I've seen a lot of talk around The Chronicles of Yarn-ia and Yarngate this week and some of it includes media approval/etc. This probably should have been an op-ed or something but instead it will be the longest tweet of my life. I don't see the point in gatekeeping or finger wagging what can get you into media areas of whatever show, because media is constantly evolving. Just like it did from print to digital, it is with streamers, tiktokers, content creators in general. Media is always changing, and all of the events around shows like junkets, scrums, even pressers serve more as content for the company itself than those that cover them. That's well within their right, since they run the company and all. Producing content might get you in, but it's more likely that if a company sees a potential benefit for them, you're probably getting in. Vlogging won't usually get it done, and if you tie yourself to toxic personalities, you probably won't get in either. Especially ones that make personal attacks and parade it as "content." These companies do not care about your opinion on subjective entertainment. They do generally care about not putting their talent on screen with people who encourage weird behavior though. I've seen a lot of people assume some can't get in without being tied to an outlet -- not true. I've seen several independent creators gain access recently. If the company doesn't see a benefit of their talent or content appearing on that person's platform, they probably aren't going to get access. There are no hard and fast rules, but don't be mad when the person who has cultivated a six figure following on TikTok has the value they seek, and the content you haven't worked to evolve or expand on in years doesn't. Also, if they know you to be a liar, or act in bad faith, they're probably not going to approve you. Every good PR person is there to protect the interests of their company and the talent. Sometimes that will come at the cost of your personal convenience. Also just an FYI. I've never had WWE, AEW, TNA, NJPW, MLW, or any other wrestling company threaten to pull access to talent interviews based on a story they didn't like or . Some have vocalized that they don't agree with coverage, but I've asked people of influence in all of those companies things they didn't want to be asked on air, and never got grief from it. I'm in the business of often reporting things they don't want out there, but interpersonally you treat everyone as humans as best you can. There are some companies that ask to only talk about their company, which is a pain in the ass, and leads to low views and little buzz. You can certainly be a fan of pro wrestling, and still cover it. I would hope most are for the sake of their sanity and happiness. I love learning about wrestling more than anything. But throwing a bunch of merch in a corner and vlogging once every four months probably won't get you approved for media. They want those people buying tickets and merch, as they should. It's a business. I'll never be the gatekeeping guy, because absolutely nobody but Bill Apter was helpful to me when I came in. It took me writing for ten years, and then publishing articles quite literally every day for a four year span for very little money and zero days off to feel secure in my position. That path isn't everyone else's, and it shouldn't be. There are different ways to success, and my hope is that everyone has the smoothest one. But taking other people's ideas, and trying to get media passes on the technicality of "well I vlogged this once," probably isn't it. I guess that mentality disappoints me more than anything, because it hammers home the weird perception that because wrestling media enjoys what they do, that it's not hard, or it's not work. It is hard. It comes with the sacrifice of time, money, and quite frankly sanity if you've seen the very normal people that obsess over content creators. It certainly isn't worth "gatekeeping" in that regard, because who could possibly give a hoot? I'm happy for anyone who gets media access, but find it weird if someone feels entitled to it, if that makes sense. I still don't feel entitled to it. This went from yarngate to media literacy. My bad. I'm very passionate about it because it has consumed and changed my life. There's a crash course in how some of that shit works from someone who has been doing media with all these companies for years. If you have any more questions, I do an ongoing Q&A over on Fightful Select's discord for subscribers. Please go subscribe so I feel validated.
@SeanRossSapp Holy shit man - let me know when this comes out as a book 👍
@SeanRossSapp Ok. Lemme get my cheaters and sit down and take this in lol
Your pal (and ours) @_denisesalcedo is my best modern example of not being part of “established media” and creating her own lane, busting her butt, proving herself valuable to companies and fans alike and now being part of 3 big brands in established media + still killing it with her own. When I get asked about breaking in to wrestling media - I point everyone who asks to follow her example.
@SeanRossSapp Hey Sean. Loved your comments on this topic. On this note, I have been trying to get in touch with you for several months regarding possibly having the opportunity to work with you in some capacity. Hoping for a positive response if you see this... Thanks!