Press, IHSA reach deal for sports coverage

SPRINGFIELD -- The state's newspaper industry and Illinois High School Association have struck a deal to resolve a dispute over taking pictures at state championship tournaments.

The deal ensures news photographers have sideline access at championship games and that the IHSA won't try to restrict what's done with pictures.

Both sides signed off on the agreement, which was made public Tuesday. As of Tuesday afternoon, it had not been filed with court officials, but an Illinois Press Association official said it should be filed by Wednesday morning.

The pact puts an end to state lawmakers' efforts to step in on behalf of newspapers. Proposed state laws would have spelled out that the IHSA couldn't control what newspapers did with the pictures.

Now, one provision in the deal calls for those proposed laws to be withdrawn from consideration in the General Assembly.

State Rep. Joseph Lyons, a Chicago Democrat pushing one such proposal, said Tuesday he was contacted and told the legislation was no longer needed.

"They shook hands," Lyons said. "They said they've worked it out."

Dave Bennett, executive director of the Illinois Press Association, said lawmakers advancing media-friendly legislation helped speed agreement.

The issue snowballed after the IHSA barred several photographers -- including those from the Daily Herald -- from the sidelines of last year's football championships unless the photographers signed agreements saying they, and the papers they work for, would not sell the images.

The IHSA maintained it controlled the rights to those images and has an exclusive contract with a photo company to provide pictures.

In response, the Illinois Press Association sued the IHSA and reached out to lawmakers for help. The Illinois Senate recently overwhelmingly approved a proposal the newspapers wanted. The IHSA is a private, not-for-profit organization, not a state agency.

Bennett said neither the press nor the IHSA gave up anything in the deal. "What it does change," he said, "is the ability to tell newspapers how to run their business." Newspapers get access to the games and the IHSA can still have its own photographer.

"We have always welcomed and encouraged press coverage of our events," IHSA executive director Marty Hickman said in a news release. "This agreement is a balance between the interests of newspapers and the IHSA's responsibility to manage high school sporting events effectively."