“Pressball” threatens to sue Olympic Committee
ERB has found out that the “Pressball” newspaper still has an opportunity to return its accreditation at the Olympics 2008 in Peking and to send its journalists there. Even the Olympic Committee admits that there is such an opportunity. The newspaper’s editor-in-chief Uladzimir Berazhkou says that journalists of “Pressball” still have an opportunity to go to Peking.
Uladzіmіr Berazhkou: “It can always be changed. The International Olympic Committee and the steering committee of the Olympic Games asked our National Olympic Committee to name editions that will be accredited for the Olympics. “Pressball” was among them. The National Olympic Committee had to name journalists who will go to the Olympic Games on March 1. The NOC turned to us and we gave them the names. However, the NOC took another decision later. To tell you the truth, I do not know what the National Olympic Committee thinks about the way out of the existing situation. The NOC took two decisions”.
Let us remind you that the National Olympic Committee decided to give “Pressball” accreditation at the Olympic Games in Peking on September 13. However, members of the executive committee decided to withdraw accreditation from the most popular sports edition and to give the quota to journalists from other editions on February 28. The journalist accreditation will be given to “Narodnaya Hazeta” and the press photographer accreditation will be given to “Respublica”. It was said that everything changed because NOC sportsmen and officials were offended by the titles of an article of a journalist from “Pressball” Svyatlana Pramyhina “Olympic garbage can. Billion unexplored by scientific research institutes”. However, the National Olympic Committee has not officially informed “Pressball” about its decision yet.
ERB has found out that “Pressball” and the National Olympic Committee signed an agreement about cooperation in December 2007. According to the contract, “Pressball” had to cover the activities of the NOC concerning preparation of Belarusian sportsmen for the Olympics in Peking and the NOC had to give accreditation to the newspaper’s reporters. According to the editor-in-chief, the newspaper has fulfilled its responsibilities according to the contract. The Olympic Committee did not make any remarks.
Uladzіmіr Berazhkou: “According to the contract, we have згидышрув a lot of materials of the NOC in our newspaper. We have not received a single remark from them. Formally and actually it turns out that the NOC avoids its responsibility – it has not given us accreditation at the Olympics although it promised to do it”.
According to the editor, “Pressball” has the right to sue the Olympic Committee.
However, the vice President of the NOC Henadz Alyakseyenka says that the threats of the editor-in-chief are ridiculous. He says they should not have played dirty tricks.
Henadz Alyakseenka: “This is ridiculous! It is not a financial or economic agreement. Those were free-will liabilities and we assumed them. We could have refused it, nobody was forcing us to do it. We signed the agreement with many mass media. However, the contract does not mention the possibility of playing dirty tricks on the institution they concluded it with”.
In spite of all, the vice President of the NOC does not exclude that the decision of the executive committee may be reconsidered and the accreditation may be returned to the newspaper.
Henadz Alyakseenka: “The National Olympic Committee is not a court of higher instance, its decision is not final and it can be appealed. We will gather again if there are any new arguments or reasons for it. We will gather 5 times if it necessary and we will consider it. It is not the problems of the NOC, it is the problem of the other side”.
The vice President did not explain what the other side was. However, the editor-in-chief of “Pressball” thinks that the decision of the President of the NOC Lukashenka will be important. But he has not replied to the open letter of the editorial staff of the newspaper yet.
ERB thinks that the problem of accreditation of ‘Pressball” at the Olympic Games in Peking could be solved with the help of journalists’ solidarity. Journalists of “Narodnaya Hazeta” and “Respublica” should refuse the accreditation that was given to them instead of “Pressball” in favour of their colleagues. However, it turned out that the journalists of these mass media had a vague notion of solidarity. Thus, a journalist of “Narodna Hazeta” Aleh Harunovіch who received the accreditation instead of a journalist of “Pressball” says that he will not go to Peking only if the accreditation is returned to the one it was withdrawn from.
Aleh Harunovіch: “Pressball” is trying to get its accreditation back. If it is given bakc I will not go to Peking. If it is not returned to them – I will go there”.
He said the place will not remain vacant in any case. The editor-in-chief of “Narodnaya Hazeta” Uladzimir Andryevich was surpised at the idea of refusing the accreditation.
Uladzіmіr Andryevіch: “Why should we refuse it? We did not initiate it and it is not our fault that “Pressball” lost its accreditation. So why should we refuse?!”
