March 05, 2008
Online Restrictions
Steve Johnson notes the new restrictions on online pictures probably does MLB more harm than good:
Certainly the Internet changes the coverage paradigm. What used to appear in tomorrow's newspaper or on tonight's sportscast can suddenly appear right away. What used to be limited to a relative handful of outlets granted official entry to a sporting event can now be done by anyone with a ticket and a cellular Wi-Fi connection.
But in their zeal for control, the sports organizations are forgetting the fundamental role in their popularity played by intermediaries such as the papers, bloggers, even sports radio.
A fan base isn't built merely by telecasting games. It needs the next level of engagement, the columns about firing the coach, the caller proposing the three-team trade.
The Web, obviously, will play a huge role going forward in this. And to hamstring its abilities almost at the outset will do more damage to sports organizations in the long run than will letting a few stray photographs float around.
MLB should be subsidizing bloggers, or at least providing them with all the pictures and videos they can use. It is free advertising, after all.
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Posted by David Pinto at
07:58 AM
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agree that MLB should be GLAD us bloggers give free publicity, yes, but it is that they got no control over us...