Usually, Darryl Kaplan writes this column.
Usually, you'd be diving headfirst here into a heartfelt commentary on the state of horse racing; through sharing his own personal experiences, Kaplan often laments the industry's poor attempts at customer service, product development, and entrepreneurial innovation. He offers creative solutions and writes passionately of his own ideas about the sport he fights so desperately to grow.
This time around, I'm taking over this space. And in essence, my goal is the same. It's just my method that's a bit different. In my 25 issues with Trot as Associate Editor, I've learned more than I can share in a single page -- about journalism, about design, about management, and of course, about harness racing. But there's something I knew before I got here that resonates more vibrantly now than ever before.
The medium is the message. In the years since its first writing, Marshall McLuhan's communication theory has been over-worked, over-analyzed, and over-used. It's become a cliche, and borne the brunt of endless debate. But no matter where you stand in the world (in North America or overseas), or in what industry (horse racing or banking or manufacturing or fashion or, well, anything) there is no doubt in my mind that the media scholar was absolutely right. The medium is the message. How we share your stories is as important as the stories we're sharing.
As a journalist, a photographer, an academic and a fledgling designer, I'm confronted everyday by the overwhelming push of online communication and digital applications of old school media. The same way trainers, drivers, and owners bear the burden of threats to racing as they know it, writers and publishers of books, newspapers, and magazines feel the threat of the death of print weighing on their shoulders.
But we also know that print can offer something more – something new media cannot. We can provide a tangible experience. Our role is changing, there's no question; breaking news now spreads virally online and via mobile devices. But that shift can work in our favour. It leaves more space in our pages and more money in our pockets for carefully considered stories, glossy photos, and innovative design. Unlike the creators of new media, magazine editors have time on our side. Having just published our annual State of the Industry issue, I've been recently reminded of the power of print to offer compelling stories in a beautiful, digestible package.
Just hours before I sat down to pen this editorial, I learned Trot was selected as a finalist by the American Horse Publications in ten of their annual award categories, including Breaking News Story, Feature Article, Personal Column, both Cover and Editorial Design, and General Excellence, amongst others. These nominations, while evidence of the exemplary work put in every day by our staff, are also a positive reflection on the industry writ large.
In my mind, Trot has moved above and beyond its role as a membership magazine. We've proved yet again that we can compete successfully against privately owned publishers and high circulation mainstream publications. With each and every issue, our team is striving to engage you -- our readers -- with better photography, better writing, and more relevant and interesting stories than the month previous. And we'll continue to do so going forward.
The reason you should care is this: Trot and our other industry publications represent harness racing. Not just to drivers and owners and trainers and breeders and grooms, but to the outside world as well -- to other equine enthusiasts and to the general public. Our quality is of absolute importance. We reflect you.
If our hope, as Kaplan has argued so poignantly many times, is to grow and improve an industry facing serious challenges, our communication tools are key. Having one of the top harness racing web sites in the world is certainly a start. But having a sleek, glossy, impressive magazine -- an item you can hold in your hands and enjoy and appreciate -- is valuable to Canadian harness racing as well. Having the ability and the motivation to share our stories in an inspiring, professional way is a stepping stone to all sorts of business, marketing, and growth opportunities.
The medium is the message. At Trot, we're doing our best to get that message into people's hands and hearts. But we can't do it entirely on our own. We need you. We need you to keep doing what you do, everyday, with your own good and the good of your industry in mind.
What sorts of stories are you creating for us to share?