The Dispute Between FC Cincinnati and Local Reporter Laurel Pfahler

FC Cincinnati recently decided to temporarily revoke the press credential of local beat reporter Laurel Pfahler. This decision came after a dispute over her reporting on some of the club’s player transactions. According to sources, Pfahler, who writes for the Queen City Press, had her credential revoked for two weeks.

Exchange of Statements

Following the revocation of her credential, FC Cincinnati released a statement criticizing Pfahler’s professionalism. The statement accused Pfahler of failing to adhere to the standards and practices of the Society of Professional Journalists and the MLS Notice of Credentials Use Conditions. In response, Pfahler issued a statement of her own, alleging that Cincinnati was engaging in bullying behavior.

Accuracy of Reporting in Question

Sources with direct knowledge of the situation revealed that Cincinnati took issue with the accuracy of Pfahler’s reporting on player transactions. Specifically, the club objected to Pfahler’s coverage of the loan of Álvaro Barreal to Brazilian Serie A side Cruzeiro. Pfahler reported that Barreal’s departure was not due to unhappiness at the club, which the team disputed. Additionally, Cincinnati criticized Pfahler for not verifying aspects of transfer stories with the club.

Violation of Credential Use Conditions

The allegations against Pfahler center around Section 12 of the credential use conditions, which prohibits the misappropriation of event descriptions or accounts for non-personal purposes. Cincinnati believes that Pfahler violated this section by misappropriating information in her reporting. However, Pfahler maintained that she did not violate any journalism ethics or credential guidelines.

The North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) has been involved in attempting to resolve the dispute between Pfahler and FC Cincinnati. NASR has met with MLS officials in an effort to find a resolution. The Society of Professional Journalists advised NASR that denying press credentials to journalists who act professionally is not encouraged or condoned.

Laurel Pfahler has been covering FC Cincinnati since its first season in the USL Championship in 2016. She also freelances for the Dayton Daily News covering the Cincinnati Bengals and has contributed to ESPN, The Athletic, and WCPO.com. Despite the temporary revocation of her credential, Pfahler’s access is expected to be reinstated in time for the club’s upcoming home match against New York City FC on March 23.