much wider audience, and they are a more reputable source of reporting information. There should only be a few bloggers that have complete access, and they should prove their track record and writing ability through a test of professional conduct.
Certainly, you’re going to leave out a few bloggers, but it should only be the best that can advance the NHL’s media sprawl.
The NHL should not restrict chosen blogger access – For reasons mentioned before, it takes two to tango. If they show that they are professional enough, they should be given the chance to get interviews and give a fresh new perspective that actual journalists can’t give due to their objectivity.
Bloggers should be tactful – To further prevent restricted access, bloggers need to refrain from losing their tops over an action that was done, a decision that was made…etc. Sadly, it’s very easy, as a journalistic value-deprived writer, to go all out and use that blank slate to bash said decision or action.
But to keep the integrity of bloggers intact, they need to stay level-headed and just give another bit of perspective into this crazy hockey world.
Just, for the love of hockey, Gary Bettman…don’t restrict their access. Please?
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