Why the Discrimination?

Question

I an on a karate team. I am not trying to brag, but we are really good. Like, we take 13 team members and win 16 WORLD titles. We live in a small town. The paper will write a huge story about someone who caught a fish, and if the football team makes it to Regionals, they get a fullpage spread. But there is a 6 year old on my team that has won 2 world titles, and they wont even list his name, much less put his picture in. We just had 2 12 year olds listed as top 10 in the world, (USKA) and they didn't even get a mention. Why would someone be so mean?

Answer 1

Probably because there is not enough community interest.

If it sold newspapers, you can be sure that it would have been on page 1.

If the paper has open letters to the editor, write one and ask?

If they don't -- why not take out an add in the classified section to ask that question to the editor.

Answer 2

Martial arts is not a strong sport with a majority of the people in this country.  It is a strong sport within itself and those that practice and do it on a regular and ongoing basis only.  I am not referring to a person that has tried it and quit after a month or two because of a bad experience or they decided it was not for them.  The majority of the public does not relate to it and  does not understand much of it other than what they see on television and in movies.  With all its different styles, organizations, sanctioning bodies, and competitive avenues it presents a mish-mash, splintered, and disorganized world of competition.  People grow up with football, baseball, golf, bowling and some of the other sports playing and participating in them at an early age, in more organized and structured groups and leagues under more standardized rules with much fewer sanctioning bodies involved.  Consider football for instance and how in this country it is American football in all the schools from junior high and up with standard rules.  Prior to that you have Little Knights football across the country with the same rules under one organization basically with leagues throughout the country.  Its no wonder that kids that played football ten, fifteen, twenty and thirty years ago now follow it, turn to the sports section first during the fall and look at the game scores and stats.  Most people don't follow martial arts, don't truly understand it, and don't relate to it including those that write or manage that paper probably.

Answer 3

Could it be that the USKA does not represent the world ?Any association group or what have you in any country can claim any number of students rank among the top 10 in the world but that is only BY THEIR STANDARDS.

World champions used to be a joke in karate probably still are with 5 or more tournaments every weekend billing themselves as the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS and only local or people from that country show up.2 guys from ENGLAND and  a guy from GERMANY doesn't make it a world championship either.

A true world championship would have to be on an OLYMPICs scale involving all trad. styles all countrys.Any time you come up with the money and facilitys to do that you can have a true newsworthy world event.

How ever I do feel that the local newspaper should promote and report on anything that keeps kids off the streets.Promote it from that angle forget the world champion hype.

Answer 4

fact is most people just dont care.

but i agree with sifu frank here...maybe noone told the newspaper about your accomplishments?

Answer 5

It seems all you care about is publicity. If that's not the case, why do you care so much?

If you feel so strongly about it, then you should protest saying, "We want our 6 year olds in the newspaper!! They deserve it!!"

I really think they will take you seriously with that protest.

Answer 6

All you can do is bring this to the attention of the editors. They may not know what you guys have achieved.

Answer 7

Why would someone be so mean?  Just because you don't get your name in the newspaper doesn't make people mean, it just makes them indifferent.  If they were truly mean, they would print negative things about your team.  

I'm also curious about how the "United States" Karate Alliance can have a "World" Championship.  Isn't that the same as saying that the NBA champion is the World Champion of basketball when the US has not won a gold at the Olympics the last two times, or that the "World Series" champion is indeed the World champion of baseball when the US didn't even qualify for the last Olympics and has not won a World Baseball Classic?

Answer 8

To get in the local news paper you need to submit pictures and articles about your team.

Basically the local public schools and there teams are hooked in to the news pipeline. Your Karate school needs to do the same thing. If you supply well written articles and photos they will stand a better chance of appearing in print. Papers are always looking for filler articles that they do not have to pay someone to write. Since you are interested in publicizing your team perhaps you should start writing for the local paper. Most papers have an on line way to submit articles. Talk to your teacher for some guidance in how to write and submit articles. Of course get permission from any one who you take photos of to use in your articles.

I don't think the paper is mean the just don't have you guys plugged in. I would go for it.

Answer 9

It's called free will.

You can't force someone to be interested in something they are not.

Anyway, i'm sure if u'd contact the press, they'd do something about it.  Don't wait for them to discover the kids themselves.