Racing The Media

Setting it Straight About the Straight – Sort of Anyway, Not Really

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Hi Archie,

Thanks for your inquiry about The Straight. It appears from your article that you have already done significant research on the business background of The Straight.

I refer you to our editorial charter for any questions you may have about our independence. It reads ‘any advertisers, commercial partners or investors in The Straight will have no influence on the editorial agenda.’

This section sets out the editorial independence of the publication from any commercial consideration, regardless of where that may come from. It’s a standard declaration for any media publication which separates editorial from commercial interests.

If you believe there is a story we have covered which does not conform to our charter, then please let me know. We pride our reporting on being fair and balanced.

We are a commercial business and as explained in our FAQ section, the intention is for our commercial model to be primarily subscription/membership-based. Currently through our launch phase, we are not charging for access to The Straight but intend to do so in the near future.

That commercial model is supplemented by advertising revenue. We have had display advertising on the site since launch in late November 2023 and carried print advertising in our magazine edition launched in January. Who are those advertisers? That’s clear and public from their presence. Do those advertisers have any influence on our editorial? No.

Again, thanks for your interest.

Regards

Bren O’Brien

Founder & Managing Editor

The Straight

Dear Bren

 
Thanks for your reply to my queries.
 
I note however that you have skirted my direct questions about your commercial partners and your investors.
 
Whilst I understand and accept that you at some stage this year will be moving to a subscription based model similar to that of peterprofit.com, it is trite to describe your potential future subscribers as commercial partners.
 
And you have not in any way addressed my question about the identity/identities of your investors.
 
Allow me to put the question directly and in plain English so that there is no ambiguity about the information that I am seeking.
 
Who exactly are the commercial partners and investors to which you refer?
 
Are they members of the racing or thoroughbred breeding fraternity?
 
If so, what are their names?
 
Furthermore I take issue with your contention that you have had display advertising on the site since launch in late November 2023, and that the details of these advertisers are clear and public from their presence. Admittedly I am somewhat sight impaired, but now cognisant of my disclosure of this disability, would you be so kind as to compensate for it by pointing me to where on your website I may find them?
 
I am sure that you understand the public interest in these matters, and given your website’s commitment to open transparency I am sure that you will have no issue with making these disclosures to satisfy this interest.
 
One again thank you for taking the time and making the effort to reply.
 
Regards
Archie
The articles published on this site are the honestly held opinion of the author, based on observation, research and the materials available to and read or watched by them. The author makes no representation that the opinions expressed are strictly factual or provable in law. Racing is funded by public money, and issues to do with racing and gambling are matters of public interest. The honestly held opinions expressed in articles on the site are published on the basis of the public interest in the integrity of racing. Should any person believe that the author's opinions expressed herein are incorrect we encourage them to contact the author at peterprofitracing@gmail.com with their concerns, and appropriate corrections, alteration and deletions where appropriate will be made.
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