Media Coverage Equestrians Will Like
Posted by Jayne Huddleston on December 18, 2008
In several previous posts I have noted that if you don’t agree with what a reporter writes, it doesn’t constitute bad journalism. If the reporter doesn’t share your viewpoint, it doesn’t mean he or she is wrong. It also doesn’t mean that they did not have the right to write it. You have a right to complain about factual inaccuracies but, too often, equestrians go “over the top” with complaints when the media fails to act as their cheering section.
Below is a link to an article from today’s Calgary Herald. I’m sure equestrians will love it – and so they should. But they should love it not because the writer shares their viewpoint. They should enjoy this article because is a well-written piece of journalism that presents a knowledgable and thoughtful point of view on a subject of interest to the equestrian community.
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/sports/story.html?id=40de3266-5bc7-4e77-b773-3e821c7cda92
There were plenty of worthy candidates for this year’s Lou Marsh trophy. Eric Lamaze was one and Chantal Petitclerc was one. Don’t love this article because it supports your friend, colleague or hero. Do so because the writer, Bruce Dowbiggen, has done what journalists are supposed to do – puts forth a idea and lets readers decide whether or not to agree. I’m sure there will be many readers involved in other sports who do not agree with his thesis.
This article also serves as a testament to what good media relations can achieve for a sport. Dowbiggen, an experienced television and newspaper journalist, made his reputation as a “hockey guy”. But, in Calgary, show jumping is major-league sport because Spruce Meadows makes media relations a top priority. That may be why a Calgary journalist was able to make this thoughtful analysis of this thorny issue.
John Royce said
Thank you for posting this article, Jayne. Yes, it’s great to see a journalist writing seriously about the sport, whether every detail is agreeable or not.
The old “riding-is-easy-the-horse-does-all-the-work” notion is irritating to knowledgeable horsemen, of course. Only in the last century would such an idea even have been possible, now that the connection between horses and the common man has been displaced. It is almost an embarrassment that a dismounted mankind has forgotten itself so quickly and thoroughly, yet such societal amnesia does seem a signature characteristic of humanity.
However Mr. Dowbiggen addresses this misconception seriously in layman’s terms and really that is the best kind of coverage to have in this equine-blinkered day. I appreciate that you brought the article to your readership.