Security staff with explosive detection equipment have been scoring the stadim in Bangalore ahead of the Christmas Day clash.News blackout for India v Pakistan cricket series Coverage boycotted in a row over press freedomFirst time Pakistan has visited India since Mumbai attacks in 2008Tight security in place at M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore(CNN) -- Pakistan's first cricket tour of India in five years is set to be hit by a news blackout in an escalating row over press freedom.
The high profile tour kicks off with a Twenty20 international in Bangalore on Christmas Day, but all the leading news agencies, such as Thomson-Reuters and Associated Press, have decided against filing match reports.The disagreement stems from an earlier decision by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to exclude photographic news agencies from covering games, including the recent Test series between India and England."It is regrettable that the politically-charged Pakistan tour will be affected by the BCCI's failure to recognize the long-standing importance of photographic news agencies in the flow of sport and news images every day," said the News Media Coalition, which represents a group of media organizations."As a direct result of the BCCI stance, great sporting moments from the cricket tours to India are going unrecorded and therefore lost forever. England's first four games were the hidden series and the Pakistan tour is heading for the same fate. That's not good for cricket -- nor for the image of India abroad," Andrew Moger, Executive Director of the NMC, was quoted on its website.var currExpandable="expand16";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='world/2012/05/17/udas-india-cricketers-suspended.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120517091610-udas-india-cricketers-suspended-00001402-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand16Store=mObj;var currExpandable="expand26";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='sports/2012/03/16/kapur-india-tendulkar-endorsements.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120316033614-tendulkar-2011-melbourne-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand26Store=mObj;var currExpandable="expand36";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='sports/2012/03/16/seg-thomas-india-sachin-tendulkar.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120316112949-tendulkar-ton-mar16-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand36Store=mObj;The BCCI offered it's own photographic content for the India-England series, but newspapers and leading websites outside of India declined to use them.The BCCI is arguing that international news agencies such as Getty Images use the pictures for commercial as well as strictly editorial purposes and should pay a license fee.The World Association of Newspapers (WAN-IFRA), said in statement: "All publishers, including those in India are concerned that the BCCI has decided to act against the photographic agency sector which has for years provided images for editorial customers in every country without problem. This is denying the ability of editors to select from the best of photography for the benefit of readers."As the row over media coverage escalated, security has been stepped up at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium ahead of the opening game.Police bomb squad officers with sniffer dogs have undertaken a painstaking search amid fears that the game could be disrupted by protests from Indian nationalist organizations.Read: Cricket legend Tendulkar quits one-day internationalsIt is the first time Pakistan has visited India for a series of matches since the 2008 Mumbai attacks which led to a breakdown in diplomatic relations between the two sub-continent nations.But they did meet in the semifinal of last year's World Cup in the northern Indian city of Mohali when the prime ministers of both countries shook hands.Indian cricket fans are still digesting the news that their iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar has retired from one-day internationals with immediate effect.The 39-year-old Tendulkar had already retired from Twenty20 internationals, but was expected to have been available for the three 50-over one day international matches against Pakistan over the New Year period.Over 3,000 Pakistan fans are expected to watch the opener and 60-year-old Mohammed Bashir, who lives in Chicago, told AFP that the fact the matches were going ahead at all was good news."That the teams are playing each other on Indian soil is in itself a big thing. We should not expect anything more to come out of this encounter," Bashir, who cut a colorful figure in the green and gold of Pakistan, said.
