Industry Insights
Analysis, perspective, and practical guidance on the policies, relationships, and evolving media roles shaping equine organizations and events.
When the Gatekeepers Are Also Competitors: The Problem With Professional Media Credentialing
Professional media credentialing is supposed to protect standards, safety and access, but problems begin when the people helping decide who gets through the gate are also commercial participants in the same industry. A recommendation from an experienced professional can be valuable, but when the acceptable pool of recommenders becomes very small, that recommendation can begin to function less like a professional reference and more like permission to enter the profession. Add private workshops, commercial competition or other financial interests to that relationship, and associations need to take a much closer look at how their credentialing systems are structured. The issue isn’t whether individual gatekeepers are good people or have acted improperly. It is whether the system itself creates conflicts that good governance should have prevented.
The Emerging Media Role Horse Shows Can’t Afford to Ignore
Social media influencers have become an emerging media role within the equine industry. Learn why horse shows, breed associations, and event producers should consider how influencers fit within their overall media program and operational planning.