Misrepresented again!

[Paul Frost]

This item in the Times Online once again shows the wrong image of orienteering.

The interview was with Caroline Povey (Marketing Manager of British Orienteering), who describes it very well, but the sub-title and photo are all wrong.

How are we going to stop this happening in the future?

[RJ]

Basically you can't stop it happening! The editor will always decide.... just be grateful that a photo was used at all. People who read the text will understand fully what the sport is about, and they may query what the photo had to do with it. The headline and the first paragraph are also important. So long as 'orienteering' appears and the first paragraph starts to describe 'the sport' then that is positive.

National press coverage is all very well. The real publicity 'stage' is your local paper. This is your target audience reading what YOU do, and how YOUR club have done, and WHO your local heroes are. That is far more likely to influence people than an article in the Times.

With local newspapers you have a lot more control over what is likely to go in. If you are a regular contributor and supply a variety of photographs you are more likely to have YOUR material included. A small (say, 20cm column) every week will have far more impact on YOUR club's participation than a TV item or a broadsheet article.

If you have regular reports in your newspaper then it follows that you have something to report, so you are active, and new members will take notice and wonder what it is all about. It might appear to be a chicken and egg situation.... but I reckon you have to have a healthy 'free range' chicken first! Active clubs make their own 'promotion'!!

[mappingmum]

At least some Orienteers have posted appropriate comments at the end.