Saratoga Motorsports Park (SMP) welcomes and invites all members of the media and public relations agents (definitions below) to request accreditation. Every member wishing to record in any medium (written word, still or video images, sonic, etc.) for any platform (social media, commercial, corporate, or private, etc.) of any activity in any area of (SMP) property must be officially accredited by SMP. Accreditation is an administrative tool used to maintain oversight and effective on-site control and off-site knowledge of the many media activities associated with SMP events. Accreditation provides the basis of granting access to events. Once accredited, members and agents may request access and recording privileges to any event(s). Persons found to be operating as a member of the media or public relations agent without accreditation will be considered as trespassing and are subject to immediate removal and may face further restrictions and loss of privilege at the discretion of SMP management or owners.
Definitions
SMP considers “Members of the Media” to include (professional or amateur):
• Journalists
• Photographers
• Videographers
• Bloggers
• Podcasters
• Broadcasters (TV, Radio, Internet)
SMP considers “Public Relations Agent” to include any person attending and recording on behalf of any participant, team, or organization. Media Member and Public Relations Agent Operating Rules VALUES STATEMENT SMP will not tolerate discrimination including age, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, colour, creed, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, disability, or marital status or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, provincial, or local laws regulations and ordinances.
1. Accreditation is required before Access Privileges (separate request) are granted.
2. Accreditation and access privileges may be revoked at any time at the discretion of SMP management or owners.
3. Special dispensation is required to operate in the “red” danger zones as described on the “Zone Map”. Persons found to be operating in danger zones without dispensation may lose accreditation at the discretion of management or owners.
4. Members and Agents can operate in the restricted zone “yellow” and open zone “green” without special dispensation as indicated on the zone map.
5. All members and Agents are subject to the rules and regulations of SMP in all areas and during all operations. In addition, they are required to:
• At all times follow the direction of SMP staff, third party security and safety providers, management, and owners.
• Use professionalism and discretion while recording/observing activities at all times; lines of sight, communications, positioning, equipment handling must defer to spectators, participants and officials at all times.
• To be appropriately attired in a professional manner in accordance to activities and areas of operations.
6. All media rights to media products recorded at SMP property belong to SMP and are to be made available to SMP for their express use without fee, and within 24 hrs of request. Products requested must be clean and free of watermarking.
7. SMP agrees to share product media rights with the media member recording the material. This agreement is unilateral and can be annulled at any time at the discretion of SMP.
8. SMP will include and indicate originator credits for all products obtained from members whenever published by or delivered for publication to third-party services.
9. In exceptional circumstances, media members and SMP may negotiate fees for media products however those negotiations must be settled and agreements in writing obtained prior to the event.
10. Media products made public on any platform are subject to public opinion and perception, therefore SMP prohibits (see rule 6) the publication and/or distribution of all media products which could be considered “distasteful”, “indiscrete”, “unethical”, “socially immoral” or otherwise displays SMP events, patrons, participants, marketing partners, staff, and owners in any significantly disparaging manner as considered by SMP management or owners.
11. Media members are responsible to tell the truth in reporting and journalism, to promote the activities of SMP events and operations, and to act in good faith when completing related documents and when publishing products.
12. Media members requesting access on behalf of any participant are de-facto public relations agent(s) for that participant or team (see definitions above) and as such that participant or team is/are responsible for the activities of the agent at all times while on SMP property, and additionally when making public those products derived at SMP.
13. Public relations agents are bound by the same regulations and administration as members of the media.
14. If free access was granted to public relations agent(s); all products developed are subject to rules 6-8 above.
15. If access was paid for by participant, team, or agent; all recordings are limited to only the participant or teams’ activities and are considered property of the agent/person paying for access. At no time are agents authorised to publish products that are not focussed on the activities of the subject competitor(s) and or team(s).
16. SMP Staff Photographer has priority standing in all areas, activities, and events. In the case of conflict Staff photographer activities supersede all other media activities except for special events which will be indicated by the general manager(s)
