They Wonder Why Equestrian Sport Doesn’t Get Media Coverage!

I often hear members of the equestrian community complain about the amount and quality of media coverage that show jumping receives. When there is negative coverage of any kind, they typically blame the messenger. Having witnessed this, time and time again, from two different vantage points, I am more likely to be amazed when it does get any coverage.

The people who run show jumping tournaments, who govern the sport, and who speak for the sport, seldom give the media any incentive to bother. I have been both a journalist covering the sport and a publicist representing the most high-profile figures in the sport. I recently tried to obtain results from a tournament that is sanctioned to host a World Cup Qualifier. One would expect that in order to be sanctioned in that way, a federation would require the tournament to have a good media relations policy. Federations in most sports would.

The management of the tournament in question did not answer their telephone or respond to e-mails for a three-week period. During two of those three weeks, the tournament was underway. Nearly a week after the tournament ended, I received a response on Facebook, rather than by phone or e-mail. This response complained about my requests for results and complained that I had told my readers that I was unable to obtain them.

The management of this tournament should consider it to be a lesson learned. If you treat the media like a nuisance, they will react in one of two ways. They will go away completely – leaving you to complain about no coverage. Or, they may become more of nuisance because you put their credibility on the line and force them to explain the absence of some information to their readers. You may consider this bad coverage. But, as I have written before, most negative coverage is preventable.

This incident is only one of many similar ones that I have encountered. They continually remind me that this sport has a lot of growing up to do to become “big league” sport. Many sports federations require media training for their members. Many sports federations dictate standards of media services to their member events. Even if a federation does not want to promote consistency and professionalism within the sport, it is in the best interests of all events and individual members to refrain from treating the media like a nuisance and then complaining about what ends up in print.

One Equestrian Sport Undertakes Media Training, But May Be Too Late

Media training should always be pro-active not reactive. Athletes and other representatives who are properly trained to respond to the media and to do interviews can prevent problems like unfavourable coverage. We have seen situations in Canadian show jumping where the actions of an athlete or the actions of an untrained and inexperienced media representative have resulted in unflattering publicity. The equestrian community has usually reacted with anger towards the media, not towards the athlete or other representative. Maybe anger towards the athletes or representative would not be appropriate either. None of us should be expected to do well at something in which we have no training.

The weekly British magazine Horse and Hound is reporting that British fox hunting representatives are now undertaking media training. This comes after years of negative publicity and a ban on fox hunting in Britain. The actual role the publicity played in the ban is not clear, as fox hunting is controversial for a variety of reasons. See the report here: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/article.php?aid=285538

However, media training, at this point, is an excellent demonstration of why training should be pro-active rather than reactive. The damage has been done. Recovering from it will be difficult, if not impossible. Reversing the ban would seem unlikely.

Some sport organizations, both professional and amateur, require athletes to take specified media training before competing in the sport’s top-level tournaments. I advocate this not because media training is my business, but because I have seen the results when an athlete fails to understand the media. I have ceased to represent more than one client, based on their refusal to take training or change conduct. I have also seen the difference it makes when an athlete has either taken training or has a natural skill in media relations.

All horse sports, and all athletes and their respective sport organizations, can learn from the British fox hunting experience and from Canadian show jumping’s experience. Media relations training can prevent negative publicity. It can also enhance and increase all publicity. It is not just for athletes. It should involve everyone at any level that might meet the media or plan media services . That includes event staff, volunteers, athletes and administrators. When used, as British fox hunting is doing, as a way to react to negative publicity, it may help in some situations. But, it is always better undertaken before problems arise.

Stark Contrast in Show Jumping Media in Places Where it is Sport

I posted a short time ago about the difference between specialty media and mass-market media. In North America, where show jumping is a niche-market sport, infinitely more coverage of it appears in specialty publications. The stark differences in approaches to journalism between specialty and mass-market media can make it more difficult for athletes, event management, equestrian federations and their specialty publicists to understand the needs of the mass-market media. Therefore, under the North American model, no real education or experience in dealing with the media is in place until an opportunity in the mass-market media come along. Then, the sport develops a reputation for lacking media-savvy.

