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University of Kentucky official who banned student sportswriter from Media Day a no-show at forum

avatar by Published Sep. 15, 2011 2:46 pm Updated Sep. 15, 2011 2:53 pm

Lexington Herald-Leader | Kentucky Kernel
University of Kentucky athletics department spokesman DeWayne Peevy, who revoked a student basketball writer’s Media Day pass for conducting “unauthorized” interviews with two players last month, was supposed to explain his actions at an SPJ forum on Monday but canceled on Friday. Veteran sportswriter Billy Reed said Peevy’s absence was a sign of disrespect toward the panel and the student newspaper, and added that the athletic department PR man “is far exceeding his authority for setting policy on how reporters collect information for a story.”

Kentucky Kernel’s editor-in-chief, Taylor Moak says of the brouhaha:

For UK Athletics to tell us we can’t talk to another student in essence because we’re journalists, I think that’s crazy. Any student on campus can go up and talk to them or Facebook them or tweet them.

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  • Anonymous

    Not when you need those same credentials for access to cover your beat.

    The issue isn’t whether a reporter can show a cop a press card at a crime scene; it’s that without credentials from the UK athletic department he has no access to media resources — news conferences, game access, releases/game stats UK provides to any reporter covering their teams. In short, he’s cut off from doing his job. And to do that to a tuition-paying student at a state school is indefensible.

    Which is probably why the athletic director didn’t show up. Since he couldn’t defend it, he didn’t choose to.

  • http://www.facebook.com/lancecollinsgay Edward Allen

    Why is the SPJ involved in this. If the local authorities take away someone’s press pass, that’s not going to stop them from walking up to someone and asking a question. The press pass is an identification card to show police officers that you have a job to do on crime scenes and get their permission to cross their lines. They don’t have to do this, but if you don’t have a press pass or other legitimate reason for being there, they certainly won’t.

  • http://www.facebook.com/lancecollinsgay Edward Allen

    Why is the SPJ involved in this. If the local authorities take away someone’s press pass, that’s not going to stop them from walking up to someone and asking a question. The press pass is an identification card to show police officers that you have a job to do on crime scenes and get their permission to cross their lines. They don’t have to do this, but if you don’t have a press pass or other legitimate reason for being there, they certainly won’t.