The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that it will start enforcing stricter rules for media conduct during the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.
CAF officials met with local organizers and police to address escalating unprofessional and inappropriate behavior by some media members in recent matches.
In a statement, CAF said it had also consulted with journalism organizations about the issue.
The new rules forbid media from celebrating wildly, fighting, filming in restricted media zones, using vulgar language, and live streaming from mixed interview zones. Fans cannot be in media areas and only authorized media can film inside stadiums and at official press conferences.
Use of drones is banned and any media who break the rules will have their accreditation revoked, CAF warned. Accreditation allows access to matches, media areas and interview opportunities.
“While we understand media are passionate football fans, journalists are expected to observe professional standards,” the CAF statement said. It called on media to act responsibly.
The clampdown comes after reports of media cheering, taunting opponents, verbal confrontations, and filming fights during recent AFCON matches. CAF aims to prevent unprofessional conduct from distracting players and disrupting events.
Accreditation rules will now be strictly enforced, CAF stressed. It provided a contact for media inquiries on the new conduct guidelines. CAF said it wants AFCON 2023 to be a celebration of African football.
