ole_miss cheerleadersTwo weeks after the SEC announced its stringent new media rules, there’s finally some serious push-back from newspapers. More than a handful, including the catch-all Associated Press, refuse to sign the new credential policy. With the season just two weeks away, what are the chances your local paper will have zero SEC coverage this season?

Here’s what newspapers refuse to adhere to (and rightly so):

- No use by newspapers of video and audio game highlights on their Web sites.

- Time-limited restrictions on use of post-game and pre-game video and audio.

- Photographs may only be used online as part of regular news coverage, not for other purposes, archives or sale.

- The SEC and its universities must be granted licensing privileges to use newspaper images for its own news coverage and other uses. [Ed. This is probably a biggie.]

- No blogging on newspaper Web sites of game events during games. [Ed. This makes absolutely no sense. None.]

Gannett has directed its daily newspapers that cover the Southeastern Conference not to sign on to a controversial new credential policy, while the Associated Press has also declared it will not agree to the new rules that have sparked opposition for limits on Web video and audio use, photo displays, and blogging.

One would assume that the MLB Network and the NFL Network will be closely monitoring this situation (and potential court case, if it goes that far) very closely. The line of thinking from the SEC might go something like this: In a decade, what will we need local newspapers for? We own it all, we can release news and videos via our website, have TV shows about SEC football on year-round, and through social media, we can interact directly with fans with no need for the middle man. Sure, there will be a negative fallout initially – but in a few years, it’ll be a well-oiled machine.

This is a round newspapers desperately need to win.

Gannett, AP Refuse to Sign New Sports Credential Policy (E&P)