Working with mainstream media regarding current negative publicity

[the galah]

I think this is a subject industry leadership need to address,so as to create a more positive and realistic spin than is currently being portrayed. The media is not the enemy.

It should not be that hard. As i have said before,enforcement of the rules relating to honesty and integrity are the reason for much of this negative publicity. But instead of coming across as being a good thing that the harness industry sets a high bar,its coming across that there is more wrongdoing than there actually is. 

 Control the message and you seriously influence  how people think.

Instead of being frustrated with the media,industry leaders and others who comment need to work with them to get the right message out there.  

Mr Woodham who is the head man in charge seems genuine when it comes to what he wants to see in the future,but he must deal with the present. A united strategic message must be developed should there be future issues that arise that will get coverage.

Maybe we need to develop a media profile of a personality or two from within the industry who deal with integrity issues. In australia they were good at giving titles which immediately people relate to in a positive way. E.g. the sheriff(john schreck)

 

Edited March 2, 2021 by the galah

[Gammalite]

A great idea Galah, some positive media with a Personality is the answer.

Karrots had lots of positive ideas to gather ownership and media support.

Whether Chief likes it or not (because of expense) Inca helped show they are doing 'something' to keep the industry clean and cheats are penalised. 

Still a great day out for folk all over NZ and OZ because we have great horseman/women and lead the world nearly with some of the finest stock bred for racing on the planet.

Now that the champion Mark P has stood down to a degree , after being like Clyde Barrow (from Bonnie and Clyde) and being the 'Bad guy' taking everyone's money, and machine gunned down lol.....  more people can get some cake slices !!!!!!

[the galah]

30 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

 

Now that the champion Mark P has stood down to a degree , after being like Clyde Barrow (from Bonnie and Clyde) and being the 'Bad guy' taking everyone's money, and machine gunned down lol.....  more people can get some cake slices !!!!!!

i saw an interesting documentary on bonnie and clyde about 5 years ago. Clyde once had 2 toes in his left foot chopped off  so he could get away from the  mistreatment he suffered in prison when he was younger. His balance was effected thereafter and he often drove the car in socks because of it. And bonnie hopped as much as she walked in the last year as a result of an accident due to clydes bad driving. Life on the run was often a cold and hard existence. 

[Chief Stipe]

For a start you do better than the following statement from Woodham.  For a start is Woodham really unaware that other Trainers are being investigated?  I find that doubtful however if he is unaware then he should have said he wouldn't be commenting until he had talked to the RIU.  He also should have made it quite clear that the vast majority of harness trainers and drivers were hardworking and followed the rules.  He could have demanded that he was quoted in full or not at all.

Now if he is unaware then the "leak" must have come from someone inside the RIU.  Otherwise ethically the Journalist could not have written the story.  I find it unscrupulous but typical of the RIU to do this.  But then that is what we have come to expect where all through INCA and other recent cases someone has been leaking to the Press.  That does not garner much respect from industry stakeholders in my opinon.

Woodham also asks "for anyone with information to come forward" - I'm surprised he didn't quote the 0800 DOB-IN number.  He basically hangs his sport out to dry.

Here is what Woodham said:

Harness Racing New Zealand chief executive Gary Woodham was unaware a group of trainers were under investigation and asked for anyone with information to come forward.

“I do not want those types of people in our sport. If there are people out there doing it … if there are whistle-blowers, they should be getting in contact with myself or the RIU.”

The damage the allegations caused to the harness racing industry was “suboptimal”, he said.

“If this is what’s happening, we need to remedy it as soon as possible. We need to get a different perspective of who we are and what we want to be going forward, and we need to take action now.”