The rise in popularity of blogs, with a growing expectation that there’ll be someone blogging at any major event, is changing the way large organisations need to think about and legislate on how information is distributed.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stated that it’s considering allowing athletes, trainers, and others in the Olympic Village in Beijing, to blog their experiences, so long as it doesn’t turn into a “Big Brother” reality TV show.
Currently, the Olympic charter stipulates that athletes, coaches, and other team officials aren’t allowed to act as journalists or act in any other media capacity, supposedly to protect the rights of the accredited media.
The IOC now support blogging, in principle, so long as no payment is received by the blogger for doing it, that their entries are clearly posted as personal or journal-style, and that no photos, audio or video are posted.
Boring!
“Athlete blogs bring a more modern perspective to the global appreciation of the games, particularly for a younger audience, and enhance the universality of the games,” the press group said.
The main objections to blogging seem to be privacy of those taking part, and protection of the rights sold to sponsors.
Whatever the outcome, and whether those sportsmen and women participating in the games are officially allowed to blog or not, you can be pretty sure there’ll be plenty of blogging activity going on in and around the Olympic Village.
(Via BusinessPortal24)
