BY DAVE PARRO
According to a Beacon News sports story today, the Illinois High School Association plans to start denying entrance to news photographers at state tournaments who refuse to sign waivers regulating the use of their images.
The IHSA, a quasi-government state actor, wants to operate like the NCAA or professional sports leagues and control the coverage of state finals. But the difference is that those are private entities not funded by taxpayers. The IHSA is supported by member schools, most of which are public, and the teams do not generate revenue to support themselves. That means they rely on tax dollars to exist.
Is this a First Amendment issue? The IHSA doesn't think so and wants to grant exclusive access to public sporting events to a commercial photography company. The Beacon News plans to run an editorial Thursday blasting the IHSA for its ill-conceived and possibly unconstitutional policy.
