IHSA tackles a free press with its photography policy

What is it with these athletic governing associations?

First it was the NCAA demanding that the University of Illinois retire Chief Illiniwek or face sanctions. Now it's the IHSA telling newspapers how they can use photographs taken at high school championship games, or else lose access to the field. At the state championship football game, the Illinois High School Association unexpectedly decided to enforce its rule that newspapers had to agree not to sell those photos. Photographers from four newspapers did their work from the stands instead of the field as a matter of principle.

These games are public events … played primarily by public, tax-supported schools. The IHSA is infringing on a free press when it tries to dictate how newspapers conduct their business. The newspapers that sell photographs don't consider it a money-maker, but a service so readers can get a copy of that shot of Johnny scoring the game winner. For the IHSA, however, this is all about the money. It has a contract with a private photographer giving it exclusive rights to sell championship photos that's worth tens of thousands of dollars.

We don't resell photographs, so we don't have a financial stake in this debate. But we do have a stake in ensuring the freedom of the press. That constitutional right is priceless, and the IHSA should not be allowed to erode it.

Governor's gone

Just about a year into his second term as governor, Rod Blagojevich has moved deeper and deeper into his bunker. Mike Flannery, a reporter with CBS2 TV in Chicago, produced a rather lengthy piece to remind us all just how absent our governor has been. Flannery hung out at Blagojevich's Chicago home for several days over three weeks documenting that Blagojevich often never leaves the house to do his job. Flannery also documented that Blagojevich is not big on public appearances or even face-to-face meetings with his own chief aides, let alone other government officials.

The word "disaster" seems too tame to describe this year's legislative session. We have spread the blame for this disaster when appropriate, but it's hard not to lay the lion's share of it at Blagojevich's door -- not his office door, however, as he wouldn't likely be there.