Members of the media and the NFL community appear to be at odds over a new policy recommendation from the Players Association that would limit reporters from interviewing players in locker rooms during weekdays.
Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras, NFLPA player representative, recently endorsed a new program that encourages players to conduct interviews outside the locker room.
He said Thursday that the idea behind the changes was first discussed after the coronavirus pandemic, but recent incidents of players being “seen naked on camera” prompted calls for immediate action. .
“I think this issue came to light earlier this year when several men got naked and appeared on camera. I know it's happened several times in the history of the league. But I don't think this will affect game day. It's a good solution to make the week as smooth as possible, give everyone the time they need, and protect the sanctity of the locker room again. I’m going to come up with something,” Karas said.
The NFLPA released a statement Friday. It called on the league to change its “outdated” media policy to one that promotes “a more respectful and safe workplace.”
“For the past three years, the NFLPA has been working with the NFL and Pro Football Writers of America to try to move media interviews out of the locker room, but there has been little appetite to collaborate on new solutions. ” the statement reads.
“Players feel that locker room interviews are an invasion of privacy and offensive. This is not about restricting media access; this is about respecting players' privacy and dignity.
“The NFL's current media policy is outdated, and we at the NFLPA Executive Committee urge the NFL to make immediate changes to promote a more respectful and safe workplace for all players. In the meantime, we encourage each player to request an interview outside of their locker room during the week.
While this change is not expected to change game day operations, media members and the NFL community appear to be divided on the issue.
The program is intended to cancel locker room interviews during weekdays, but not on game days.
Kalas said players were free to do what they wanted, but asked media members to “respect” the new process of interviewing players.
