November 12, 2013

USA Today

So there will be tweeting and Instagram-ing, but no Vine-ing from reporters at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, according to a report Monday in USA Today.

Nina Mandell reports that, according to an e-mail from International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams, journalists are free to use social media for news and still images.

“Please take as many photos as you like!” he wrote, and then added in another e-mail to USA Today: “Sharing pix on social media positively encouraged.”

But sharing videos is not, and that may be where the confusion started.

Using video on social media is against the games’ broadcast rights. The IOC’s full policy can be found here. According to that policy:

Participants and Other Accredited Persons cannot post any video and/or audio of the events, competitions or any other activities which occur at Olympic Venues (including the Olympic Villages). Such video and/or audio must only be taken for personal use and in particular must not be uploaded and/or shared to a posting, blog or tweet on any social media platforms, or to a website.

And the postings that are allowed better be nice.

Postings, blogs and tweets should at all times conform to the Olympic spirit and fundamental principles of Olympism as contained in the Olympic Charter, be dignified and in good taste, and should not be discriminatory, offensive, hateful, defamatory or otherwise illegal and shall not contain vulgar or obscene words or images.

The games’ official Twitter feed hasn’t commented at all on the confusion. But it’s still fun to read.

Support high-integrity, independent journalism that serves democracy. Make a gift to Poynter today. The Poynter Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, and your gift helps us make good journalism better.
Donate
Kristen Hare teaches local journalists the critical skills they need to serve and cover their communities as Poynter's local news faculty member. Before joining faculty…
Kristen Hare

More News

Back to News

Comments

Comments are closed.