OK, so there may be some misapprehension that most black people are not interested in running (because of under-representation at races). It's also obvious that black people do not get onto the covers of mainstream magazines very often (although RW does feature them more often than other magazines). And we can also try to empathise with black people and their feelings of exclusion (maybe) from mainstream society reinforced by under-representation in the media (I don't think I put that very well).
Given all that, what do we do now? As Waapster says, it just seems to be an unalterable status quo. Is this a never-ending story?
Yeah, if the status quo were unalterable, society would never change, and if everyone had the attitude of 'well, what can we really do about it?' then nothing would change.
The guiding rule for any publication is "know your audience". A publication that loses touch with its readership is doomed. 92% of the British population is white. The 8% of non whites is around 4% Black Afro/Caribbean, 2% Indian sub-continent, 1% Asian and 1% 'other non-white'. Even if RW was to have a covr which represented this breakdown of UK demogrpahics you would only expect to see a non-white person shown once a year at most. Now i don't know the exact figures but I strongly suspect that the pecentage of runners who are non-white is far less than the non-white proportion of society as a whole. I doubt if even 1% of runners in this country fall into the 'non-white' category. Thus, there is no economical reason for RW to feature a non-white cover model. RW is not missing out on big potential audience.
As I've said previously, I would have no problem with a black person on the cover of RW. I rarely buy it anyway. I do buy AW every week and that often features black people (British and international) on the cover. I think it would be great to see a pic from The National X/C Champs on the front of AW, but there you go...
Ballini, Destiny is saying that statistics are all very well, but they are often just used to support what the person wants to say, rather than saying anything inspired and actually meaningful.
Comments
how often do RW feature a very overweight peeps on the cover...they run too!
OK, so there may be some misapprehension that most black people are not interested in running (because of under-representation at races). It's also obvious that black people do not get onto the covers of mainstream magazines very often (although RW does feature them more often than other magazines). And we can also try to empathise with black people and their feelings of exclusion (maybe) from mainstream society reinforced by under-representation in the media (I don't think I put that very well).
Given all that, what do we do now? As Waapster says, it just seems to be an unalterable status quo. Is this a never-ending story?
and I'll be the fat cover version
long time no see - you bin buzy?
thanks for the offer but you will have to stand up!
at least!
And Bryan, nothing is totally unalterable....status quo is only the status quo as long as people carry on making it clear that they will support it.
ug.
:-P
Do yer want me to bring back a tulip?
fankoo!
As I've said previously, I would have no problem with a black person on the cover of RW. I rarely buy it anyway. I do buy AW every week and that often features black people (British and international) on the cover. I think it would be great to see a pic from The National X/C Champs on the front of AW, but there you go...
statistics can be used as a drunk uses a lamp post, for support not illumination.
There will probably far too much about running inside the covers.
Cuhh!
Anyway 87% of statistics are made up.