New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen commenting on Twitter about the SEC's Social Media restrictions.
Screen capture
The Southeastern Conference's SECSportsUpdate Twitter account.
UPDATE: New policy released.
The Southeastern Conference created another Internet maelstrom as its ideas on Social Media began to filter out. It's no Tweeting, no texting, no Facebook, no YouTube stance toward its college athletic games is being widely criticized as strategically "fourth and dumb" and practically unenforceable.
In short, the SEC saw its draft policies on what fans can do at games go socially viral in a near textbook example of how rapidly information that creates a negative image of a corporation or institution can spread across the Internet's social networks.
"The idea that people can't capture their own lived experience is a losing proposition," new media expert and author Clay Shirky said in a St. Petersburg Times article,
There were signs Monday that the SEC will soften its stance, but if the revisions are much like the revised rules for media organizations covering conference games, don't expect much capitulation.
The conference's Twitter account SECSportsUpdate (which presumably could Twitter during games while its fan could not), Tweeted Monday: "To our Twitter fans, we have heard you. We're working on clarifications to our policy and should have something done soon."
SEC spokesman Charlies Bloom echoed that to the Charlotte Observer: "I know what's being written. The thought process is to get it loosened up a bit."
It would have been hard not to hear the displeasure. Here's a roundup of what is being said about the policy.
- JerseyChaser.com Blog Archive Sports Can't Enforce Media Policies 26
- Valley PR Blog Blog Archive SEC's social media policy bad PR
- SEC to Ban Social Media at Games: 4th and Dumb | gatorchomp.com
- SEC goes with teh stupid: tells fans they can't tweet - Innovation in College Media
- SEC (the Sports Conference, not the Regulatory Body) to Ban Social Media From Games - mediabistro.com: BayNewser
- NMissCommentor A laughable SEC football media policy on fans talking about football games 26
- SEC Bans Social Media; Fears Future Media Abilities, Citizen Reporters | The Buckeye Blog
- SEC's new 'Media Policy' bans Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and for fans! Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.
- The SEC Would Prefer That You Not Mention SEC Games To Anyone - Sec - Deadspin
- For SEC, tech-savvy fans might be biggest threats to media exclusivity - St. Petersburg Times
- Beware SEC sports fans and social media users
- SEC (the Sports Conference, not the Regulatory Body) to Ban Social Media From Games - mediabistro.com: BayNewser
- SEC Media Policy doesn't get better with study - Random Mumblings
- Soon they'll be tailgating Tweet Parties - Random Mumblings
- SEC to Clarify the Social Media Guidelines
- Will Social Media be Banned from Southeastern Conference (SEC) College Stadiums ? | Privacy Digest
- Social Media Banned by the SEC who what where when Y
- SEC bans all social media from games | Sports & Auto | News - mason360.com
- SEC Conference Banning Social Media in College Stadiums | BucksInsider.com - Ohio State Buckeyes News, Videos, Schedules & More
- Social Media Banned from SEC Games This Season More with Gore
- SEC to Ban Social Media at Games: 4th and Dumb | Bleacher Report
- SEC Policy Could Ultimately Ban Your Mobile Phone From Stadiums | Bleacher Report
- Social Media (ie. Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube) prohibited from college stadiums by SEC
- Orlando Sentinel - Tweet this: Social media has the SEC & its TV partners afraid of you by Matt Humphrey
- Is It Really Illegal to Tweet a College Game? | NBC Chicago
- The Big Ten Clearly Gets Social Media; the SEC Clearly Does Not | Bleacher Report
- SEC to retreat on tweet ban - CharlotteObserver.com
- SEC controlling the message, profiting off taxpayers | No Silence Here | knoxnews.com
- More reaction coming in on SEC's draconian policy | No Silence Here | knoxnews.com
- /Message: Corporations Want To Own Our Experiences And Our Culture
- No Blogging, Tweets or Videos Allowed When Attending SEC College Games | The Blog Herald
- Social Media Banned from College Stadiums | Mashable
- Some eyebrow-raising snippits from the new SEC policy | No Silence Here | knoxnews.com
- SEC issues revised media policy GoVolsXtra
- The Kentucky Democrat: Revised SEC media credential policy
- Newscoma: The SEC Tries To Control The Messenger
- The S.E.C., Bloggers and Fans | Gizmotastic
- Bloggers on the SEC trying to control the message | No Silence Here | knoxnews.com
- SEC's 'revised' policy on blogging and twittering games | No Silence Here | knoxnews.com
The above links were created using Publish2.
Meanwhile, News Sentinel blogger Michael Silence has been actively watching and blogging both the reaction to the revised SEC Media Credentials Policy and its unsocial stance on social media.
