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Media Credentials


Harrells Christian Academy Media Credentials Policy

Harrells Christian Academy values professional media coverage of its student-athletes, teams, and athletic programs. These requirements are intended to provide legitimate editorial media with reasonable working access while maintaining appropriate safeguards for student-athletes, protecting media rights, reducing liability, and ensuring that sidelines, courtside areas, and playing fields remain safe and professionally managed.

ALL MEDIA requesting restricted-area access (sidelines, courtside areas, playing fields, etc.) must be credentialed and approved through the HCA Office of Institutional Advancement.

CREDENTIALS
1. All media personnel must request credentials from HCA’s Press/Communications Officer by completing the HCA Media Credentials Request Form.   
2. Eligible media personnel covering events for editorial, journalistic, or news purposes may apply for media credentials at HCA. Once credentialed, access will remain active for the 2026-2027 school term. A new HCA Media Credentials Request Form will be required each year.
3. Please allow a minimum of 1 week for media credential requests to be reviewed and processed. 
4. Media credentials will be issued by HCA’s Press/Communications Officer and they may be picked up at the HCA main athletics admission gate (Gate location is subject to change depending on sports being played. An email will be sent to indicate the exact location of pickup upon credential approval). 
5. Credentials are non-transferable and are only accepted for use by the approved individual.
6. Harrells Christian Academy reserves the right to deny, suspend, or revoke credentials for safety concerns, policy violations, misrepresentation, unauthorized commercial activity, interference with event operations, or failure to follow event personnel instructions.

Eligible Media Personnel Include:

Staff or freelance writers, photographers, or videographers affiliated with a credible, recognizable media outlet:

  • Local, regional, or national newspapers
  • Television stations
  • Radio stations
  • Digital news organizations
  • HCA yearbook staff members & advisor
  • HCA communications & marketing personnel

 

Possession of professional photography or videography equipment, an admission ticket, business license, or social media presence does not qualify an individual for media access at Harrells Christian Academy. No individual has an automatic right to restricted-area access. All sideline, courtside, field, and other restricted media access is subject to credentialing and approval by Harrells Christian Academy.

Harrells Christian Academy reserves the right to verify affiliation, assignment, and intended purpose of coverage at any time.

Credentials and protocols must be followed at away games and playoff games hosted at other facilities. Each hosting school may have additional protocols and credential requirements. For playoffs and state championships, the NCISAA requires media personnel to adhere to regulations and credentialing processes outlined by the NCISAA.  

SAFETY & RESTRICTED AREAS

Credentialed media must remain within designated media areas and comply immediately with instructions from designated Harrells Christian Academy personnel, game management, security personnel, coaches when appropriate, and contest officials.

Protocols:

1. All media personnel must remain a safe distance away from coaches and players while on the sidelines so as not to interfere with gameplay, coaching, officiating, and chain crew. 

  • Baseball - designated press space only or outside fence
  • Basketball - corners of the gym, in the stands, or upstairs overlook
  • Football - inside the 25-yard line and a minimum of 10 ft. from the team & coaches
  • Golf - cart path or other area authorized by the course ranger
  • Soccer - on the spectator sideline as allowed by officials or outside of the fence
  • Softball - designated press space only or outside fence
  • Tennis - outside of the court fence
  • Volleyball - corners of the gym, in the stands, or upstairs overlook 

 

2. Media personnel may not access locker rooms.
3. Media personnel must follow instructions from coaches, school administration, and officiating crew at all times. 
4. No in-game interviews are allowed. Media may not approach student-athletes, coaches, or game officials during active competition, timeouts, or halftime.
5. Post-game window: interviews may only be conducted after a mandatory 10-minute cool-down period following the conclusion of the contest or as allowed by the coaches..
6. Commercial restrictions: media assets captured during the event cannot be utilized for commercial profit or resale without explicit authorization and rights from Harrells Christian Academy. 
7. All athletic team practices are closed. Credentialed media must submit a written request to jregister@harrellsca.com if seeking access to athletes or coaches during a practice. 
8. Media personnel must conduct their activities in a manner that does not:

  • Interfere with competition or event operations
  • Create a safety hazard for athletes, officials, staff, spectators, or other media
  • Obstruct emergency or operational access
  • Interfere with the work of credentialed editorial or broadcast media
  • Violate applicable media, broadcast, streaming, or intellectual-property rights

 

FREELANCE, COMMERCIAL, & SOCIAL MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY

Freelance photographers, videographers, and content creators shooting primarily for commercial purposes, private clients, personal/social media pages, portfolios, or other non-editorial use are not eligible for standard media credentials & must request credentials accordingly by contacting jregister@harrellsca.com.

PERSONAL MEDIA-FOR-HIRE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Photographers or videographers hired directly by an individual student-athlete, parent, family member or other private party will not be granted sideline, courtside, or field access privileges. All athletic team practices are closed. Likewise, all HCA athletic media days will be initiated and scheduled by the HCA Office of Institutional Advancement in conjunction with the HCA Department of Athletics. Coaches, athletes, and parents will be notified when these dates and times have been scheduled. Photographers not contracted by Harrells Christian Academy must be approved.  Please submit a written request to jregister@harrellsca.com if seeking access to athletes or coaches during a practice or for any media-related purposes.