Author: simon
The County Press Lets Down The Island
Sunday, 26th August, 2007 at 1:31 pm, Isle of Wight
If you’re a reader of this week’s County Press, the odds are that you’ve got no idea that the Powerboat P1 is taking place in Cowes this weekend.
The CP gave it a couple of para at the very back of the Weekender supplement. A strong contrast to the Skandia sailing event of a few weeks back, which had its own separate supplement!
Isn’t the CP supposed to be the newspaper for the Island? By not making more of important Island events like this, they’re letting down lots of people - the P1 people who go to a huge effort to bring the P1 to Cowes; the population of Cowes, by not making the most of having the event in town; and the residents of the whole Island. By not telling them it’s on, the CP is effectively robbing them of an enjoyable weekend out - one that doesn’t cost anything to spend time at as well.
The near zero coverage in the CP of the P1 is embarrassingly light compared with the most excellent cowes.co.uk who have covered it extremely professionally and thoroughly.
We’re perplexed at the attitude of the CP? They’re happy enough to take the P1 money for advertising, but when it come to writing about it the event in advance, they get amnesia.
Proof, if it were not already obvious, that depending on one source of news is a dangerous game. No wonder sites like satirical Isle of Wight Can Depress get started (here’s hoping they’ll post more to it soon).
Cowes, Island-wide, Media, Powerboats
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August 26th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
It’s no surprise really.
There are so many interesting events, gigs, and exhibitions which just don’t get the coverage they deserve.
The CP’s attitude at times is appalling.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Why are you surprised?
The CP only gets involved in what it WANTS to get involved.
I well remember that Thundercats came to Ventnor for racing 3 years ago. They were gobsmacked at the lack of interest and, as a consequence, did not return.
The CP are the mouthpiece for a select few and are not interested in Powerboat racing.
The Hooray Henrys would not even deign to acknowledge the existence of P1.
The CP will do you a pull out for the Festival, Cowes, Garlic and several other boring “same as last year” events except it is more expensive for the punter.
Just to illustrate the point. The IOW Speedway team have won two of the six possible trophies available, with three more yet to be decided. Of those three, the IOW may well win at least two more.
CP interest in the most successful (beach soccer excluded) sport on the Island………ZERO!
They have a weekly column ghosted by some Welsh bloke and thats it. Yet there will be 5/6 pages devoted to sailing, village football teams, petanque, bowls,etc.
I would not be surprised to see the Powerboats having their British leg elsewhere very soon.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
I seem to have missed the point with P1. Surely it is several rich blokes, burning as much fuel and making as much noise as they can to get round the island as fast as a light aircraft. Where is the excitement for Joe Public in that?
August 26th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
As opposed to several rich blokes taking 8 hours to get round the island by sail, you mean?
Loads of excitement in that? Oh yes!
August 26th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Don’t you mean ’several rich blokes taking 8 hours to get round the island by sail’ and then get off the boat and into their 4×4s?
August 27th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Nowt wrong with several rich blokes, or their 4X4s. It is several rich blokes who keep this dumbed down country going. It is certainly not the “I have a career in benefits” culture.
August 28th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Come come… even rich blokes in 4X4s get benefits. Not quite sure how politics has crept into this piece but some of the tax breaks the super rich enjoy far surpass what those genuine souls on benefits “enjoy”. There are blaggers in every class, from dole scroungers to accounts fiddlers, but sweeping statements about any of them only serve to make people look stupid.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
[...] will start in Ventnor this week. After banging on endlessly about Bestival for weeks and sounding off about the civic duty of The County Press and their near zero coverage of the Powerboat P1, it looks like VB has done exactly the same about [...]