23-07-2013, 01:30 AM
What a mess! At a time when we could do with a bit of positive ‘press’ we are in the unenviable situation where the behaviour of our own members on our own notice-board is considered unfit for public consumption. Or even in some cases for other ‘members’ (or should it be ‘notice-board users’) to view.
Frustratingly this comes at a time when we have 25 adult players ‘representing’ Scotland (at their own expense) in various capacities in tournaments abroad, in Andorra, in the Czech Republic, and with the Seniors in Germany. And we also have I don’t know how many juniors struggling manfully (or should it be ‘kidfully’) against more experienced opponents in the Glorney et al.
How much of all that is being reported in the national press? Certainly not in ‘Scotland in Sunday’ where Dougie’s column (along with former Glorney Cup player Ian Crorie’s Bridge Column) appear to have been axed as part of some ‘subtle changes’ made to the editorial policy there. As a consequence of which I will be forced to make some equally ‘subtle changes’ to my own newspaper buying habits. And if I published what I have said about of the Scottish Chess coverage of its sister publication ‘the Scotsman’ I might also fall foul of the censors myself.
In the 1970’s the reporting of Bobby Fischer’s exploits (and sometimes bad behaviour) made front page headlines in the media and resulted in an explosion of people wanting to play chess. That probably isn’t going to happen again, for a number of reasons. But we need to have continued active reporting of chess in this country or it will die a slow lingering death. In an ideal world that reporting should include public forums (fora?) which should report all that is good about what is going on.
If you want to have arguments, that’s fine. But there has to be a clear separation between genuine ‘reporting’ of chess on the internet, (which can then be picked up and reported further by the ‘media’) and all that personal stuff. Unfortunately I can’t see how that can be achieved in the current climate so we will just have to put up with it until the AGM. And for how long after that?
Frustratingly this comes at a time when we have 25 adult players ‘representing’ Scotland (at their own expense) in various capacities in tournaments abroad, in Andorra, in the Czech Republic, and with the Seniors in Germany. And we also have I don’t know how many juniors struggling manfully (or should it be ‘kidfully’) against more experienced opponents in the Glorney et al.
How much of all that is being reported in the national press? Certainly not in ‘Scotland in Sunday’ where Dougie’s column (along with former Glorney Cup player Ian Crorie’s Bridge Column) appear to have been axed as part of some ‘subtle changes’ made to the editorial policy there. As a consequence of which I will be forced to make some equally ‘subtle changes’ to my own newspaper buying habits. And if I published what I have said about of the Scottish Chess coverage of its sister publication ‘the Scotsman’ I might also fall foul of the censors myself.
In the 1970’s the reporting of Bobby Fischer’s exploits (and sometimes bad behaviour) made front page headlines in the media and resulted in an explosion of people wanting to play chess. That probably isn’t going to happen again, for a number of reasons. But we need to have continued active reporting of chess in this country or it will die a slow lingering death. In an ideal world that reporting should include public forums (fora?) which should report all that is good about what is going on.
If you want to have arguments, that’s fine. But there has to be a clear separation between genuine ‘reporting’ of chess on the internet, (which can then be picked up and reported further by the ‘media’) and all that personal stuff. Unfortunately I can’t see how that can be achieved in the current climate so we will just have to put up with it until the AGM. And for how long after that?