Ring any bells

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Who Are You Writing For?


People complain about the lack of harness racing news in the media. True, many newspapers have severely cut back on their coverage of the sport (thoroughbred racing too), reducing the entries and results to the most local of tracks, if not completely eliminating them as well as limiting stories to the most important races of the year nationally and perhaps one or two races at the local track. We bemoan the lack of media attention, but do we ever wonder why it has happened?

Yes, interest in racing is down. Many newspapers are running bare bones and don't have the resources to dedicate to sitting in the press box every night. It's true those tracks with a publicity department (amazingly, there are tracks without a publicity department, typically having someone else do those duties along with their many other responsibilities) send out those stories, many of which you see in the trade journals or probably more accurate trade websites, but seldom do they get into the mainstream media.

Is there any surprise most of these stories get no attention from the mainstream media? A typical story talks about a blow by blow description of a race and maybe quotes from a driver and/or trainer. How a horse sets a new lifetime mark and has earned so much this year. Or, if a big race is coming up, a press release talks about the race and who is being entered into the race. Being interest in racing is low is there any surprise these articles don't get printed or reported on television? Even a racing fan looking at websites would likely gloss over these articles.

Yet these stories get reported daily. I am not saying these stories should not be reported; there are industry connected people who want these stories, but as often said, we are preaching to the choir. These articles do nothing to gain the interest of the general public.

Once in a while, we get a story which is worthy of consideration by a mainstream newspaper. Take this story from Cal Expo regarding an owner who won the two races she had horses in, how she treats her horses like her own kids and how one of her winners came from a broodmare she had which passed away two weeks ago. It is called a human interest story; a story any person can relate to. Recovering from a personal tragedy to an evening of triumph. Not a story about the millionaire with their top stakes horses.

Tracks need to report more stories like this, human interest stories and get away from writing stories that only horse people can relate to. Stories about Riina Rekila two years ago, Julie Miller last year were able to get seen in non-racing publications. Stop writing for the racing fans and start writing for the general public. Maybe then we can get more attention from the non-racing media.

You got him!

I think it is up to the clubs to find a publicity officer who can string a few words together who are dedicated enough to chase up local interest stories and approach their local rag for space. More often than not the local papers are welcoming of news offerings from local sporting clubs. Its a love job though. A lot of effort and good working relationship with the sports editor may pay dividends, but it is hard to arouse interest in harness without actually dragging them out there to experience it.

What do you ever read in the Telegraph about the trots. Diddly bloody squat.

Despite the truthfulness and the quality of the articles Bankstown has been putting out articles similar to described in the OP.

Extensive reconnaissance of the Fourth Estate is mandatory before any attempt it made to negotiate the mine field of social engineers, spin doctors, Lefty PETA sympathisers, morally anointed sandle shod Batik Sarong wearers, eco-marxists, forelock-tuggers and so on.
That is without any shadow of a doubt the hardest part about getting any kind of upbeat horse racing related story into the main stream media.
If you instead had a story about some op shop clad hermit who weaved dilly bags out of his own body hair & created candles from his own ear wax....in order to then sell them at the Balmain Markets...you'd get a shot every time. The unwooded Chardonnay quaffers would be all over it like Seagulls on a hot chip.

The lack of harness racing stories in our newspapers is probably an indication of the general public's disinterest. Majority of the public have no interest in the horse only what they're paying on the TAB. I've kept articles and newspaper clips from the late 60's onwards and it was incredible how much interest there was in the trots as they were called back then. Journalists were actually ringing or knocking on your door for a story.Over here in W.A. we had an evening Newspaper 'The Daily News' (now defunct) that actually had third of the page ads promoting Gloucester Park harness racing and stories of horses and trainers, all with photos.' The West Australian'still reports but mainly on major harness events. Magazine publications like' Harness Horse' came out each month with a brilliant picture of a champion horse on the cover and pages of detailed info.All this a thing of the past and I really do fear for harness racing and I think over the next 10 - 12 years some major upheavals will take place and not to the advantage of harness racing.

Have things changed at The Daily Telegraph??? Although not a regular reader of it, tonight I have just stumbled across a story about Sushi Sushi with a great earthy photo of him going thru' his paces on the training track and a story about his race tomorrow night. Also found a column in the last 7 days in the racing pages also authored by Brent Zerafa specificly dedicated to harness. Has this paper suddenly found room for us and started re-reporting or have there been regular contributions that I am not aware of? Or is it possible someone down at HRNSW has heard our views on the lack of coverage and started forwarding storys that are newsworthy and The Tele has found a bit of room for us (especially at the height of the thoroughbreds autumn carnival)...anyway its great see, no matter how it has come about.:eek:

I'd reckon that's probably The Ghost's doing. He'd be Sushi's NSW based Publicity Agent. ;)
Makes for a damned nice change to see some good Harness Racing stories in the paper.
Nice work to whoever's landed it there.