New research suggests the use of ice baths to aid recovery after intense exercise is not as beneficial as previously thought.December 19, 2012 -- Updated 1248 GMT (2048 HKT)
It's not easy carrying the burden of a sports-mad nation's lofty expectations of world-beating dominance on your shoulders.December 6, 2012 -- Updated 1645 GMT (0045 HKT)
Forty days alone in the wilderness was enough for Jesus, but Lance Armstrong is facing an altogether longer period of solitude.November 28, 2012 -- Updated 2142 GMT (0542 HKT)
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All Black fly-half Dan Carter talks to CNN's Sophia Heath as New Zealand prepares to take on England at Twickenham.November 29, 2012 -- Updated 1833 GMT (0233 HKT)
New Zealand's Dan Carter reveals the five fly-halfs that inspired him.November 24, 2012 -- Updated 1636 GMT (0036 HKT)
Boxing legend Hector "Macho" Camacho has died. CNN's Nick Valencia looks back on his life.July 31, 2012 -- Updated 1852 GMT (0252 HKT)
You may not be headed to the Olympics, but that doesn't mean you can't join in the fun! Welcome to the CNN iReport sports photo master class.July 25, 2012 -- Updated 1203 GMT (2003 HKT)
Look over the edge as cliff divers compete in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2012 in Portugal.July 19, 2012 -- Updated 2229 GMT (0629 HKT)
The Houston Rockets sign basketball sensation Jeremy Lin after the New York Knicks fail to match their NBA rivals' three-year, $25 million offer. July 13, 2012 -- Updated 1727 GMT (0127 HKT)
The overriding feeling towards the David Haye versus Dereck Chisora "circus fight" in London is shock and outrage that it could even take place.May 31, 2012 -- Updated 1117 GMT (1917 HKT)
Reza Beluchi has been running all his life, running for freedom, running for peace. He ran away from his homeland, Iran, and has traveled the world.May 4, 2012 -- Updated 1532 GMT (2332 HKT)
The Kentucky Derby is America's most iconic horse racing event. Few meetings capture the spirit of a nation quite like the "Run for the Roses."May 3, 2012 -- Updated 1436 GMT (2236 HKT)
The sad death of legendary linebacker Junior Seau is nothing new for the remaining members of the 1994 San Diego Chargers.May 3, 2012 -- Updated 1608 GMT (0008 HKT)
If Barcelona's players were driven to tears by their shock Champions League exit, they at least have pocketfuls of cash to ease the pain.May 2, 2012 -- Updated 1320 GMT (2120 HKT)
From the boisterous crowds of stadia to a noisy assembly of mostly politicians, India's cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar faces a new test.May 2, 2012 -- Updated 1715 GMT (0115 HKT)
Michael Matz has spent a lifetime working with horses, but he will always be remembered for just one: Barbaro.April 27, 2012 -- Updated 1953 GMT (0353 HKT)
Watching the Charlotte Bobcats stumble around the court this year may make the casual fan wonder who is running this beleagured organization.
Today's five most popular stories
As the family and media search for answers, a picture emerges of a generous, caring woman who was caught up in a media maelstrom.December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1043 GMT (1843 HKT)
Two DJs responsible for the prank call speak of their sorrow that a nurse caught up in the call apparently killed herself.December 8, 2012 -- Updated 2156 GMT (0556 HKT)
Two DJs are under fire after the death of a nurse who received a hoax phone call. CNN's Matthew Chance reports.December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1043 GMT (1843 HKT)
In this whole tragic affair Jacintha Saldanha was truly powerless, Ross Stevenson writes, explaining why airing the call was wrong.December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1042 GMT (1842 HKT)
The apparent suicide of Jacintha Saldanha has provoked outrage, sadness and demands for retribution in all corners of the media.December 10, 2012 -- Updated 1535 GMT (2335 HKT)
An Australian radio network defends its prank DJs, saying the media around the world has carried out a "witch hunt" against them.December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1044 GMT (1844 HKT)
The hospital where a nurse committed suicide after being duped by a hoax condemned the station responsible in a strongly worded letter.December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1044 GMT (1844 HKT)
The chairman of the Australian radio network has called the apparent suicide of one of the nurses duped by the prank "truly tragic."December 11, 2012 -- Updated 1043 GMT (1843 HKT)
Many social media users were quick to point fingers at the two radio hosts who made the call and then promoted it on Facebook.December 7, 2012 -- Updated 1753 GMT (0153 HKT)
And then television provided a platform for the instantaneous finger-pointing and point-scoring that all too often follows such shootings.I am conflicted when I watch the instant network specials, led by top anchors and featuring theme music and fancy logos, as I did after Columbine, after Virginia Tech, after Tucson, after Aurora. Of course they want to devote time and resources to a major national story. But it also feels at times like a branding exercise, an effort to grab ratings share after a heartbreaking event.I am conflicted as well at watching some journalists interview children who saw the carnage. I understand their value as eyewitnesses, but these are young kids who had just been through a terrible trauma. To me, at least, it feels exploitative. Some organizations, including CNN, require the parents' permission, but it is not clear that all outlets followed such a policy in the scramble that followed the shootings.I was not conflicted at all when I read that a Hartford Courant reporter called the shooter's grandmother in Florida. "I just don't know, and I can't make a comment right now," Dorothy Hanson, 78, said in a shaky voice as she started to cry. I fail to see what that added to our understanding of the tragedy.Watch: Jon Stewart, media critic, takes on FoxThe worst offense, though, was the headlong rush to identify the shooter as Ryan Lanza, 24, and blast his Facebook profile picture around cyberspace. