Student Publications Changes Photographer Policy

Managing Editor

   Due to recent problems with a photographer being removed from basketball games, Student Publications updated its staff handbook to include new rules regarding photographers.

   The updates include a rule that any student using Student Publications equipment must carry a press pass and must keep every photo taken on the camera or will be banned from using the equipment.

   “Whenever any member of Student Publications is removed from an event by police escort, it shines a negative light on everything we do,” said Ronald Sitton, assistant professor of journalism and adviser to both The Voice and the Boll Weevil.

   Sitton stressed the importance of student reporters and photographers practicing their trade as much as possible to develop their skills, and for the students to continue to conduct themselves in a professional manner.

   “Only by this learning process can we expect students to improve to the point of being prepared to work for off-campus media outlets,” Sitton said.

   Along with emphasis on the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics, Sitton asked the students to collaborate on a Student Publications' Code of Ethics addendum to address specific campus concerns.

   Sitton added, “I hope these measures will allow us to continue covering the campus in a professional manner that will alleviate concerns of any impropriety.”

   According to Eric Bell, staff photographer for The Voice, he left the basketball games Feb. 7 and Feb. 14 after being told he needed to leave by campus police and R. David Ray, provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs.

   Bell said his problems started with the Feb. 2 basketball game in the fourth quarter. He said he entered the gym on the student side and crossed the floor to take pictures from the non-student side of the gym.

   During the fourth quarter, Bell said the staff person who checked his student identification card told him he could not sit on that side because he was a student and did not pay.  After telling her he was a photographer for Student Publications, the staff person still asked Bell to leave.

   Bell said he asked the staff person to talk to Officer Robert Thomason, one of the campus police officers patrolling the game, and verify that he could take pictures. He said after the staff person spoke with Thomason, the officer approached him and asked him to leave that side of the gym.

   Bell said he could not figure out why he was removed from the game.

   “I talked to basketball players and asked if the flash bothered them. I thought this might be the problem,” Bell said. “They said no, they don’t even notice.”

   To avoid the problem in the future, Bell asked the staff person from the front desk her name and campus e-mail address so Sitton could e-mail her and explain his job duties.

   “The woman refused to give me that information,” Bell said.

   Bell left the Feb. 7 basketball game after being escorted out by Officer Debbie McKee, a campus safety police officer.

   Bell said he entered the student side of the gym and attempted to take pictures.

   “I took some photos, but the light was so bad and the pictures weren’t any good,” Bell said.  “I went to the other side and sat beside the pep band.”

   Bell said McKee told him to go back to the student side. He said he tried to explain the bad lighting on the student side of the gym as his reason for moving to the other side to take pictures.

   “(McKee) said she didn’t care about what the pictures look like,” Bell said.  “I went into the lobby to tell Officer McKee that students were on that side (the paying side) as well.”

   Bell said McKee told him she did not care. Bell asked if he could show her pictures of the students that had not paid to sit on the non-student side of the gym, would she kick them out as well.

   “(McKee) said,  ‘You’re kicked out’ and told me to ‘get out of here,’” Bell said.

   Feb. 14, Bell said he took a press pass, made by Sitton, to the basketball game.

   According to Bell, the staff checking student I.D.s made it clear he could not sit on the non-student side of the gym since he did not pay.

   Bell said he showed McKee the Student Publications press pass, but she still rejected it.

   “It seems silly that when I do get a press pass it’s not honored,” Bell said.

   Ray said he did not know about a required press pass and who the final authority on the subject could be. He said he did know at football games, photographers have to check in and be given credentials to be on the field. Ray said he felt The Voice should follow the same procedures.

   “The photographers should acknowledge they are there and let them know they are there to take pictures,” Ray said. “Larger-area papers check in I’m sure.”

   Latoya Shelton, chief photographer for The Voice, said the staff who check student I.D.s told her she did not need a press pass.

   “I’ve been to games and taken pictures, and no one’s asked (for my press pass),” Shelton said. “I even asked (the woman at the front) if I needed a press pass and I was told no.”

