It's actually pretty bold of a requirement to get someone to sign-off on. Could you interpret that the PTO could ask ST to remove the story about Findlay and Long winning St. George on the front page because they are PTO athletes? Yes. Could you also interpret it to mean PTO could require outlets to not post about future positive drug tests? Yes. What about a hypothetical incident at a future AG PTO race that causes the PTO to look bad? Anything from say, using a diet drink as on course nutrition (excuse me, hydration), to a car accident or death in the swim? PTO could tell the site to pull info "for now" until the dust settles and the issue is mostly memory holed.

That's the way media manipulation works in the modern world. Nice that someone is calling them out on it.

Maybe but triathlon is pretty small & ST is a big media player. Like what's said above it gives PTO a lot of control that nobody else is requiring. As much as I want triathlon to be compared to the NFL, they're not the same. People go to a handful of places for their tri news.

And who's the one losing out? Not PTO. //

Actually in this little skirmish I believe it is the PTO losing out. Certainly it is not ST or its viewers. Front page after their done race coverages are not all that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. The forum chatter about it can be if it is compelling. I know for me at least, if I watch a race, I almost never read the article days later about it. I will however keep checking the thread on it for updates and more color to what I did watch..


This whole thing looks bad for the PTO to me, and I bet a lot more folks that frequent this forum too. So how are they not losing out, when it is hearts and minds they are after in the early stages of their existence?

Truthfully it seems no one goes to the front page anyway.....

After the latest front page article with the whining about poor media treatment from Ironman, it seems they're running out of race organizations coddling them. That said, I'm sure you are right that most go to the threads here instead of the front page. Funny but I know some amazing journalists and photographers who were told, "don't come back until you have the goods." There surely must be stories that don't simply regurgitate race details, but find an angle..... maybe from the standpoint of being a fan, or the cop who stops traffic.....anything that creativity prods.....

---

Kiwami Racing Team

This is what you MAY think because every company executive or every politician THINKS they are bigger than the collective of the media....until they are not.

The reason journalism is the 4th estate in democratic society is it keeps people in positions of power accountable. Typically politicians, but also CEOs/Executives in any powerful company. These clauses tabled by PTO in exchange of access are not cool by any means.

Often executives think they are above the media and can write their own narrative using their own channels. But eventually everyone figures that out for what that marketing channel truly is. It's not news, it is marketing. And I totally get the angle of marketing (I personally run a small tech company). But CEOs need the media to be the amplifier or their good news as it gives their good news validity, but also call them out when the news is not so good, because in doing so, when the same media outlet amplies the good news that amplification has a 10-100x effect compared to when you market it via your own channels.

So putting arbitrary of onerous requirements on media who cover you, is going to bite you eventually. It may not bite you now, but it may later because if you have a disaster and then when the media you alienated chooses to cover your disaster, you have zero relationship with that outlet to be less "sharp and pointy".

You gotta play the media game. You just have to in free enterprise. If you try to control the media you are digging your grave because eventually the media will contol you. Not ST on its own, but the collective who stood for free independent journalism, will call you out when the time comes that you deserve to be called out (and every company eventually has their version of the Boeing door blowing off the side of the airplane).

Moral of the story, build your relationships with the media. Be forthcoming, expect them to call you out on our mistakes, hope that they amplify your good news...rinse-repeat. But the day you screw up, and the media nails your coffin shut, don't complain, because you alienated the 4th estate to your peril.

Consider this reply an endorsement of your post.

Thanks for getting it.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Well written, Dev!

When I wrote above about the need to consider the value a broader stakeholder perspective adds to a firm, this is it. It’s not mere PR. It’s not a guise to strip shareholders of value. It’s long term strategic thinking that benefits shareholders and stakeholders.

---

wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

Uh, who do they think they are. The NFL doesn't own photos of credentialed media. If they want yours they can pay you.

---

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.