Coverage of the USA's performance at the 2006 Cadet/Junior World Championships?

[Poulet]

All this talk about how press coverage was lousy after the Olympics and - Big surprise! - all we get after the World Championships is a collection of press releases on the USFA website filled with misinformation and factual errors. Opinions?

[KD5MDK]

I'm waiting for you to delete this post like you do so many others.

[Poulet]

1.) You can't delete threads
2.) You definitely can't delete polls
3.) Why would I delete it? I'm serious.
4.) Thanks for your useless comment?

[noahz]

5) Thanks for your useless thread?

How many letters did you write or phone calls did you make to your local news organizations to request coverage of the Junior/Cadet Worlds results? If you did so, good for you - perhaps you should be encouraging others to do the same. If not, maybe you should consider spending your time on that more constructive activity than whining on this forum.

The USA has a free market system when it comes to journalism. Aside from Little League Baseball, when was the last time you saw an article about Junior anything on the front page or a newspaper or a primetime broadcast? Newspapers cover stories that will sell papers and advertising. Unfortunately, Fencing has less of a draw than Barry Bonds or the NFL Draft, and Junior Fencing even less so.

Bottom line: press releases from the USFA alone won't garner more fencing coverage. However, if we all make a little effort, we can positively influence the perception of fencing in the Sports journalism media! Let's focus on that instead of just bashing people and pointing fingers.

[fencerontheline]

Originally Posted by noahz

5) Thanks for your useless thread?

How many letters did you write or phone calls did you make to your local news organizations to request coverage of the Junior/Cadet Worlds results? If you did so, good for you - perhaps you should be encouraging others to do the same. If not, maybe you should consider spending your time on that more constructive activity than whining on this forum.

The USA has a free market system when it comes to journalism. Aside from Little League Baseball, when was the last time you saw an article about Junior anything on the front page or a newspaper or a primetime broadcast? Newspapers cover stories that will sell papers and advertising. Unfortunately, Fencing has less of a draw than Barry Bonds or the NFL Draft, and Junior Fencing even less so.

Bottom line: press releases from the USFA alone won't garner more fencing coverage. However, if we all make a little effort, we can positively influence the perception of fencing in the Sports journalism media! Let's focus on that instead of just bashing people and pointing fingers.

I think Noah is right. If it's not getting done, you better do it yourself or shutup.Huzzah!!!

You know, everyone should do their share. If they're not busting their ass, they've got absolutely no right to speak.

Poulet, you should open up your own sports broadcasting studio. It's the only way to popularize the sport in the US...

[Poulet]

Are you guys for real?

My job is not to administer and promote the sport in the USA. That is the said purpose of the USFA.

I did not point and fingers or bash anyone. I stated the facts. Unfortunately, they do not look that good. Perhaps I included a few jokes. Mea culpa.

I just find it hard to believe that after the lackluster Olympics coverage no lessons seemed to have been learned. Releasing press releases is well and good. However, the only people reading them seem to be fencers. Why aren't they forwarded to various media outlets? A rogue individual can not effectively do this, yet with a small amount of time, someone in an official capacity can send an email to any number of publications informing them of the information. I doubt it would be completely ignored, and in any case, it would be paid more attention than an email from a random fencer. There were more great results this year than ever before! Fencers are not the only people that should know about it!

What surprises me most is the fact that everyone seems to accept this performance from the USFA. If fencing is to improve, we need to hold the USFA to a higher standard. This is not whining, it is constructive criticism. Without critique of the current state of affairs, we can have no expectation of future improvement.

[keith]

.....since I cannot be bothered to run for congress or incite rebellion I really should remember I have no right to complain about what Washington does with my tax money.

Originally Posted by fencerontheline

You know, everyone should do their share. If they're not busting their ass, they've got absolutely no right to speak.

Except they pay their dues - so uhm yes they do have every right to ***** and moan .

Of course being realistic as to what the USFA can actually achieve is a different thing.

[KD5MDK]

Unleash the beast! Total Recall! Kill the pony! Put its head in Nancy Anderson's bed!

I have to admit, that was kind of funny.

