JUNIOR VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION MEDIA CREDENTIAL POLICY
I. REQUIRED CREDENTIALS
A. Credentials issued by the Junior Volleyball Association (JVA) are required to cover all events hosted by JVA.
B. Credentials are provided to working members of the media to assist in the coverage of JVA events, as well as to Content Creators who are working on behalf of volleyball clubs or privately to disseminate content to athletes and families. Credentials do not imply any guarantee to access, are of limited duration, are not transferable, and are revocable.
C. Loaning or transferring credentials to another may result in immediate permanent revocation of media credentials and ejection from the event of the original holder and unauthorized holder of the credentials.
D. Failure to adhere to the requirements of this policy may result in revocation of credentials for the representative and/or their outlet. Media outlets will be held accountable for the actions, conduct and professionalism of all their credentialed personnel.
E. All credentials are subject to space availability restrictions in working media areas at various facilities.
F. Credentials must be displayed at all times during the media event. Credentials will be distributed once for the duration of the event by sports contacts and must be returned at the end of the media event.
II. DEFINITIONS:
“Approved Media Credential Applicant” (AMCA) shall signify that annual application was approved, Background Screen has cleared and remains in good-standing, and credentials can be freely provided throughout the year.
“Media Credential Holder” (MCH) shall signify that Approved Media Credential Applicant holds a Media Credential for that specific event and will be allowed entry per the terms in this policy.
III. CREDENTIAL APPLICATIONS AND APPEALS
A. All media credential applications should be requested by completing the JVA Media Credential Application, which includes a Background Screen.
B. Media credential applications will need to be completed once per year per applicant. Once the application is approved, the applicant will become an AMCA. AMCAs will need to specify which events they will be attending. Failure to specify an event in advance may result in not having credentials available at the event.
C. Credential applications will be reviewed and granted by the JVA Directors. Appeals for denial or revocation can be made to JVA, but there is no guarantee that the denial appeal will be successful.
IV. CREDENTIAL ELIGIBILITY
A. Media credentials may be issued to working members of the media representing recognized media outlets in the business of news gathering/sports reporting as a primary function of their business. Media credentials may also be issued to Content Creators working on behalf of a volleyball club or privately to disseminate content to athletes & families.
- The types of media outlets eligible for credentials include: newspapers, websites, magazines, volleyball publications, television and radio.
- The dissemination of editorial content must be a primary purpose of the media outlet and the outlet must demonstrate a record of sustained, original coverage of youth sports, on a regular basis.
- The dissemination of action photography/videography for highlights must be the primary purpose of the Content Creator and they must demonstrate a record of sustained, original coverage of youth sporting events, on a regular basis.
- Credentials will not be issued to representatives whose outlet exists solely as a platform for distributing unoriginal content (press releases, aggregate news sites, etc.)
- Online outlets should typically (a) be affiliated with a national or regional media organization; or, (b) host a website that provides substantial coverage of athletics, and employs at least one full-time, permanent employee responsible for producing the site’s content. Outlets which are message boards without regular, substantial news/editorial/feature coverage by a full-time writer may be denied credentials.
- Outlets whose working function is limited primarily to the recording and posting of full media availability sessions without any produced news/editorial/feature content will be denied. There shall be no broadcasting or live-streaming of JVA events by media credential holders.
B. Media credential holders should be on assignment for that outlet. Passes used by any member of a credentialed outlet without specific editorial assignment or by non-working members of the outlet are subject to revocation and will affect all future credentialing decisions by JVA for that outlet.
C. Media credential holders should be affiliated with a lawful working business or enterprise with a Federal Tax ID/Employer Identification Number.
D. Media credential holders must pass a JVA Background Screen and maintain approved-status for the duration of the year to continue to access JVA events.
V. PRIORITY & CREDENTIAL DURATION
A. JVA may prioritize media credential requests and may deny specific event passes to AMCAs based on availability.
B. All credentialing decisions will be made on a per-event basis. Being an MCH for one event does not guarantee approval for future events.
VI. MEDIA CREDENTIAL HOLDER REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS
A. MCHs and their outlets are asked to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with professional codes of conduct and ethics (such as one provided by the Society of Professional Journalists) in terms of their actions, decorum, dress, etc.
B. MCHs are expected to adhere to all requirements of this policy, the applicable rules, regulations, and policies of JVA including venue specific rules, and all applicable local, federal, and state laws. Failure to do so may result in revocation of credentials.
C. MCHs are not permitted to seek autographs, request personal photographs/videos, solicit/take equipment, etc. from athletes, attendees, special guests or others. Such actions or requests will be viewed as a breach of professional conduct and are grounds for credential revocation.
D. MCHs are responsible for their conduct, including any damage caused by negligent, reckless, or malicious acts.
E. Credentials issued hereunder authorize the use by the MCHs of any descriptions, accounts, photographs, films, audio or video recordings of the JVA events solely for news and editorial coverage of the event in accordance with this Policy, unless specified on their application for commercial sale of action photography/action videography to athletes/families. Any other use or attempted use of any coverage of the JVA event by the MCH is prohibited, unless they have obtained the prior specific written permission of the JVA for such other use. Any secondary or commercial use of any picture, audio description, film/tape, of any JVA event taken or made by the MCH (including, but not limited to use in delayed editorial, advertising, sales promotion, or merchandising) is prohibited without prior specific written approval of JVA. JVA reserves the right to revoke AMCA status at any time based on post-event use of content.
VII. RISKS
By applying for credentials, AMCAs, MCHs, and their outlets acknowledge and assume the risks that come from viewing sporting events including being struck or injured by participants, and flying objects such as balls and other sports equipment. JVA will not be held responsible for damage to equipment, persons, or personal property.
VIII. ACCESS, ISSUANCE, AND REVOCATION
JVA reserves the right to deny or revoke credentials at any time in its sole discretion. Appeals of revocation are handled as provided for in this policy. No guarantee of availability of credentials, space, viewing, telephone, or internet access is made. Scheduled events may be canceled or rescheduled at JVA’s sole discretion. MCH will not be charged admission to the event so long as they adhere to the guidelines set forth in this policy. Upon completion of assignment, MCH shall return media credentials and then promptly exit the facility. Failure to return credentials at the completion of the event may result in denial of credentials at future events.