Local Papers

Local Paper
Our Young Judo Club has been using local papers for over 50 years to inform and promote what they doing for the local community before the advent of computers and email you would write your story and send it to the East Kent Gazette or you would telephone and give your report over the phone, if it was an important event like someone getting a Black Belt, Club Championship or someone winning a British title a photographer would be sent most times accompanied by a reporter. The paper was happy because they getting news and the club was happy because their members were getting publicity for there hard work.
So you would think with all this modern technology i.e. emails digital photography things would be even better, not so. Our local paper has more advertising pages then news and of course each reporter has their preferred sources i.e. their mates so if your club is not part of this inner sanctum you have very little chance of getting a decent report. Our own club is a prime example the Kent Messenger rarely publishing anything about our club or any Judo club come to that unless they are in Maidstone as for Your Swale which is part of the KOS Media group I am not sure they even realise there are local sports clubs but my main criticism is the East Kent Gazette over the years we have spent thousands of pounds advertising with them while our rivals spend none do we get any preference for this NO in fact every report our rivals do they get a photo and a write up every time they enter luckily enough they do not win or do a lot so it is not a regular thing. For some years I have complained each time I am told the photo’s were not good enough which were sent by email yet they are 300 dpi some thing Martial Arts Magazines except, the report was to long. This year several of our pupils gained their Black Belt one was 17 once again my photograph was not accepted and the report given was a 3inch single column. It seems our modern reporter doesn’t have the energy to get out of his seat to look at what is around him apart from when he is in the pub with his mates.
So what do we do just keep plodding along and hope eventually we get a decent reporter, do not bother with the papers or become friends with a reporter and become a drinking buddy?
I know one thing thank God for the Internet at least the ordinary person can get his message out and I will not spend anymore money advertising