[gladius]

Originally Posted by Poulet

Are you guys for real?

I just find it hard to believe that after the lackluster Olympics coverage no lessons seemed to have been learned....

What surprises me most is the fact that everyone seems to accept this performance from the USFA. If fencing is to improve, we need to hold the USFA to a higher standard. This is not whining, it is constructive criticism. Without critique of the current state of affairs, we can have no expectation of future improvement.

Couldn't agree more with Poulet this time! The level of managerial ineptitude of the USFA and apathy of its membership at large are appalling.

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Still, a large part of it is institutional ignorance on the part of the major sports publications.

Having successfully completed my tour of indoctrination at the NoahZ Ludovico Treatment Technique Clinic (tm), I took it upon myself to contact a number of publications during and immediately after the World Championships...SI, SI for Kids, USA Today, The Sporting News, etc. Having talked with the PR person for the USFA, she was doing much of the same lobbying.

Nada. Zip. This, despite SI having run a small bit on Mariel Zagunis when she won the Cadet/Junior titles in 2001.

Even our local paper, who splashed a full page spread on Mariel in 2001, has to wait for someone to come back from vacation until they'll consider it. Yeah, two weeks after the fact...that'll be timely.

I guess we just have to keep pecking away at the various media outlets, until someone looks down far enough to see us waving frantically.

[Fencing Mom]

I worked on the publicity/PR committee for the Pittsburgh NAC. Here is what our volunteer committee (made up of two former news professionals) did and was able to accomplish. We sent a press release consisting of:
1) Who, what, where, why of an NAC. How many fencers would be competing – including the Olympic WS gold medal winner – why it is important to the Olympic movement or some such thing – definition of Divisions and vets – and other basic info.
2) Bios of every W. PA fencer who was participating.
3) Interesting information about fencing – how to watch it – where it comes from - etc.

We sent the release by email and snail mail and followed up in some instances with a phone call to:
1) All the major media outlets – newspapers, radio, TV.
2) Secondary outlets – weekly newspapers, local cable tv shows.
3) Special interest media for specific W.PA fencers – college newspaper, alumni newsletter, workplace newsletter.

Here’s what we got:
1) A few paragraphs in secondary newspapers and specific media when the media coverage was for a location where a W.PA fencer lived. For instance, a weekly newspaper in the North Hills section of Pittsburgh wrote a few paragraphs on the NAC and mentioned a fencer who lived in the North Hills. A college newspaper did the same and mentioned a professor who was fencing.
2) A one-minute TV voice-over and interview on the newscast of a cable station. The cable newscast is produced by a major TV station where I once worked. I called the assignment editor at that station, whom I knew, and pleaded for some coverage.

Here’s what I deduce from that:
Not too many people are interested in fencing. If you are to convince people that it is worth paying attention to, then you probably need a professional PR firm, not volunteers, to work on it. I think major newspapers and TV outlets don’t want to waste space and air time on fencing unless it’s a slow news day. If there is a local angle, it may be mildly more interesting to the media. If the USFA were to invest in professional PR, then volunteering to publicize would probably be easier and much more effective.

Perhaps the newspapers and TV newscasts of the hometowns of the Cadet/Junior team members reported on the medals, but I would guess that happened only in smaller markets. Maybe someone from Philly can say, did the Philadelphia Inquirer or KWY-TV give Graham Wicas (sp?) any coverage? Philadelphia sports media would be covering NHL, NBA, and major league baseball. Any space left for fencing?

[qatet]

Originally Posted by Fencing Mom

Perhaps the newspapers and TV newscasts of the hometowns of the Cadet/Junior team members reported on the medals, but I would guess that happened only in smaller markets. Maybe someone from Philly can say, did the Philadelphia Inquirer or KWY-TV give Graham Wicas (sp?) any coverage? Philadelphia sports media would be covering NHL, NBA, and major league baseball. Any space left for fencing?

The Philadelphia NBC affiliate filmed a story about Graham, which was supposed to air last week, but got bumped by the Flyers being in the playoffs. We've been assured that it will air.

