North Carolina A&T

NORTH CAROLINA A&T CREDENTIAL GUIDELINES

I. Credentials are provided to working members of the media to assist in the coverage of North Carolina A&T Athletics. Credentials do not imply any guarantee to access, are of limited duration, are not transferable, and are revocable.

II. Loaning or transferring credentials to another may result in immediate permanent revocation of media credentials and ejection from the event of the original holder and unauthorized holder of the credentials.

III. Failure to adhere to the requirements of this policy may result in revocation of credentials for the representative and their outlet. Media outlets will be held accountable for the actions, conduct and professionalism of all their credentialed personnel.

IV. All credentials are subject to space availability restrictions in working media areas at various facilities.

CREDENTIAL APPLICATIONS

I. All media credential applications should be requested in writing or via email to the primary sport contact.

II. Each media outlet will be limited to four (4) working credentials for any North Carolina A&T Athletics event.

III. Requests for excess working credentials (more than four (4)) must be submitted in writing to the Associate AD for Communications and detail the special circumstances which justify the request. Any excess credentials granted will be on a limited basis and subject to being bumped by the holders of regular working credentials. Excess credential request for current A&T students completing formal University approved internships through credentialed media will typically be given a preference.

IV. Credential applications will be reviewed and granted by the Associate AD/Communications. Appeals for denial or revocation can be made to North Carolina A&T’s university relations department who will review the appeal and render a final decision.                                               

V. Gameday credential requests will be coordinated through the Associate AD for Communications with football and men’s basketball utilizing the online SportsSystems tool CREDENTIAL ELIGIBILITY

I. Media credentials may be issued to working members of the media representing recognized media outlets in the business of news gathering/sports reporting as a primary function of their business.

(1) The types of media outlets eligible for credentials include: newspapers, websites, magazines, wire services, college (sport-specific) publications, television and radio.

(2) The dissemination of editorial content must be a primary purpose of the media outlet and the outlet must demonstrate a record of sustained, original coverage of college sports, on a regular basis (typically at least weekly).

(3) Factors which will be considered in determining if an outlet is eligible for credentials include but are not limited to audience size, market share and editorial structure.

(4) Credentials will not be issued to representatives whose outlet exists solely as a platform for distributing unoriginal content (press releases, aggregate news sites, etc.)

(5) Online outlets should typically (a) be affiliated with a national or regional media organization; or, (b) host a website that provides substantial coverage of college athletics and/or A&T Athletics, and employs at least one full-time, permanent employee responsible for producing the site’s content. Outlets which are message boards without regular, substantial news/editorial/feature coverage by a full-time writer may be denied credentials.

(6) Credentials will not be issued for representatives from an outlet that does not have its own dedicated medium of distribution (e.g. outlets that primarily originate from a YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook account are not eligible for credentials.)

(7) Outlets whose working function is limited primarily to the recording and posting of full media availability sessions without any produced news/editorial/feature content may be denied.

II. Representatives should be on assignment for that outlet. Passes used by any member of a credentialed outlet without specific editorial assignment or by non-working members of the outlet are subject to revocation and will affect all future credentialing decisions by CUAD for that outlet.

III. Representatives should be affiliated with a lawful working business or enterprise with a Federal Tax ID/Employer Identification Number.

IV. Outlets must certify that their representatives seeking credentials have completed a background check and that the outlet does not reasonably believe those representatives pose a threat to property or persons. North Carolina A&T reserves the right to verify compliance by the outlet.

PRIORITY

I. North Carolina A&T Athletics may prioritize working media credential requests using the following factors among others:

1. Broadcast partners, including television and radio personnel responsible for live broadcasts of A&T Athletics. (Broadcast partners are not subject to the four (4) credential limit. The number of credentials will be determined by A&T taking into consideration contractual obligations.)

2. Full-time local beat reporters who cover the team on the daily basis for large-scale local print and broadcast outlets, including newspapers, wire services, radio stations and television affiliates that cover A&T Athletics on a regular basis.

3. Full-time radio and television personnel producing reports on A&T Athletics competitions. Credentials will be reserved for stations with a full-time sports director that provide regular and substantial coverage of A&T Athletics.

4. Large-scale national outlets, including national newspapers, magazines, television stations, websites and more.

5. University-recognized student publications and student outlets that provide regular coverage of A&T Athletics. See “Student Media” section below.

6. Eligible online-only outlets, with preference given to sites utilizing full-time journalists. Outlets’ affiliations with larger, national networks and the breadth and frequency of their editorial content will also be taken into consideration when prioritizing amongst online-only outlets.

7. As the result of limited work space, credentials will typically not be issued to freelance writers or photographers without a specific assignment received in writing by the assigning organization.

CREDENTIAL DURATION                

1. Season credentials will be reserved for organizations that provide consistent and substantial coverage of A&T Athletics. Please be advised that a season media credential does not guarantee working space in media work areas.

2. Except for seasonally credentialed beat reporters who produce regular on-site reports during all media availability sessions, all credentials are approved and issued on a daily and/or game-by-game basis. Outlets or individuals denied credentials for competition may still be granted access to other media availability sessions, subject to availability of space and the outlet meeting all criteria set forth in this policy.

3. All credentialing decisions will be made on a per-game basis. Credential approval for one contest does not guarantee — or indicate likelihood of — approval for future contests.

STUDENT MEDIA

I. A&T  students enrolled full-time and are members of a University recognized student media organization  who are assigned to cover A&T Athletics are eligible to apply for media credentials under this policy. All other undergraduate students seeking media credentials must be affiliated with an approved media outlet, serve in a working role, and will count in the total allotment provided to the outlet and be treated under as regular working media.

II.  A&T Athletics will aim to foster an environment conducive to the career growth of student media by providing students with first-hand experience and insight into the working relationship between athletic organizations and professional media. As such, student journalists seeking credentials will be subject to this policy. Students are strongly encouraged to connect with A&T Athletics sport contacts and full-time beat reporters for protocols relating to media availability and conduct for each sport to ensure their seamless integration into this professional environment.

CONDUCT

I. Credentialed media representatives and their outlets, including student representatives and their outlets, are asked to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with professional codes of conduct and ethics in terms of their actions, decorum, dress, etc.

II. Credential holders are expected to adhere to all requirements of this policy, the applicable rules, regulations, and policies of A&T including venue specific rules, and all applicable local, federal, and state laws. Failure to do so may result in revocation of credentials.

III. Credentialed media are not permitted to seek autographs, request personal photographs/videos, solicit/take equipment, etc. from A&T Athletics student-athletes or coaches. Such actions or requests will be viewed as a breach of professional conduct and are grounds for credential revocation.

IV. Outlets are responsible for the conduct of their representatives including any damage caused by the negligent, reckless, or malicious act of their representative.

RISKS

By applying for credentials outlets and their representatives acknowledge and assume the risks that comes from viewing sporting events including being struck or injured by participants, and flying objects such as balls, bats, and other sports equipment.

VIII. ACCESS, ISSUANCE, AND REVOCATION

A&T reserves the right to deny or revoke credentials at any time in its sole discretion. Appeals of revocation are handled as provided for in this policy. No guarantee of availability of credentials, space, viewing, telephone, or internet access is made. Scheduled events may be canceled or rescheduled in A&T’s    sole discretion.