Show jumpers compete more often than many athletes. That’s true even if you exclude lower-level competitions for young horses. A top rider and a top grand prix horse compete more frequently than other Olympic and professional athletes. While this is necessary due to the training and development of the horses, it means that every win is not newsworthy – at least not to all news organizations.
News for mass-market media, like newspapers, must be of public interest. Whether or not something is of public interest is a subjective decision. That decision will be made by their editor. However, they will appreciate it they don’t get spammed with news that will clearly not interest their readers or viewers. If you have the courtesy to do that, they are more likely to read your news release when you send them something that will interest them.
For example, the winner of the Welcome Stake at a tournament in a small city is not news to the major daily papers in big cities. But, it probably would be to the newspaper in the city or town where it took place. And it probably would be to the newspaper in the town where the rider lives.
Even with a big win, it is more newsworthy if you find a strong “hook” to make it a story. Whenever possible, tailor that hook to the type of media outlet you are targeting. One of the biggest mistakes people make in an attempt to get media coverage is having one standard e-mail list. The same rider winning the same competition can constitute two or more entirely different stories for different media outlets. It’s up to you to present it to them in that way. They may not find those stories without a guide.
If you are involved in organizing tournaments and have been disappointed that every day’s winner isn’t covered by some media outlet, don’t be. What’s news in the equestrian community is not always news of public interest. But it can be more often if good stories are recognized and targeted in the right way. It’s all part of learning how the media works.