A recent post on a UK journalism website  illustrates how vastly different show jumping journalism is seen in a country where show jumping is seen a sport with mass-market appeal.

Online Journalism News felt it was newsworthy to announce a new show jumping editor at the popular horse magazine Horse and Hound. This news appears on the site along with news from major British newspapers and wire services. The new show jumping editor comes to Horse and Hound from the BBC. What is even more interesting are her own comments about her new position. “Just enjoying the sport and loving horses is not enough”, the new editor, Jennifer Donald, said. “It is quite a specialized role”, she says, but adds “I think it helps to have experience writing on all sorts of subjects”.

In North America “just enjoying the sport and loving horses” often trumps all other requirements. Not only in journalism, but in publicity management and marketing the sport as well. If the sport is to grow and its fan-base to increase, the management of the sport has to recognize the need for education and experience in any business role connected to the sport. Stronger journalistic practices in the specialty media would give all os the sport’s stakeholders exposure to professional journalism to deal more professionally with mass-market media.

http://www.journalism.co.uk/8/articles/533861.php 

Media Training Vital at All Levels of Equestrian Sport Organization

Most media relations problems have a reason behind them that is pretty glaring to anyone who understands the media. Members of the equestrian community (and many other niche-market sports) complain if they don’t get coverage. They also complain if they get covered but the story isn’t exactly what they would have liked. It’s interesting to hear and read the rationale of some of those who are first to complain about no coverage or less-than-perfect coverage. It only proves the need for media training at all levels of an organization – especially if that organization is seeking sponsors, spectators and higher visibility. Media training is about changing a mind-set, as much or more as it is about skills.

 

I’ve written here before about how you can’t develop a relationship with the media unless you get the facts straight. You must be equipped with accurate facts. Journalists don’t like to be made fools of by printing or broadcasting your inaccurate facts. I’ve also written before that good media relations begins at the grassroots of any organization. Change the mind-set at that level and you pave the way for a brighter relationship with the media in the future. I also always stress the importance of not blaming the messenger if you don’t like the news. All of these rules of thumb came to light today.

 

I was reading an internet forum for equestrians. It’s not media coverage, but it is in the public domain. And, these presumed-to-be-young participants are the grassroots of the sport — the future of the sport. Someone had made a post about the #1-ranked show jumper in the world, with a headline exclaiming that he was the “World Champion”. I logged in and pointed out that, while being the #1-ranked rider in the world is an outstanding achievement, it does not constitute holding the title of World Champion. Rankings constantly evolve and the only person who can claim the title of World Champion is the person who won that contest. Just like the only person who can be called the Olympic gold medalist is the rider who won the gold medal at the Olympics. The same is true of the Pan American Games, the World Cup or any other sporting event. My point was only to help these presumed-to-be young equestrians understand what these titles mean.

 

A couple of responses pondered the situation, one noting that she had picked up on the same error. Then several responses served to illustrate the systemic mind-set that is the root of most media relations problems. One posted “WHO cares about all of the technical BS” and commented that it made her need a smoke. A chorus joined in in agreement.

 

Technical BS? These young equestrians will grow up someday (with any luck) and may  play a role in the administration of the sport. Or they may be competitors who speak to the media, representing the sport. Hopefully, they will no longer believe that you can arbitrarily ordain someone “World Champion”. Sport does not work that way. By comparison, I cannot say I am an Olympic athlete because I’ve been to several Olympic Games. I was there as a journalist, not a competitor. The difference is not “technical BS”.

 

Good media relations begins at the grassroots level. Accurate facts are near the top of a journalist’s list of needs. The line between accurate and inaccurate is not “technical BS”.