BOTTOM LINE COMMUNICATIONS
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BOTTOM LINE COMMUNICATIONS
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June 15, 2006 Mr. David Glass, Owner
Kansas City
Royals Dear Mr. Glass: As president of the Society of Professional Journalists, I am writing to express my concern about the revocation of the media credentials of Bob Fescoe and Rhonda Moss. SPJ is the oldest and largest journalism advocacy organization in the United States. We work to preserve and protect journalism, to espouse high ethical standards among journalists and to support the First Amendment. The Royals’ decision to revoke the credentials of two journalists calls into question the organization’s commitment to transparency, open access and general fairness. It smacks of an attempt to control the message and to slap the hands of those who do not play along to your specifications. A baseball club depends on public support for its survival, and the public depends on the news media to keep it informed. Reporters are the public’s surrogate; they are at your games and press conferences to serve the public interest. Part of that interest is to ask the tough questions. It is inappropriate for the Royals or any other baseball club to revoke journalists’ credentials simply because of the questions they ask. That is the job they do for the public and for their employers. I sincerely hope the Royals will reconsider this decision. Sincerely,
David E. Carlson National President
Cc: Mr. Bud Selig, Commissioner, Major League Baseball Mr. Aaron Babcock, Director of Public Relations, Kansas City Royals
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