Pakistan’s first cricket tour to India in five years "faced a media blackout" Monday after int'l news agencies, including the AFP, suspended coverage over a decision to bar their photo counterparts, according to the AFP. News outlets said that they would not be filing any text or pictures after the Board of Control for Cricket in India "refused to accredit the int'l picture agencies Getty Images and Action Images as well as two Indian agencies." Other int'l agencies that are members of the coalition, such as Reuters and the AP, "will also halt text and photo coverage." News Media Coalition, which represents a group of media organizations, said: "It is regrettable that the politically-charged Pakistan tour will be affected by the BCCI’s failure to recognise the long-standing importance of photographic news agencies in the flow of sport and news images every day." A BCCI spokesperson would not comment "but did refer reporters to a statement issued for the England tour." The statement said there was "no intention to censor or limit bonafide new reporting" and emphasized that news agencies had been accredited (AFP, 12/24).
