Have you ever known someone who wanted to be sick? If you sprained your ankle they had done it before too and it was 10 times worse. If you had a surgery they had 5 or 6 more and they were always wrought with complications. Some people must like doctors and medical bills but I for one stay away from them unless I really need one. I try to never take pills and for goodness sake I don’t want to have surgery. Healthy is a good thing and I count my blessings everyday that I can get up and take nourishment. Right now some of our industry brethren in the news are hypochondriacs and are starting a cancer that is the worse kind. It’s one thing to report the news and its another to seek out the bad news and embellish it.
I always try to see the good in everything and use my faith to get me through tough times. For the life of me I do not get people in this industry who want to see others fail. It simply doesn’t make sense. Layoffs, businesses going under, financial hardships and an industry under siege needs more positive news. As journalists we need to report, but innuendo and speculation do no one any good. How about looking for the pot at the end of the rainbow, the shining star, the bright spot… and helping the industry instead of reporting on the faults with it and giving an opinion. Remember “opinions” are like….well nevermind…..some really stink.
Enquirer journalism does a great job of starting the rumor mill and adding to the mess, not helping it. Let me be clear here, reporters do have an obligation to report the news. Sometimes the news is bad. They also have the obligation to not add their opinion into the news. There is a fine line there and based on what I read everyday I am not sure that everyone got the message. I remember my first journalism class, the professor said “controversy and bad news sells newspapers”. He said it tongue in cheek but his message was clear. People gravitate to bad news. How many times have you seen a story about a Medal of Honor recipient or someone saving someones life on the front page. Its usually buried in one of the back sections.
I am not naive enough to think that I can change the world by being positive. Things are tough. The pro leagues, whether bass or walleye or whatever, are struggling. It’s hard to find advertisers/sponsors and many of our fishing hero’s are nervous. Reporting doom and gloom only amplifies it. It’s easy to pick holes in soggy toast. You don’t even have to work hard at it. It takes a true journalist to let some things lay. If you don’t know the story wait until you do. Conjecture and reading between the lines may allow some to get the scoop but I for one would rather tactfully ask questions of those in the know or hear it from the horse’s mouth.
BASS and FLW have recently been under fire for everything, from sponsors leaving to new formats to downsizing. Business models are changing and so is our business. Money is tight, people are spending less and purchasing big ticket items are far behind the house payment and insurance, for example. What spendable income is available is for “needs not wants” but don’t sell the tide of the future short. It may be coming in right now but sooner or later it will go out.
We count on both bass leagues. We actually like and have “friends” that run both. We believe in BASS, FLW, and the PAA. We believe in the pro’s and we believe in the manufacturers that support them. They run their business and we run ours. When asked for our opinions, and they have, we give them but we don’t write about what may happen or call their existing sponsors seeing if they are hanging around next year or tell them about the otherside of the story…..the bad one. I guess that is “good” journalism but I question the motive. Does it do anyone any good? Does it help anything if its reported. Rest assured one thing is for sure, it sure can hurt.
Here at Wired2Fish we believe in our sport and those that run it. They are not evil power hungry snakes. Some of them actually do good things for the right reason. They want to help the sport become better. They are passionate about it. We need to let them do their jobs.
We believe in the pro anglers, we count many as friends, and we believe in those that bring us the great products we get to use on the water. We take it very seriously that it is our job to promote them not bash them. This is entertainment, business and fun all wrapped up into one. No question It needs an economic shot in the arm but we have chosen to help versus tear down. I struggle with those that bite the hand that feeds them and ultimately we all get what we deserve, good or bad.
The trades are full of bad news. If we just reported on the bad news that we get from the wires everyday we could keep very busy. Doesn’t do a single person any good but we would have something to print.
My opinion is expressly my opinion and I am not pointing a finger at anyone. I am just looking for a way to help. Growing our industry and supporting it is good for everyone in it. No one loses there.
Remember, if you keep thinking you are sick you ultimately will be. How about we start feeling good for a change.
