As if dealing with the issues of racism with Donald Sterling and Danny Ferry were not enough, here comes this report involving minority publications and the NBA’s new media rules.
Now before we begin, note there is no blatant or concrete racist remarks however members of black and latino publications are blasting the NBA new media rules which they allege are discriminatory.
According to a report from the New York Post, the NBA revoked floor access for photojournalists to a number of smaller publications citing not enough space.
In a statement, Rod Thorn, the league’s president of operations, said the policy is about safety. “Many of the incidents of contact between players and photographers are around the basket area, so we felt it made sense to increase the open area between the baskets and the first photographer to four feet.”
But some African-American publication editors are upset.
“The NBA is a plantation — always has been — and nothing has changed with this new policy,” New York Amsterdam News editor Nayaba Arinde told The Post.
This is a situation where the NBA may have a legitimate point to limit access considering the explosion of media outlets over the years. However, if the NBA is just banning minority-run media outlets and there is a pattern, then the NBA needs to re-think this fast.
It is bad enough racism still is prevalent in society but the NBA is a melting pot of players from across the globe and this issue needs to be fixed.
The NBA has to know the league is a mix of many cultures and ethnic groups and the media needs to be diverse to reflect this.
The NBA has taken step but it may not be enough. It seems they are going to grant limited access as opposed to full floor access.
On Thursday, the NBA reached a compromise with three publications, including the Amsterdam News, which will be granted limited floor access during Knicks and Nets home games.
The NBA does have a job to protect their players from injury and this is a step towards that goal. However, if the league is just focusing on minority-based publication then they need a foul to be called on them.
