Athletics

Penn Athletic Dept. Media Guidelines

The goal of the Penn High School Athletic Department is to provide accredited media with the best working environment it can, in order to facilitate the timely, fair and accurate reporting of IHSAA events hosted by Penn. We respect our media partners and appreciate the coverage that you provide. We expect the same mutual respect of our student-athletes, coaches, athletic staff, student body, and administrators by following these guidelines and contacting the Penn Athletic Staff directly for any clarification.

MEDIA GUIDELINES

Penn Athletics has developed these guidelines based on industry standards used at the collegiate level. Penn Journalism faculty and P-H-M Communications Department have extensive experience in the news and sports journalism professions.

These guidelines apply to all Penn High School IHSAA sanctioned sports. These guidelines are expected to be followed when covering Club Sports on Penn/P-H-M property.

Penn Athletics Department reserves the right to deny access to outlets based on circumstances and space.

These guidelines apply to all Penn Athletic Facilities, including all locations owned and operated by Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation.

  • Everwise Freed Field (and adjoining Practice Field)
  • Chris Geesman Kingsmen Athletic Center
  • Dr. Jerry and Donna Thacker Fieldhouse
  • Al Rhodes Court in Penn Arena
  • Jordan Automotive Stadium
  • Lionshead Specialty Tire and Wheel Soccer Field
  • May Oberfell Lorber Softball Field
  • Dar and Dot Wiekamp Tennis Courts
  • Penn Freshman/JV Baseball Field
  • Penn JV Softball Field
  • Penn Cross Country Course at Elm Road
  • Penn uses the golf courses at Knollwood Country Club (Granger, IN) as its home courses for both Girls and Boys Golf 

For the purposes of this document “news,” “traditional,” or “mainstream” media is defined as outlets that have a centralized newsroom with a professional editorial staff involved in content creation, review, editing, or approval before it is printed, broadcast, or posted on a digital platform. They include TV and radio stations (both local, regional, state, national, and international), newspapers, and news magazines.

“New” media tend to be one-person operations and don’t follow an editorial process. “New” media doesn’t typically have a centralized editorial staff involved in content creation, review, editing or approval. Content is often user-generated and allows individuals to become creators and influencers. 

“Commercial” media is defined as solely Profit-Driven, where the outlet’s business model is advertising-dependent; revenue is primarily generated through advertisements, sponsorships, and product placements, making audience size a critical factor. Content is secondary.

“Freelance” photographers and videographers are defined as independent professionals who are hired on a project basis and are not employed by a media outlet.

Penn Athletics and P-H-M School Corporation has a team of professionals and students that take pictures and video and provide them not only to the Penn student-athletes and the P-H-M community, but to the general public as well for free of charge. We do not have a need to purchase photography or video from outside sources.

Penn Athletics and P-H-M School Corporation reserve the right to deny media access to any organization that produces photos or videos primarily for profit, such as for commercial, marketing, or promotional purposes. We do not knowingly support or allow organizations to capture or use the likeness of student-athletes for profit without their consent. Penn Athletics also reserves the right to restrict the use of private individuals hired by student-athletes for their personal promotion.

EVENT COVERAGE

  • Sports Journalists representing approved news TV, newspaper, radio, or magazine outlets are asked to contact the Penn Athletic Dept. with credential requests at least 24 hours in advance of a Penn athletic hosted event (including IHSAA events) in order to plan for press box/press table seating. Contact Sports Information Director Curt Rallo – crallo@phm.k12.in.us 
  • Sports Journalists (videographers, photographers, reporters) with a press pass issued by an approved news media outlet may check-in on the day of the event without advance notice, but are not guaranteed a seat in the press box or at the press table.
  • Boys Football/Girls Flag Football: All approved media should check in with a Media ID from your news outlet at the South Pass Gate for Football or at ticket booths/ticket tables for all other sports. Media will be given a pass for that event, and need to wear the lanyard for access to designated media areas such as sidelines/baseline/press box. 
  • Boys Football/Girls Flag Football: All approved media should check in with a Media ID from your news outlet at the South Pass Gate for Football or at ticket booths/ticket tables for all other sports. Media will be given a pass for that event, and need to wear the lanyard for access to designated media areas such as sidelines/baseline/press box.
    • Media Area on the Field during the game: stay in the designated area marked in the graphic below. Photographers are not allowed in the Team box on the sidelines. 
    • In the Press Box: set in your designated seat(s) only
  • All other sports, please identify yourself with your Media ID at the ticket booth or ticket table.
  • New media outlets who reach out for credential access ​w​ill be considered on a case-by-case basis. Factors that will be considered in the decision: content focused on covering high school athletics, editorial practices, for profit sales, and space availability. Priority will be given to approved outlets.
  • Freelance photographers/videographers will only be credentialed for Penn home athletic events if an approved media outlet has contacted Penn Athletics 24 hours prior to with a credential request.
  • Penn student media must be approved by a Publications teacher or a member of the Athletic Department for a Penn student media credential. Visiting school media requests will be decided on a case-by-case basis, and  depending on space availability.
  • Penn coaches and selected student-athletes will be available for media following a cooling-off period of a minimum of five minutes after the game.
  • Contact the individual sport head coach or Curt Rallo with post-game interview requests. Coaches will determine media availability of student-athletes.
  • Team locker rooms are off-limits to media representatives at all times.

