Media: Open's Policy Out of Bounds / Protest USGA background checks on journalists covering tournament ALL EDITIONS

• Published in: Newsday
• Main Author: Rita Ciolli. STAFF WRITER
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Long Island, N.Y Newsday LLC 15.05.2002
• Edition: Combined editions
• Subjects: Parkes, Marty; Schulz, David

Bob Condron, a spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee said the USGA release "has different language and goes past the point" of what we asked. Leslie Unger, a spokeswoman for the Academy Awards, said journalists were required to give their social security and driver license identification numbers to obtain credentials but she declined to discuss the extent of the background checks. [Marty Parkes] refused to speculate on whether the USGA would deny credentials to journalists who refuse to sign the release form. He said the USGA would review the protest letter. "If we are comfortable with the procedures we put in the place, then it is up to an individual whether they want to come on site and abide by the procedures." While news organizations have been concerned for weeks about USGA requirements, the decision to take joint action came yesterday after media lawyers learned the United States Tennis Association would ask for a similar background check for press covering the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadow in late summer. David Newman, a USTA spokesman, said "security is a priority for everyone concerned with the event." He said the USTA consulted with other groups that sponsor sports and entertainment events in drawing up its credentials paperwork. However, he hadn't seen the USGA release and couldn't compare it.