FC Cincinnati made headlines when they decided to temporarily revoke the press credential of local beat reporter Laurel Pfahler. This decision came following a dispute over Pfahler’s reporting of some of the club’s player transactions. The MLS club announced that Pfahler’s credential would be revoked for a two-week period, citing reasons related to professionalism and adherence to journalism ethics.
In response to Pfahler’s communication of the suspension to her readers, FC Cincinnati issued a statement that attacked Pfahler’s professionalism. The club stated that Pfahler had not acted in accordance with the standards and practices of the Society of Professional Journalists and the MLS Notice of Credentials Use Conditions. According to the statement, efforts to work together to establish a productive relationship between Pfahler and the club had been unsuccessful.
Pfahler, on the other hand, countered FC Cincinnati’s statement by accusing the club of “bullying.” She strongly disagreed with the allegations of violating journalism ethics or MLS Credential guidelines. Pfahler emphasized the importance of speaking to sources outside of the team-approved interviews, stating that this is necessary to provide comprehensive coverage of a professional sports franchise.
Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation revealed that FC Cincinnati took issue with the accuracy of Pfahler’s reporting on player transaction stories. The club specifically objected to Pfahler’s coverage of the loan of Álvaro Barreal to Brazilian Serie A side Cruzeiro and disputed her claims that Barreal’s departure was not due to dissatisfaction with the club. Additionally, FC Cincinnati criticized Pfahler for not verifying aspects of transfer stories with the club before publishing.
Cincinnati’s Allegations
The club accused Pfahler of violating Section 12 of the credential use conditions, which addresses the misappropriation of event descriptions for non-personal purposes. Cincinnati believed that Pfahler had breached this section by misusing descriptions or accounts related to player transactions. MLS declined to comment on the situation when contacted by ESPN, leaving the dispute unresolved.
The North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) attempted to facilitate a resolution between Pfahler and FC Cincinnati by meeting with MLS officials. NASR received guidance from the Society of Professional Journalists, emphasizing the importance of professional conduct in journalism and advocating against the denial of press credentials based on such disputes.
Laurel Pfahler, a seasoned sports journalist, has covered FC Cincinnati since their inaugural season in the USL Championship. Despite the temporary revocation of her press credential, Pfahler continues to uphold her commitment to quality reporting. As the dispute unfolds, it remains to be seen how FC Cincinnati and Pfahler will reconcile their differences and move forward in the spirit of mutual respect and cooperation.
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