WOC Relays

[graeme]

I say - jolly good show chaps.

[AndyO]

SYO member was looking for press coverage: The Herald (Glasgow) had this story today

http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/other/ ... _title.php

It appears that they think that Oringen is a place in Sweden - it is this week!

[epocian]

I;ve still not seen anything of the results in the National newspapers
Why isn't someone at BOF contacting them and trying to get some publicity?

[Spookster]

I;ve still not seen anything of the results in the National newspapers
Why isn't someone at BOF contacting them and trying to get some publicity?

Er, they have, of course!! Caroline spent a lot of her day on Monday calling and emailing the national papers, regional papers, and all her other contacts including the funding bodies, etc. But it was a busy weekend for other bigger sports, and the Olympics are just around the corner, so against that background unfortunately the national papers don't see it as big news.

[epocian]

In the last three days the Telegraph has had results of Crown Green Bowls, Hockey
(australia v S Korea), Australian rugby league results, Polo, Malaysian Open squash,
Baseball - hardly mainstream for the average British sports enthusiast
- so BOF must try harder

[Gross]

Er, they have, of course!! Caroline spent a lot of her day on Monday calling and emailing the national papers, regional papers, and all her other contacts including the funding bodies, etc.

Gold Medal was known early on Sunday afternoon... while the news was fresh that was the time to contact the newspapers not the day after the event by which time it was 'old news'.

BOF should've been prepared for ANYTHING at WOC & ready over the weekend & not waiting until normal working hours. For all we know Scotia could've OD'ed on Irn Bru & the drug units were dumbfounded... the Dalkeith Morning Rag would've been interested in that:)

[eddie]

http://www.uksport.gov.uk/pages/in_brie ... july_2008/

[Spookster]

Eurosport / Yahoo have picked it up, but only under Athletics, and only photos with incorrect captions.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/20072008/ ... thletics_p

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/20072008/ ... thletics_p

[SJC]

Gold Medal was known early on Sunday afternoon... while the news was fresh that was the time to contact the newspapers

Orienteering vs Open Golf, German Grand Prix, Tour de France.
Not suprising that it didn't get a mention.

[JEP]

DT used to be great for minority sports. Now its hopeless. Sports section has 8-12 pages of football (that is on the days when no one has played), 2 of rugby, 2 of racing, 1 of golf, motor racing, cricket and a few features. Minority sport gets a few column inches in the Round Up section but even then mostly Olympic sports.

Absolutely no chance of even getting anything for orienteering however hard BOF or anyone else tries...unless of course there was a serious accident or doping story but lets not go there.

[SYO Member]

JEP, all is not lost. In yesterday's Telegraph in the weekly letters column of only 5, there was one from Adrian Bailey mentioning the WOC gold for Britain and pointing out that in spite of the Open golf, British Grand Prix and Test match all occurring last weekend, it should not be overlooked.

To me, the fact that it was printed, when there must have been many letters relating to these 3 events, suggests that they are still interested in international success in minority sports.

I'm sure you have it on good authority that it is difficult to get orienteering in the DT,
but you must mean prior to last weekend. Things are different now. Whenever we have seen o-articles in the national press in the past, it is generally in the weekend Country sections, and usually tells people how to try orienteering (nothing wrong with that), but as in the recent Times article, often has a picture of people in woolly hats with rucksacks.

You are right about the number of pages devoted to various mainstream sports, but usually on one or 2 midweek days, the DT still has full page non-mainstream sport features and I would suggest that Caroline offers something along the lines of how GBR has managed to beat the Scandinavians at their own game. I'm sure this is the angle they would like.

A knowledgable orienteering spokesperson could describe the trials and tribulations of how this has been achieved, the requirement for decent training terrain not necessarily in the UK, the funding issues (unless this is too political), and the team members would be available for interview. Although the article would be about international sporting success, even though I assume we would have no non-factual editorial control, it should still point out that orienteering is available to everybody.

Because of the page space taken up by the build up to the Olympics and the start of the football season in 2 weeks time, I would say an o-feature article is not likely to appear for a few weeeks but there's nothing wrong with making moves now.

Incidentally, it's ironic that UK Sport should favour individual performance. In orienteering, a relay Gold medal suggests we have strength in depth.

[Mrs H]

Going back to Adrian's letter - I wrote one that got published in the Daily Mail a few years ago - it's a good way of getting some national (or local) publicity as it can be angled to any suitable news story (mine was about counteracting cotton wool culture). It also leaves the writer in control of image being portrayed of the sport. So folks - don't leave it all to HOC members - get writing - you don't even need to stick on a stamp and send it in the post these days

[the duncan]

should you really be admiting to reading and writing into the Daily Mail?

[Mrs H]

We've already done that one Remember it has a bigger readership than all the qualities put together - that means more people get to hear about orienteering in one go (and i got a picture in too).

anyway - I love the Daily Mail and if you missed the letter first time it's here - item 47 on the HOC news archive
http://www.harlequins.org.uk/oldnews002.html

[SeanC]

Mrs H wrote "It's a good way of getting some national (or local) publicity as it can be angled to any suitable news story"

It's an interesting idea. If all who posted here wrote letters to newspapers that might generate quite a bit of extra publicity. I found this advice on the internet to turn us from orienteers to campaigners


"if you want to write a letter to a newspaper or magazine then keep all of the above in mind, and follow the tips below to ensure that your letter gets published:

1. National newspapers and magazine receive thousands of letter submissions every week, local publications far less. You stand a better chance of being published if you start small.

2. Find out a bit about the audience, based on the type of publication you are writing to, so you can alter your letter to make it more appealing and relevant.

3. Write to the address given on the letters page, not forgetting to give your name, address and telephone number. Publications rarely publish letters without this information.

4. Keep the letter to below about 300 words, unless the publication encourages longer ones. A short paragraph that reads well is better than a long, sprawling letter that loses the audience.

5. If possible, type your letter, and make sure you have someone check your grammar, spelling and the readability of your letter. Don’t be afraid to change it completely if you cannot get your point across well the first time.

6. If you don’t get published, then persevere. If you do, you must have got something right, so write to other publications, and keep writing – you have become a campaigner!

A single letter in a newspaper with even a small circulation may be the difference between someone doing nothing and doing something, so what are you waiting for?"