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In the wake Tiger Woods’ press statement on Friday, one thing really stood out for me; the stance that the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) took. In preparation for the event, Tiger invited the GWAA to send three journalists to cover the statement which was by invitation only for the press. The GWAA declined to attend for two reasons: the press conference was not open to all media and Tiger would not allow questions. According to the GWAA website, the “organization’s goal is to improve working conditions for the membership. We strive for constant improvement in press facilities at tournaments, hotel accommodations, local transportation, interviews with the players and work in concert with the Association of Golf Writers, our British counterparts.” Based upon this, the boycott makes sense. However, by boycotting the statement have they made themselves irrelevant in the golf writing journalist world? By declining to take part in the most watched golf story in recent memory what does that say about their importance in the industry? Although the organization has a membership of 975 and stringent requirements to join, does anyone really care about what the GWAA says? Put another way, a Google search for “golf blog” yields in excess of seventy three million sites…isn’t traditional media really taking a backseat to the “new” media? Maybe the GWAA should take a page out of St. John’s basketball book (see Peter Robert Casey) and start to credential bloggers. Is this just another example of the traditional “old school” media not getting/wanting to change and adapt o the “new” ways consumers get information?
February 22, 2010 at 12:53 pm
I believe that the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) wasn’t correct in not going to the Tiger Woods press conference on Friday. Tiger Woods is a golfer and still is part of the sport, the GWAA should have been at the event and reported on it. Although they could not ask questions I firmly believe that they could have got more information by attending the event. I don’t believe that they have made themselves irrelevant in the golfing world but I do believe that they have taken a step backwards in regards to the golfing world. Bloggers should definitely have credentials when they report, I believe that would help them out as they would want to attend more press conferences and events.
February 22, 2010 at 9:28 pm
I believe, after reading this blog post, that the GWAA should, indeed, give credentials to bloggers. Many people gain their information from bloggers, and if the GWAA does not want to attend a press conference based on their organizational mission, then that is completely fine, but they have someone, somewhere, that is willing to be a golf press conference and cover it for the GWAA. However, I think the bigger story to come from Tiger Woods’ press conference that took place Friday was the admittance by PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem, that he should have debriefed the tour players that Tiger’s press conference was not about him coming back at the Accenture Match Play, but more of an apology to everyone. The golfer in particular that was most offended was Ernie Els, as Els was confused as to why Tiger would be coming back at the Accenture when the company who is the title sponsor was the first to drop Tiger after the sex scandal. Finchem apologized for his lack of communication as he said that if there is no communication there will most likely be a problem and there was. Even though the GWAA was not at the press conference, I feel that the bigger mistake, if you want to call the GWAA not being at the press conference a mistake, was Tim Finchem and his lack of communication with the rest of the field.
February 23, 2010 at 11:04 am
I’m going to take the complete opposite stance on this issue. By boycotting the press conference, the Golf Writers Association of America has actually made itself more relevant. Before reading this blog entry, I was not specifically aware of the existence of the GWAA. However, because its boycott prompted you to compose this entry, I am now aware of the existence of the GWAA. In effect, this shows that any publicity is good publicity. By boycotting the press conference, and essentially their professional responsibility as well, the members of the GWAA have attracted far more attention to themselves than they could have by simply going about their business by writing columns and/or stories. If this was thought out and intentional, then well done.
February 24, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Thank you for the mention, Professor Newman. Much appreciated.
February 25, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Prior to reading this blog entry I did not know the GWAA existed, but after looking over this post I had various opinions on the issue. From the standpoint of a journalist I can understand why they decided not to attend the event. Why attend a press conference that you cannot ask any questions? From an expense perspective it may have been easier to sit in the office and watch the nationally broadcasted press conference on television. On the other hand, GWAA needs to look at themselves from a business standpoint. Sure they could not ask questions, but wouldn’t it have been smart to have a representative from their company in attendance. Just to be one of the few companies invited to the biggest press conference of the year should have been a honor for GWAA and a way which they could have shown their credibility, but yet they elected not to attend. It seems like they were trying to take the easy way out instead of increasing the brand of their company.
March 2, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Like Matt, prior to reading this I had no knowledge of the GWAA or its’ stance to boycott Tiger’s press conference. I cannot say that I agree with the boycott, being as Tiger IS the PGA Tour and the Tour, nor the GWAA, would be anywhere near where they are now without him (perfect example- did many people realize/care that Hunter Mahan won the Phoenix Open this past weekend?). The fact that Tiger decided he would not answer any questions and only invite a few select media outlets was his decision for his statement. Likewise, it is understandable that the GWAA would elect not to attend. As I previously stated, I cannot comprehend why the GWAA would elect to forgo the press conference, being as it has been the most widely publicized golf story probably since Tiger won the U.S. Open with two bum legs two years ago. Regardless of Tiger’s press conference preferences, the GWAA was instituted to interview players, among other things, and this was as close to an interview as one could get with the Babe Ruth of golf.