Here is what he has been writing:
- Well, there's a thought
- An Ouch! on the SEC
- Why Gore is joining Clinton in TN
- And the defiance of the SEC begins
- Funny how the Fed can always feed itself
- Does the Short Version Still Have 11 Chapters?
- More reaction coming in on SEC's draconian policy
- Presumptuous headline of the day
- WaPo apologizes to the Washington Times
- The flaccid stimulus
- Marketing guru lambasts the SEC
- Gore will join Clinton at TN Dem dinner
- Now that's just dang funny
- Winning bid to party with Dolly is $75,000
- SEC's new policy 'not terminal, just fatal'
- SEC controlling the message, profiting off taxpayers
- Some eyebrow-raising snippits from the new SEC policy
- Bloggers on the SEC trying to control the message
Read more of Michael Silence's coverage at his No Silence Here blog. And if you have thoughts on this issue, post a comment below, Tweet it up or post on your Facebook acount.
© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 21
jakethevolguy writes:
Just who in the heck does the SEC think they are? Do they not know this is the "Land of the Free"?
panties4tebow writes:
FIRE SLIVE NOW, NOW, NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FIRE GOOGLE EYES!!!!!!!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
King Lear of the SEC commands the tides to reverse themselves! What ignorance! What arrogance!
HighlandVol writes:
Completely unenforceable policy. How're they going to do it? Reactively ban offending accounts? Send a sternly worded email? Send their gestapo INTO the stands at gameday to round-up the malcontents? Someone in the PR department dropped the ball.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
I heard they are preparing microchip implants for your hands and foreheads when you attend games. You will not be able to purchase cold refreshing beverages, nor delicious hot dogs without it. Something else about "The Beast" but I wasn't really listening.
Major_Magilicutty writes:
Absolutely unacceptable. This is going to alienate recruits, families, and more. How can this even be legal?
panties4tebow writes:
Fulmer take slive some donuts quickly so he will mellow. Fulmer would be a great replacement for slivey!!!!!!!!!!!
gnm53108 writes:
Whats next?...Are they going to ban fans from bringing in their favorate beverage?
UTfan4life2 writes:
So now what? Do we only get water and chex mix at the game?
jakethevolguy writes:
LOL, now that's funny!! Point taken!!
richvol writes:
Once again Slive proves himself incapable of understanding football,and sports in general, with a half thought out policy that is detrimental to the SEC and uninforceable I might add. As I have stated before,this is what happens when you put a lawyer,who never played football,in charge of the best college football league in America. He has no clue...and for those that say he negotiated the rich TV deal that the SEC signed recently,I call BS. A chimpanzee could have gotten that same deal from the networks and ESPN. It is based on the quality of the sport in the SEC and had NOTHING to do with Slive's socalled expertise.
We need a businessman to guide our conference through these times but not a 130lb lawyer who does not understand the south or the game of football in a 70 year old conference that is king to it's fans. He has shown what an idiot he is once again.
To whoever suggested that Fulmer be the commissioner needs their head examined as well...he just failed to maintain the ONE program he was supposed to care the most about so to put him in charge of all twelve would be disasterous. The SEC needs an experienced businessman to guide the league into this next century and it's certainly NOT SLIVE.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Not much tweeting on the creek other than cardinal's and their buds.
Have to study this issue some more.
volzcrushm writes:
.....SLIVE = STUPID !
Volunatic writes:
No, this is a well thought-out policy. The SEC doesn't get any revenues from twitter/facebook/etc. and so any coverage of SEC events on those sites is seen as unwelcome competition. People are going to skip watching the official CBS broadcast of the Tennessee vs florida game in order to read Bob Schmoe's tweets from the Swamp instead.
Okay, I'm kidding. It's actually a moronic policy.
PowerTandDD writes:
The overstep of people in authority in today's world is way over the line. The average citizen and fan need to be very vocal and express their displeasure every chance they get. The only way to get things changed is to hurt 'em where it counts. With Slive and cronies it is in the media and in their pocketbooks. With politicians it is the same, along with the voting booth.
They work for us.
imw8n4u writes:
so I guess this kills the "watching with Ward" that never seemed to work anyway. Believe me, if I'm not at the game or watching with friends, I'll be on here reading and sharing thoughts with other fans. Otherwise I would be forced to talk to my wife about the game, and truthfully neither one of us wants that.
GreerVol22 writes:
Slive....your no Ted Turner...
murrayvol writes:
Please don't tell us you're forming a committee.
rusty_shackleford writes:
So, if the SEC doesn't want the fans to comment on games in real time via Facebook or Twitter, will they outlaw cheering and booing as well?
etsuvol99#227561 writes:
I wasn't going to be doing anything other than watching when I go to games at Neyland this Fall but if the SEC continues on with this policy I will purposefully violate it as much as possible.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Only a ad hoc mentoring committee to study film.
News at 10.
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