Inviting a reporter out, giving him/her a ride, etc. is all well and good
for a one-shot deal. In the long run, you'll only get coverage once every 10
years or so.
Local circle tracks usually hire someone to whip up stories, with
results, right after an evening of racing and fax it off to all print
sources. Sometimes those newspapers will print the story, sometimes they
won't, but they will soon learn that the coverage is regular. Maybe they
might even have a sports editor whose task it is to cover motorsports.
He/she can then glean info from the stories and incorporate that into a
column, which might run once or twice a week/month.
No newspaper has enough reporters to actually be at all the motorsports
events and cover them in a timely manner. One of the other problems for
reporters, even those who are writing the stories for the club, can't write
a story without results...
So it's a double/triple edged problem:
1. Finding someone reliable to write the story after every event
2. Finding the information (results) to write the story
3. Getting the newspaper to print the story
One thing I've found is that lots of folks spend a great deal of time
promoting an event on the web, and with ads, etc., but rarely does anyone
give a full report on what happened. The reports that do appear report on
what happened to the writer, and a few "famous" folks, but there's never a
full report.
Of course, North American Pylon, as an example, can't cover every event
in the country or Canada, but we'd sure like to have more stories, with
results. But then, we aren't a daily, so timing is not so crucial.
--Pat Kelly
North American Pylon gofer
washburn wrote:
> DUELRACER@aol.com wrote:
> >
> > --part1_a422655d.246bc3f3_boundary
> >
> > I thought you guys might like this, it was sent to Channel 4 by Ken and
> > Chelsea Snyder.
> >
> > Paul
> >
> Frankly, if I was a reporter and received this, it would be instantly
> circular filed. There would be no chance of coverage then.
>
> We need to be tactful and always remain positive in our approach to the
> media. This note seethed with contempt for the reporters, but then
> asked "why don't you come out to cover us?". They don't "owe" us
> anything. They would just as soon do a fluff assignment at the kids
> softball game. Make it easy and fun for them, find a car guy reporter
> and invite them to co-drive a car for free, attach an event to a special
> cause or make it a memorial somethingorother event, whatever. Make the
> investment in your personal time to make regular and freindly contact
> with them. Sooner or later, they will hit a slow day and think, "hey,
> what about that nice guy/gal who keeps telling about some local
> racing...." Sorry, but I feel that the message you forwarded (but
> didn't write) gives a bad impression and mis-represents the autocross
> community in general.
> --
> Patrick Washburn <washburn@dwave.net>
> Wausau, WI Land of Cheese
> 95 DS Neon
> Moooooooooo.
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