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, Slate, the Huffington Post and others named Ryan Lanza as the suspect, some of them based on guidance from law enforcement sources. In this wired age, his name was bandied about on Twitter and in other social media forums.var currExpandable="expand110";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/12/16/pmt-ct-shooting-stephen-barton-paul-ercolino.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121216115016-pmt-ct-shooting-stephen-barton-paul-ercolino-00003512-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand110Store=mObj;var currExpandable="expand210";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='us/2012/12/16/ct-shooting-sot-rev-hall-gun-control.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121216114937-ct-shooting-sot-rev-hall-gun-control-00000000-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand210Store=mObj;var currExpandable="expand310";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/12/16/exp-sotu-crowley-national-tragedies-president-as-comforter-in-chief-reagan-clinton-bush-obama.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121216080237-exp-sotu-crowley-national-tragedies-president-as-comforter-in-chief-reagan-clinton-bush-obama-00002001-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand310Store=mObj;var currExpandable="expand410";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/12/16/exp-sotu-crowley-ct-connecticut-governor-dan-malloy-sandy-hook-school-shooting-latest-newtown.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121216065136-exp-sotu-crowley-ct-connecticut-governor-dan-malloy-sandy-hook-school-shooting-latest-newtown-00002001-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand410Store=mObj;The news outlets had to correct their reports when it turned out that the shooter was 20-year-old Adam Lanza, his brother, who first killed their mother. But they had suggested that an innocent man was responsible for murdering 27 people, including 20 children. What's more, most reports erroneously said Lanza's mother taught at the Newtown elementary school (a mistake I initially repeated as well).Watch: From Joe Scarborough to Rush Limbaugh, the conservative media meltdownBlogger Jeff Jarvis, who teaches journalism at the City University of New York, expressed regret for retweeting information about Ryan Lanza, although Jarvis did not use his name: "I did not say this was the 'alleged' or 'reputed' account of the person named as the killer. These are basic, basic journalistic skills drilled until they are reflexes and I would use them in any story for print. I didn't use them online." Not everyone was as candid in confessing their mistakes.The rush to judgment is hardly an isolated incident. After an Arizona gunman last year killed six people and wounded Gabby Giffords, some news organizations erroneously reported that the congresswoman was dead.After the Aurora shooting this past summer in a theater showing a Batman movie, ABC's Brian Ross told viewers the suspect was linked to the Colorado tea party before apologizing for reporting on someone with the same name.Watch: Is 'Zero Dark Thirty' tortured history or propaganda?After Friday's violence, there was an instinct by some in the media to pound away at their favorite positions. Mike Huckabee said on Fox News: "We ask why there is violence in our schools, but we've systematically removed God from our schools." I respect the former Arkansas governor, but Friday did not seem like the time for such a statement.At the same time, Rush Limbaugh ripped MSNBC's Alex Wagner and CNN's Piers Morgan for saying the massacre pointed up the need for stricter gun control."You've got a horrible event here, and they're already looking to politicize it. ... These people look at stuff like this as an opportunity to advance their agenda or blame conservatives." (The three guns, including an assault rifle, used by Adam Lanza were legally registered to his mother.)All this is reminiscent of what happened to NBC's Bob Costas when he used a halftime commentary to question the gun culture in this country after an NFL player was involved in a murder-suicide. Costas was attacked from the right for daring to inject a serious issue into a sporting event.Watch: The media fixate on Hillary and 2016, againExcept in the days following a mass shooting, the media seem to shy away from a serious debate over gun control, perhaps fearing that it is too divisive and will alienate a broad swath of readers and viewers. The mainstream press operates under the assumption that Congress will never pass a gun-control measure because of the NRA's clout and therefore the matter isn't much worth pursuing. The issue was barely mentioned in the presidential campaign, and journalists made no attempt to force it onto the national agenda.The same thing will happen after Newtown inevitably fades from the newscasts and the front pages, and the gun question disappears until the next big tragedy forces us to revisit it once again.Follow @CNNOpinion on TwitterJoin us at Facebook/CNNOpinionThe opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Howard Kurtz.
