Media,
This memo is to make you aware of significant changes in the NCSHAA’s Media Credentialing policy. Starting this year, the NCHSAA will begin credentialing established media outlets with year-long credentials. These credentials will allow access to all NCHSAA Championship Venues and press/media areas.
Please note that the new NCHSAA year-long pass is replacing the Blue Media Cards you have received in the past. We will not be issuing “Blue Media Cards” this year. With this change, we will have tighter restrictions on who will be issued media credentials through the NCHSAA office.
To apply for year-long credentials, there is a two-step process. As always, you can find this information at www.NCHSAA.org/media. The first step is for the outlet to submit a “Media Outlet Form”. This form must be submitted by every outlet requesting year-long credentials for the 2017-18 year. Once an outlet has been approved, they will be able to submit the “Individual Form” to apply for credentials for each member of their team. This form will include name, title and a photo to be used as identification.
After October 1, the NCHSAA will no longer accept and process year-long credential requests. After that point, all requests for credentialing will be handled on a sport-by-sport, championship-by-championship basis as we have done in the past.
Regular season credentialing and access will be handled at the local/school level. Please note that scouts and “scouting services” will not be credentialed by the NCHSAA. Schools may choose to permit scouting services to enter during the regular season, but no official credentials will be issued for scouts or “scouting services” through the NCHSAA.
Submission of a form does not guarantee approval for credentials. Once approved, outlets will be sent a link to apply for credentials for all full-time and part-time staff in need of credentials to perform the duties of their jobs. For the purposes of freelance employees, they will be treated as part-time. Past approval for NCHSAA Credentials does not guarantee future approval for credentials. Abuse of credential privileges by individuals representing an outlet could result in revocation of credentials for the individual and/or the outlet as a whole.
Email confirmation with status will be sent once this application has been reviewed. Media outlet approval may take up to 2 weeks.
Once approval is granted, an outlet will be able to apply for individual credentials for each full-time, part-time and freelance employee that regularly contributes to the outlet’s high school coverage. Outlets should only request credentials for those that need them to perform the duties of their work. Any abuse of credential privileges could result in loss of the individual’s credential as well as that of any credentials held by other members of the outlet.
With the year-long credential, it would no longer be necessary to apply for credentials for each neutral site championship. To reserve a seat in the media area as well as any media materials, year-long pass holders would need to email James@NCHSAA.org by Monday at 5 p.m. prior to the championship event to confirm their attendance.
It is our hope that this process will make things simpler for the outlets that cover our championships regularly as well as raises the level of professional decorum for all media covering NCHSAA events. There will be an updated, comprehensive, NCHSAA Media Policy forthcoming in the next several months.
Thank you for your assistance in working through this new process! If there are questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me with your inquiry.