   Bell said McKee told him Coach Alvy Early did not want him over there. After McKee refused Sitton’s contact information to confirm Bell should be there, Bell reported the incident to Sitton. After Sitton spoke with Ray, Ray allowed Bell to go to the non-student side of the gym to take pictures.

   Bell said before he left the Steelman Fieldhouse lobby McKee said, "if she had anymore problems out of me I would be arrested, handcuffed and taken to jail.”

   John Kidwell, director of public safety, said not complying with a Public Safety officer falls under the category of disorderly conduct, which is an arrestable offense in Arkansas.

   Bell said he went to the non-student side and readied his camera to take pictures of the basketball game when Ray asked him to leave.

   “I got my camera out and not five minutes later, Provost Ray came back and told me to leave,” Bell said. “(Ray) said ‘it would be best if you just leave.’ So I left.”

   Ray said no one filed a complaint in his office against Bell. He said he felt like Bell got ejected from the basketball games due to a procedural problem.

   “It should be very clear how students really are allowed to participate in certain event,” Ray said. “I think it’s a matter of courtesy. The photographer should talk to the coach. It seems reasonable to let them know what’s going on.”

   He added that Bell remained polite and complied when asked to leave the Feb. 14 game.

   “It was all done in order. That’s how you deal with things like this,” Ray said.

   Ray said he felt the procedural matter was between two parties: The Voice and the Athletics department and the procedures would help so all parties involved will know each others expectations.

   Since officials would not accept the Student Publications press pass, Bell said Sitton asked him and Shelton to ask for press passes from Jim Brewer, director of Media Services.

    Bell said Brewer told him, “I’m not going to grant you a press pass, there are some issues.”  Bell said Brewer went on to say he “does not issue press passes. People don’t need a press pass. They call (Brewer) and they come to the game.”

   Brewer told Shelton, “They (Media Services) don’t even issue Media Services press passes to people with credentials.”

   Bell said he feels he had to leave the games because of a false perception that he took inappropriate pictures of the cheerleaders.

   “The cheerleaders ask for pictures and ask for them to be put on Facebook. All of them. They want those pictures,” Bell said.

   Meggan LaMarche, cheerleading captain, said she never noticed Bell taking inappropriate pictures.

   “Mr. Brewer asked me if I had noticed that (Bell) only takes pictures of (the cheerleaders), but I didn’t,” LaMarche said. “I don’t pay attention to him. I pay attention to the games.”

   LaMarche said she did notice Bell took a picture of Brittany Mathews that could be seen as inappropriate.

   “It was kind of a crotch shot,” LaMarche said.

   Bell said as soon as he took the picture of Mathews, he showed it to her.

   “She asked me to post the picture to Facebook, and I said ‘no way in hell.’ She asked me why I wouldn’t do it, if I thought people would think I was a ‘perv,’”Bell said. “I said 'hell yes.'”

   Bell said he received an e-mail from Mathews asking for the picture, and he sent it to her through his campus e-mail. 

   Shelton said she thought some of the misconception of impropriety might come from the angle Bell takes pictures.

   “I think it bothers some people that he shoots from a worm’s-eye view, a very standard angle. You lay down on the ground and shoot up,” Shelton said.

   Bell said other than inappropriate pictures, he cannot figure out why he got kicked out of two basketball games.

   “What could it be, other than people trying to hold The Voice back?” Bell questioned.  

   Bell said he is questioning himself and what caused the situation.

   “Is it my age, my handicap, my color?” Bell asked.  “It makes me question why I’m singled out and not accepted.”

   Bell added that the administration never told him what the “real problem” is.

    Ray said he had not followed up on the matter since this is a student conduct problem; he left it up to Clay Brown, vice chancellor for Student Affairs.

   Brown said, “I’m not the one who did it, kicked him out of the game, so I can’t comment.” Brown went on to say, “I don’t even know what you're talking about."

   Shelton said she felt like the whole issue could have been avoided by all parties involved having a conversation.

   “I wish they (the administration) would just tell us what it is they want from us,” Shelton said.

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