Associated Press: Lawsuit may decide papers vs. preps

I have to imagine the CIF State and Southern Section office are going to monitor this case closely. As you know, this school year we started live blogging from marquee games, including area teams making CIF final appearances in football, basketball, baseball and softball. How this ruling affects the way we cover sports will remain to be seen, but it could start a precedent on how school associations and/or newspapers go about coverage in this ever-evolving digital era.

At the heart of this case pits the The Post-Crescent of Appleton, Gannett Co. and the Wisconsin Newspapers Association vs. the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association which alleges the The Post-Crescent violated media policies by Webcasting a quarterfinal playoff game.

The Associated Press reports it's a legal battle that could alter how reporters cover prep sports across the nation. Or, it could throw the roles of the organizing bodies in doubt and leave them watching their money-making associations run dry.

"Fundamentally, this comes down to TV revenue for the associations," said Don Craven, an attorney who worked for the Illinois Press Association and helped settle a photo rights issue in his state in 2007. "They don't own a commodity to sell, market or otherwise control. They should put on a very nice tournament and get out of the news business."

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association disagrees.

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Craven said meddling with newspaper reporters within their legal rights only draws negative attention.

"For the local newspaper, there is a century-old relationship between that school, that newspaper and that community and the WIAA doesn't own that relationship," Craven said. "It's the combination of claiming that you own the rights to a kid and messing with those community interests. It is a legal, PR fight they can't win."

The Associated Press has pledged financial support to the WNA and Gannett if the case goes to trial.