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PARIS - Leading international news agencies on Friday (NZ time) launched a boycott of the 2007 rugby World Cup, plunging the event into controversy on the eve of the opening game.
Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Associated Press, Getty Pictures and the German press agency DPA said no text, photo or video news on the World Cup would be sent for 24 hours in protest at restrictions imposed by the sport's governing body, on the transmission of photos during games.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) restrictions will particularly hit the use of action pictures on the internet.
However, tournament organisers accused the media groups of making "unreasonable demands".
AFP chairman Pierre Louette said: "Fundamental rights are at stake, there is no question of letting them be flouted in the name of the protection of the financial interests of the IRB."
AFP sent a note to its thousands of clients saying: "Negotiations on the coverage of the World Cup between the International Rugby Board (IRB) and an international media alliance including AFP are still deadlocked. Because of this, AFP has decided to join a boycott of the event."
The Reuters news agency insisted it was defending "editorial integrity".
"Reuters regrets this course of action. However, protecting the interests and coverage rights of our global client base is of key importance to Reuters," Monique Villa, managing director media, said in a statement.
"Amid growing confusion and uncertainty over reporting terms, and the IRB's unwillingness to engage with us to resolve the dispute over accreditation terms, Reuters is unable to continue coverage as planned."
The protest action was to be reviewed by the agencies later on Friday after new negotiations.
The international news agencies and the World Association of Newspapers strongly oppose conditions imposed by the organisers which allow just 50 photos to be transmitted during each match. This is made up of 20 photos per half and five for each half in any extra time.
At a meeting in Dublin on August 21, the IRB and international media agreed that one photo per second could be transmitted during World Cup games. This would allow 2400 images per half with a maximum of 6000 if there was extra time.
This is in line with agreements already made with the organisers of the Olympic Games and football's World Cup.
The IRB claimed that they had already made concessions and that they were not attempting to shackle the media.
"Rugby World Cup Limited will not be swayed by unreasonable demands and the threat of non-attendance," said a statement.
"It is regrettable that certain members of the media should have decided to suspend pre-tournament coverage. The unjustifiable move is being presented as the direct response to allegedly unreasonable constraints on reporting imposed by the organisers of the tournament.
"Nothing could be further from the truth."
Organisers said that they had increased "by 400 per cent the amount of photographs that can be published live during a match on public facing websites".
"Media organisations can now publish 40 photographs per match."
IRB president Syd Millar said the World Cup was expected to earn 90 million pounds for the IRB.
But the AFP chairman said the IRB's action came after years of mounting restrictions on journalists in their coverage of major sporting events.
"This matter underlines the desire by some organisers to have almost complete control, even if this is to the detriment of real freedom to inform," said Louette.
"The drastic restriction on the number of photos that our clients can use on the internet - even if the IRB has changed the figure a little from 10 to 40 - is still unacceptable. We have said this again and again to the IRB."
The agencies are also seeking a clarification of a clause which allows the IRB to use their photos for promotional reasons without recourse.
AFP and its competitors distribute text, photos, video and graphics to thousands of newspapers and media organisations around the world.
The French government called for a negotiated agreement between the parties.
"It is important that the World Cup can benefit from the media coverage that it deserves," said French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascale Andreani.
"We hope that an accord that is satisfactory for everyone can be found," the spokesman added.
- AFP