CLUB SPORTS

Penn’s Club Sports include: Boys & Girls Lacrosse, Boys & Girls Rugby, and Ice Hockey.

  • These guidelines are expected to be followed when covering Club Sports on Penn/P-H-M property.
  • Please contact the Sports Information Director Curt Rallo – crallo@phm.k12.in.us; or the coach for interview requests. 

NON-GAME DAY INTERVIEWS REQUESTS

  • Interview requests for Penn High School coaches and student-athletes should be made through 1). Sports Information Director Curt Rallo – crallo@phm.k12.in.us; or 2). Athletic Director Jeff Hart – jhart@phm.k12.in.us or his designee; 3). or P-H-M Director of Communications Lucha Ramey – lramey@phm.k12.in.us. 
  • Coach and student-athlete interview requests should be made 24 hours in advance.
  • Media members are asked not to contact student-athletes directly for interviews.
  • When on campus during school hours (8:25 a.m. – 3:17 p.m.), all members of the media are required to check in at Door A with a government-issued ID and go through Penn Security’s Safe Visitor Registration.
  • After receiving the visitor’s pass, a member of the Athletic Department will escort the media member to their interview location.
  • Should the member of the media organization be on campus after school hours (but not for a public event), please check in with Curt Rallo or Jeff Hart.
  • Student-athletes will not be available for pre-game interviews on game day unless the interview is approved by their coaches. The request must be made at least 24 hours in advance of the event. Coaches are available at their discretion.
  • Team locker rooms are off-limits to media representatives at all times.
  • The use of still or video images from the campus for advocacy of political positions or case by case is prohibited.

MEDIA COVERAGE OF PRACTICES

  • Members of the media must request access to attend practice through the Athletics Department.
  • If access is granted, members of the media will have access to the first 15 minutes of practice to collect B-roll footage for an interview or story.
  • All interview requests will be arranged before the start of, or at the end of, practice, per the discretion of the head coach.
  • Non-P-H-M personnel are strictly prohibited from flying drones over Penn Athletic fields of competition, stands, and spectators and in accordance with IHSSAA.
  • Click here for more on Penn Athletic Photography/Video guidelines.

Media conducting radio or non-video live-streaming broadcasts, or delayed telecasts need to contact Penn High School Athletic Director Jeff Hart – jhart@phm.k12.in.us – at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled event to reserve a spot in the press box or on press row.

Media requesting a live video telecast (livestream or broadcast) of a Penn regular-season event must contact Penn High School Athletic Director Jeff Hart – jhart@phm.k12.in. us at least 10 days prior to the desired event wishing to telecast. The decision is solely at the discretion of Penn’s Athletic Director.

Outlets wishing to use any of Penn Athletic Facilities as locations for commercials or longer format stories or programs requiring several days setup and/or shooting, must contact P-H-M Director of Communications Lucha Ramey – lramey@phm.k12.in.us. 

Contact the Penn Athletic Department to check on WiFi availability (depending on the site).

Penn High School does not provide reserved media parking.

All IHSAA regulations regarding media coverage, photo/video guidelines and live broadcasting (including on social media) are in effect for regular-season and state tournament events: https://ihsaa.org/Media/Media-Rules-Regulations.

Professional conduct, as detailed in the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, is expected and required. The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics also asks that journalists, “Use heightened sensitivity when dealing with juveniles …”

Expectations for working media – sourced from the Baseball Writers Association of America, the Basketball Writers Association of America, and the Football Writers Association of America – include:

  • Being respectful to all around you, including fans, officials, coaches, student-athletes, support staff, administrators and fellow members of the media.
  • Staying clear of team benches, sidelines, and restricted areas during contests to ensure safety of student-athletes, coaches, officials, and members of the media.
  • Not distracting those around you, including fans, officials, coaches, student-athletes, support staff, administrators and fellow members of the media.
  • Refraining from cheering while attending an event in an official media capacity.
  • Not blocking the view of fans.
  • Be mindful of the work spaces, including taking care of food and beverage containers and not spreading out to take up too much space.
  • Contacting a member of the Penn Athletic Department to deal with any issues that concern coverage of the event, ranging from fan behavior to media accommodations.
  • Not bringing ‘guests’ who are not credentialed media to the event with the expectation that they will receive free admission or privileges accorded to the media.