David Gergen says we will be judged by whether we acted to stop the plague of gun violence.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1210 GMT (2010 HKT)
Saul Cornell says we need to look at the original ideals of the Constitution's framersDecember 17, 2012 -- Updated 1049 GMT (1849 HKT)
Howard Kurtz says the media made mistakes in its rush to report on the Newtown shootings.December 15, 2012 -- Updated 2126 GMT (0526 HKT)
Michael Simon says that in the wake of events like the Connecticut shooting, kids need quiet, calm attention.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1211 GMT (2011 HKT)
LZ Granderson says parents are confronting new anxiety over their inability to protect their children in a world of violence.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1213 GMT (2013 HKT)
Bob Greene says the nation finds itself once again in a bleak and familiar place -- unable to answer the most basic question of all: Why?December 16, 2012 -- Updated 2244 GMT (0644 HKT)
Roland Martin asks whether the U.S. has become a nation of cowards desperate to duck real issues such as gun control, mental illnessDecember 16, 2012 -- Updated 1451 GMT (2251 HKT)
Ethan Zuckerman says ignore those who warn against "politicizing" the Newtown shootings; mourn these senseless deaths by demanding we change our laws, culture to end gun violence. December 16, 2012 -- Updated 1414 GMT (2214 HKT)
John Maeda says good design is often invisible but it can contribute to reshaping the way our society worksDecember 14, 2012 -- Updated 1422 GMT (2222 HKT)
Amar Bakshi, a former assistant to the U.N. ambassador, says articles criticizing Rice's personality were caricatures of her real selfDecember 17, 2012 -- Updated 1418 GMT (2218 HKT)
Jeff Pearlman says he wouldn't trust new Western Kentucky football coach Bobby Petrino with his dog
Get the latest opinion and analysis from CNN's columnists and contributors.December 14, 2012 -- Updated 1421 GMT (2221 HKT)
David Rothkopf says Rice didn't achieve her dream of becoming secretary of state, but it's likely that whoever gets the job will face a constant ordeal confronting America's global challenges.December 13, 2012 -- Updated 2249 GMT (0649 HKT)
The new film Zero Dark Thirty gets it right, says Peter Bergen -- the hunt for bin Laden owed much to the role of female analysts who found key clues December 14, 2012 -- Updated 1255 GMT (2055 HKT)
Dean Obeidallah says Anne Hathaway's mishap makes us wonder if we are being played for idiots by celebrities seeking attention December 13, 2012 -- Updated 2213 GMT (0613 HKT)
Nelson Lichtenstein: President Obama and the Democrats need to defend trade unionism in its hour of need. December 13, 2012 -- Updated 1259 GMT (2059 HKT)
Howard Kurtz says the new film "Zero Dark Thirty" is going to make a hero of a hard-charging woman who helped drive the hunt for bin Laden, but her name is a secret. December 13, 2012 -- Updated 1431 GMT (2231 HKT)
Penn Jillette describes how The Monkees might offer strategy in the war on Christmas. But for a war, it's pretty harmless. December 13, 2012 -- Updated 1802 GMT (0202 HKT)
The actor says Morocco has been abusing the human rights of about 200,000 Sahrawi people, and the international community should exert pressure to stop it.December 13, 2012 -- Updated 1314 GMT (2114 HKT)
Gene Seymour says "Beauty" seemed somehow an insufficient description for the sounds that came from Ravi Shankar's sitar in a concert hall. December 13, 2012 -- Updated 2205 GMT (0605 HKT)
Joe Cirincione: North Korea's successful launch of a satellite is a major feat, but it is not a serious military threat to other nations.