Media coverage

Never wanted the thread to go negative, just wanted to know about other parts of the state. We have a new local paper in Garner. They are doing a great job of covering sports in general and so far the girls have gotten just as much ink as the boys. I have talked to the sports editor and have expressed my thoughts to him. I guess you can get what you want if you ask for it in the right way.

Marlin, I will see you Feb. 27th or 28th ( can't remember which )
Garner vs. Broughton

 

can't wait miss H. i hope.....

....big mo will pitch to ALL our players!

 

big mo will pitch ALL our players......

...... great coach, yea. Pitch to ALL your players, god I hope it never comes to that. oh, take out the "miss" part!!

 

In a previous life I was a sports director at a very small cable station where I was given free reign to cover what I pleased. I covered a BUNCH of girls sports year round. In fact, my coverage was probably 60/40 boys. It was great to be able to cover sports that didn't normally receive a lot of coverage. I now work at a much larger television station as a news photographer. I speak to this subject as a tv guy. I've never worked in print so I don't know how much if any of this transfers over to the newspaper business.

A big thanks to the folks who have given the media the proper credit where it's due. Many of you realize how important it is for coaches and parents to feed the media as much information as possible. The more you give us the better a chance you have for it to make air.

To the folks that want fair and equal coverage of girls sports, this unfortunately isn't a perfect world. There once was a time when news outlets could provide fair sports coverage. The time is gone. It's about ratings, and ratings equal advertising dollars. The chances of the guy I just saw walking down Tryon St. in Gastonia cares about football is 50%. The chances the guy I just saw walking down Tryon St. cares about girls softball is closer to 5%. I agree, it sucks, but it's life in today's media world. That's the way it is. More people care about football than girls softball. Way more people care about football than most high school sports. It's a big numbers game and for the forseeable future in a bigger media market like Charlotte or Raleigh, girls softball won't see much better coverage unless something drastic happens.

I just read back through that and it's sounded a big harsh, but I'm not sure how else to put it.

 

Excuse me, Ms. H .....

....I was just kidding with you to let you know I know who you are! As for the game...........just ask Mo to let the game end by time and not runs, will ya please! thanks, marlin. Say Hello to "Papa R".

 

While i understand that the people want and are more interested in football, basketball, and baseball scores, i would be happy with that 5% coverage here in Winston. We get the scores (done by the home coach) the day after a game and that's about it. Don't remember seeing but a little blurb in the paper even when West Forsyth was playing for state titles. Did have one of our 16U Cardinal girls get to do a short story on Ray Chandler and the 18U ASA national champs which was very well written and i remember seeing a short story on the back page of the sports about Danielle Glossen and North's drive for a title but the ad beside of it dwarfed it. Absolutely no individual accomplishments whether it be BMac 22 or any of the other Forsyth ladies signing or even all-conference with a picture or something. Kernersville paper does a good job with Glenn and East Forsyth coverage but Winston-Salem journal pretty much ignores girls sports. Tv coverage is almost no existant for any of them. WXII the NBC affiliate did a story several years ago when my youngest's little league team played in the finals of regionals to go to the little league fastpitch world series but some of the parents had to instigate that. Nothing no cuter than a bunch of 12 year old girls talking softball on tv. ahhh......

 

Thanks for all the great responces. For someone who is new to TBR, I was surprised by the number of reactions. I think I will stick around awhile for some great conversations about the game and players we all love so much.

Marlin, I will see you in a couple of weeks, Papa R will be there so you will get to talk with him too. Just wish Miss Betsey was still here. She loved watching Morgan and all our girls play.

 

A reality that MUST change...

Yes it is reality but it is time for that to CHANGE!!! Now while I admire your honesty queencityhillbilly, I must say that I for one am not ready to just accept that football is more popular and that is just the way it is! HogWash, that is what that is, to say it in hillbilly terms!
I consider positive to be more popular than negative but that isn't the way the TV news and Newspapers air it! I am sorry, but the TV stations start airing the news everyday at 5:00 pm until 6:30 pm, if in all that time none of them can fit in some equal coverage, boys and girls, on HS and College sports, then put a freaking game show on in 1 hour of that time! I do not need to hear 1 1/2 hours of the negative side of society every day of my life! I can hear what is important going on in my world and move on with my day! At least sports are a good thing in our communities! At least these athletes are doing the right thing with their time! Just seems like this is a no brainer! If you want to see a change in all the negative crap in our communities then give kids at home something positive to look at for 1 1/2 hours everyday! Give them something to inspire them to do something good with their time as well!
Or I guess we can all just shut up and accept that footbal is more popular! Just saying

 

Harnett County (Lillington, Dunn, etc)

Here in Harnett County, our sports are regularly reported on by the Dunn Daily Record. The level of reporting often depends on how communicative our coaches are with the sports reporter. In Middle School, softball coverage (and all sports) is limited to ONLY information supplied by the general public or the school coach - but when that information is supplied, the Daily Record will give ample and equal space to softball and baseball.

In High School, coaches are relied upon heavily to share information pertaining to all sports. We have one sports reporter here and he will always be at the game that promises the most tension, the expected nailbiters - or watching the team with the most talent. Yet the public regularly submit photos from games, which are published, and our coaches are excellent about aprising the paper of game outcomes - good or bad.

Living in a rural community, we are very fortunate for the amount of coverage provided to softball and all high school sports. My DD already has numerous articles in which she appeared scrapbooked for those memories