Organisers of the 43rd Caribbean Junior Athletics Championships,CARIFTA Games in Martinique (April 19-21, 2014) have included a media accreditation fee of US$100.00.
Point 15 of the Games technical Manual states: Media accreditation forms can be found in the Appendices. Completed forms must be received by on or before midnight March 31st 2014. Please ensure that applications from media houses in your country are stamped by your Federation. The media accreditation fee is US$100 per person.
The media charge will be in addition to other fees – travel and accommodation and a visa to enter the French territory. In some islands, an applicant will have to travel to a nearby French Consulate/Embassy.
In 2013, and through appeals from the Association of Caribbean Media (ACM) and the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), the organisers of the CARIFTA Games in Nassau rescinded on their plans to charge media accreditation fees.
The ACM appeals to the organisers of regional sporting events to give clarity on the reason(s) journalists should pay for credentials to carry out their jobs.
ACM reiterate's that any attempt to impose a fee on the media is considered a restriction of trade for our profession and urge the organisers of the CARIFTA Games 2014 reconsider their plans to impose an accreditation fee on the media.
The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has continued to assist the media in many ways including at its global sporting events.