World soccer governing body Fifa has reasserted a commitment to media freedom, but is not backing down on contentious conditions for accreditation of journalists for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
“Fifa would like to make it clear that it does respect the freedom of the press,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Editorial independence in the coverage of the Fifa World Cup is guaranteed.”
It said this principle was “enshrined” in the second paragraph of the accreditation conditions, which stated that nothing in them was meant to restrict editorial independence.
Last week South African National Editors’ Forum member Raymond Louw said the South African media’s concerns about the Fifa restrictions had gone unheeded by the soccer world body for two years.
Media groups are unhappy with provisions that allow Fifa to unilaterally withdraw the accreditation of any journalist and change the conditions, and which restrict reportage where Fifa believes this may harm the reputation of the tournament.
It is understood that Avusa, the Independent Group and Media 24 have submitted that, under South African law, a prior restraint on publication is unlawful, and that the accreditation conditions are such a restraint.
Fifa said in the statement that it had consulted representatives of the international press, including the World Association of Newspapers, during drafting of the accreditation conditions, and the current document incorporated some of the suggestions they had made.
“The purpose of the media accreditation terms and conditions is to regulate the behaviour of people entering the 2010 Fifa World Cup venues, first and foremost to ensure the safety of everyone in those venues,” it said.
“The purpose is not, and has never been, to restrict press freedom.
“This is an overall principle and, as the wording [of the second paragraph] implies, the terms which are the cause of the complaint must always be read bearing this principle in mind.”
The statement said the section that the South African media were complaining about had been part of the accreditation conditions for the Confederations Cup in the country last year.
There had been no complaints on press freedom on that occasion and there had been no instance of Fifa abusing the provision to restrict press freedom. — Sapa