There was a small blurb about Graham in the Philadelphia Inquirer (not to be confused with the National Enquirer - it's the main Philadelphia newspaper). Probably this would have been larger if we hadn't just had a full two page article about Graham in the paper when he won one of those designated Cadet deals.

Mark is in negatiations for national tv coverage - Graham's supposed to go to New York to do a demonstration of some kind, I think for play during one of those silly interminable morning "I want to be news" shows.

So, yes, there's some space left for fencing. Mind you, Mark is (happily) kvetching that the work of marketing his World Champion is making the training seem easy. Lots and lots of phone time, with frustrating waiting periods afterwards.

[noahz]

Originally Posted by fencerontheline

I think Noah is right. If it's not getting done, you better do it yourself or shutup.Huzzah!!!

Gee, thanks for putting words in my mouth! Actually, my point was that there are more constructive things one do besides (in addition to?) writing mean-spirited messages on Internet message boards. Sort of like when the USFA web site was down back in October, but no one on here had actually emailed webmaster@usfencing.org.

Anyway.

Poulet wrote something about "lackluster" Athens Olympics coverage. Just....wow. NBC gave Mariel's Gold Medal bout prime-time coverage. Prime Time fencing coverage! With an lead-in by Bob Costas! Something I never thought I would see in my lifetime. In addition, there was a great deal of print coverage of the US Team, including a front-page photo on The New York Times. There is an archive of many of these articles here.

Fencing Mom raises another good point - the real problem is that major news outlets don't place a high priority on fencing, let alone Junior fencing, and there is very little any single person can do to change a whole industry. However, as a community, little by little, we can work together to promote change.

A few months ago I was speaking with a certain Sports Journalist and author about this very problem. In 2004, he had written a major article about a US Olympian for a major US sports magazine. "Why not more articles?" I asked. In fact, he had offered another athlete profile to his editor - who had promptly scoffed at him: "Fencing is a sport that people only want to hear about every four years." Unfortunately, that's a common attitude among sports editors that will take some time to change.

[fencerX]

Originally Posted by noahz

Actually, my point was that there are more constructive things one do besides (in addition to?) writing mean-spirited messages on Internet message boards. Sort of like when the USFA web site was down back in October, but no one on here had actually emailed webmaster@usfencing.org.

That's a pretty dumb example.

If it requires outside people to constantly email a webmaster of an important website to tell them their website is down or otherwise unaccessible then you don't have people skilled enough running the web site. Web site monitoring should be done by the webmaster using (get this) computers which should be set up to automatically alert/email/SMS someone with the responsibility, authority and ability to do something about the problems. A well run website should have a webmaster who is the first to know about any problems with the site -- not the last person to know.

Your "solution" to essentially "blame the customers" for not taking the time to personally, repeatedly email the webmaster about site availability problems is far from constructive, it's whacked.

[fencerontheline]

Originally Posted by fencerX

That's a pretty dumb example.

If it requires outside people to constantly email a webmaster of an important website to tell them their website is down or otherwise unaccessible then you don't have people skilled enough running the web site. Web site monitoring should be done by the webmaster using (get this) computers which should be set up to automatically alert/email/SMS someone with the responsibility, authority and ability to do something about the problems. A well run website should have a webmaster who is the first to know about any problems with the site -- not the last person to know.

Your "solution" to essentially "blame the customers" for not taking the time to personally, repeatedly email the webmaster about site availability problems is far from constructive, it's whacked.

Noah,
He just called you dumb and your ideas whacked. Will it be pistols at high noon, or Katanas at dawn...?

[epeemike81]

anyone else find it ironic that pull-a post made this a public poll?

-m

[mrbiggs]

I don't know what the press expectation is. Fencing is not going to be on the cover of sports illustrated unless something really interesting happens and the rest of sports shuts down for a week. Something as small as youth championships (small to non-fencers) isn't going to be reported outside of local newspapers. No one cares about fencing, so why are there such high expectations for the usfa in terms of getting press about results?

[fencerX]

Originally Posted by fencerontheline

Noah,
He just called you dumb and your ideas whacked.

Wrong. I called his example dumb, not him.