Tennessee bans Knoxville reporter

But in many cases, the government isn't allowed to classify information.

Hence, the Freedom of Information Act.

And that's why stuff gets declassified under court order all the time.

All I'm saying is-- the law is open for interpretation. This is a debatable issue.

There is a concept borne out of the U.S. Constitution called "Freedom of the Press." It's not absolute. But neither is the University of Tennessee's right to control public property.

 

Inky didn't have to talk. But he did. If he was being harassed by the reporter for an interview, if he was being followed everywhere, his dorm, his classes, his phone constantly ringing, etc., and he went to the SID, who then told the reporter to knock it off and the reporter didn't, then fine.
But that's not what happened. The reporter went through other people and the kid talked. And they're taking away the credential because of that? Good for the reporter for doing his job.

 

From what you present, it seems very much at story that the Knoxville readers would be interested in. Why wouldn't you pursue it if the kid is willing to talk?

If their heads explode it's because they are chiefly concerned about making their jobs easier and less complicated. Tough.

The only thing that would stop me from writing this would be if Inky didn't want to talk.

 

What would you do if your credentials got pulled, Moddy?

 

False start on moddy. Loss of 5 ads. Repeat first down.

 

Amen to that. The day I start getting permission from the SID staff to talk to players is the day I start wearing sweatshirts of the school I'm covering on press row. It's bullshit and it's a bullshit thing for a SID to expect me to agree to.

 

Bob Hammel is in both the Basketball Hall of Fame and the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame. He is an astonishingly talented writer and one of the best human beings ever to type sports for a living. He doesn't have to apologize for ANYTHING.

 

I'd like to see some of you hard asses cover a program like Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama or Tennessee. It's not as easy as you think to just flaunt their protocols at every one of your whims. In theory it sounds great - fuck the man, they don't own me, etc., etc., etc. All that rah-rah journalism stuff.

The reporter knew the school's media policies and decided the story was more important. Good for him. If I read the story correctly, this is his second "ban" for breaking UT protocol - so I'm sure he knew what was coming. The school probably said, "Dave, you know the rules," etc., etc., etc.

 

Also from that article.

Don't want something to be reported, don't say it loud enough for everyone to hear it.

 

Having "govols" as part of your newspaper's Web address for your coverage of the local team is an embarrasment to the profession.