DURHAM, NC (August 7, 2007) - The National Press Photographers Association, in response to a letter last week from the National Football League that said corporate logos on vests were just a part of the league's new safety and security program and are not advertising messages, today said in a response letter to the NFL that the size and visibility of the logos is not the point, the mere presence of the logos creates an appearance of impropriety and calls into question photojournalists' independence and objectivity.
The letter to NFL vice president of public relations Greg Aiello from NPPA president Tony Overman said, "Although the NFL may believe that by being 'very small' the logos are not an attempt to provide media exposure for sponsors, they in fact do just that."
"We feel that the logos in and of themselves create a perception that we are for sale and endorse these products," Overman wrote to the NFL. "It is demeaning to our profession and undermines the very objectivity that is the basis of a free and robust press."
Overman also addressed the NFL vest issue today with an open letter to the organization's membership.
The NFL has been defending the presence of Reebok and Canon logos by saying there's no plan to increase the size or prominence of them, and that corporate logos have been used on photographers' vests before without the media complaining, and that logos have become a standard in the industry.
Overman responded that just because there may not have been complaints about the logos before, that doesn't make the complaint any less valid now. "By focusing on the size, placement, and positioning of these logos as 'less intrusive that what is considered accepted practice in much of the sports world,' you avoid the ethical points we raise. It is not inaccurate to characterize them as advertising messages because that's exactly what they are. We believe that the logos are a form of corporate sponsorship, not a function of manufacturing costs, and therefore reside in the category of product endorsement in return for payment or in-kind services."
Overman told Aiello and the NFL once again that NPPA is not opposed to wearing vests (without logos) for safety and security purposes. "We are opposed to wearing vests that endorse corporate products, no matter the size of the logo, nor the venue in which we are covering an event, whether it is a football game or a horse race. We continue to assert that this new requirement violates our independence and objectivity."
The NFL's original response to NPPA's complaint about the vest logos used as a justification for the logos the fact that the Associated Press photography director "has reviewed the vest design and concluded publicly that the Canon and Reebok logos are both reasonably sized."
"We believe that the Associated Press response is based more on business than ethics. They are certainly entitled to their opinion, but they only represent the view of one news agency. We represent the journalists who work for hundreds of news organizations, not to mention the many independent journalists, that cover your games. It serves no more purpose to cite the AP to bolster your position than it would for us to use the Chicago Tribune's strong Editorial objection to the logos to support ours," Overman said.
"It is very disappointing that the NFL does not understand our objection to this policy," NPPA's president concluded. "As an organization dedicated to upholding an important set of ethical standards for journalists, NPPA is obligated to remind its members that they should never do anything to compromise their objectivity in covering a story nor should they risk the perception of bias."
