Helping To Kill Our Hobby - A Club Presents A Negative View Of Our Hobby
I subscribe to Google Alerts, receiving links to news from across the nation that has the phrases "Model Railroad" and "Model Train" every day.
Some links are to stories about what clubs and groups are doing, some are obituaries of folks who were model railroaders to some degree, some are about individuals and their accomplishments, hobby shops, museums, community displays and the like.
I've noticed that stories about clubs and community displays have headlines that tend to disparage our hobby. This recent one is typical:
"Chugging Along: Local Model Train Club Keeps Fading Hobby Alive"
What was worse, the club members who were interviewed helped reinforce that perception. You can read it here:
The top half of the article, which journalism students know usually is the only part read by casual readers, was very negative.
Now maybe the club members said many more positive things, too, and the writer was just reinforcing unfortunate stereotypes of tired old white men holding on to something they took up in the mid-1950s.
My point is, if you have an opportunity to represent the hobby to the public, make sure you highlight the positive aspects of our hobby, such as the youth activities, the new technology, the expansion of the hobby through diversity, and the creative energy our hobby encourages.
Be an ambassador, not a eulogist.
Bob Chaparro
Moderator
Model Railroads of Southern California
/g/ModelRailroadsofSoCalif
Bob Chaparro