According to the vice President of the National Olympic Committee Henadz Alyakseenka, they have recently received a letter from the International Olympic Committee. It stated that only National Olympic Committees had the right to decide whether to give journalists accreditation or not.
Uladzіmіr Berazhkou: “It can always be changed. The International Olympic Committee and the steering committee of the Olympic Games asked our National Olympic Committee to name editions that will be accredited for the Olympics. “Pressball” was among them. The National Olympic Committee had to name journalists who will go to the Olympic Games on March 1. The NOC turned to us and we gave them the names. However, the NOC took another decision later. To tell you the truth, I do not know what the National Olympic Committee thinks about the way out of the existing situation. The NOC took two decisions”.
Let us remind you that the National Olympic Committee decided to give “Pressball” accreditation at the Olympic Games in Peking on September 13. However, members of the executive committee decided to withdraw accreditation from the most popular sports edition and to give the quota to journalists from other editions on February 28. The journalist accreditation will be given to “Narodnaya Hazeta” and the press photographer accreditation will be given to “Respublica”. It was said that everything changed because NOC sportsmen and officials were offended by the titles of an article of a journalist from “Pressball” Svyatlana Pramyhina “Olympic garbage can. Billion unexplored by scientific research institutes”. However, the National Olympic Committee has not officially informed “Pressball” about its decision yet.
ERB has found out that “Pressball” and the National Olympic Committee signed an agreement about cooperation in December 2007. According to the contract, “Pressball” had to cover the activities of the NOC concerning preparation of Belarusian sportsmen for the Olympics in Peking and the NOC had to give accreditation to the newspaper’s reporters. According to the editor-in-chief, the newspaper has fulfilled its responsibilities according to the contract. The Olympic Committee did not make any remarks.
Uladzіmіr Berazhkou: “According to the contract, we have згидышрув a lot of materials of the NOC in our newspaper. We have not received a single remark from them. Formally and actually it turns out that the NOC avoids its responsibility – it has not given us accreditation at the Olympics although it promised to do it”.
According to the editor, “Pressball” has the right to sue the Olympic Committee.
However, the vice President of the NOC Henadz Alyakseyenka says that the threats of the editor-in-chief are ridiculous. He says they should not have played dirty tricks.
Henadz Alyakseenka: “This is ridiculous! It is not a financial or economic agreement. Those were free-will liabilities and we assumed them. We could have refused it, nobody was forcing us to do it. We signed the agreement with many mass media. However, the contract does not mention the possibility of playing dirty tricks on the institution they concluded it with”.
In spite of all, the vice President of the NOC does not exclude that the decision of the executive committee may be reconsidered and the accreditation may be returned to the newspaper.
Henadz Alyakseenka: “The National Olympic Committee is not a court of higher instance, its decision is not final and it can be appealed. We will gather again if there are any new arguments or reasons for it. We will gather 5 times if it necessary and we will consider it. It is not the problems of the NOC, it is the problem of the other side”.
The vice President did not explain what the other side was. However, the editor-in-chief of “Pressball” thinks that the decision of the President of the NOC Lukashenka will be important. But he has not replied to the open letter of the editorial staff of the newspaper yet.
ERB thinks that the problem of accreditation of ‘Pressball” at the Olympic Games in Peking could be solved with the help of journalists’ solidarity. Journalists of “Narodnaya Hazeta” and “Respublica” should refuse the accreditation that was given to them instead of “Pressball” in favour of their colleagues. However, it turned out that the journalists of these mass media had a vague notion of solidarity. Thus, a journalist of “Narodna Hazeta” Aleh Harunovіch who received the accreditation instead of a journalist of “Pressball” says that he will not go to Peking only if the accreditation is returned to the one it was withdrawn from.
Aleh Harunovіch: “Pressball” is trying to get its accreditation back. If it is given bakc I will not go to Peking. If it is not returned to them – I will go there”.
He said the place will not remain vacant in any case. The editor-in-chief of “Narodnaya Hazeta” Uladzimir Andryevich was surpised at the idea of refusing the accreditation.
Uladzіmіr Andryevіch: “Why should we refuse it? We did not initiate it and it is not our fault that “Pressball” lost its accreditation. So why should we refuse?!”
According to the vice President of the National Olympic Committee Henadz Alyakseenka, they have recently received a letter from the International Olympic Committee. It stated that only National Olympic Committees had the right to decide whether to give journalists accreditation or not.
