The "Disgraceful Journalism" thread - let's name and shame

[Hoddle is a god]

In the midst of the feeding-frenzy currently being indulged in by our bloated, ignorant propagandist gutter-press, I thought I would start a thread for posters to post and comment on the worst excesses of our media.

I will begin by posting a link to a Fail Online "article" that has been posted on the Chelsea board by District Line (posters can read my comments on the "article" in the "Bale is bigger than Spurs" thread currently running on the Chelsea board):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...t-Pepe-Reina-hypocritical--Adrian-Durham.html

Whilst I expect most of the initial posts to this thread to be on the subject of Bale, I wouldn't want or expect this thread to be limited to such stories.

Let me, if I may, list the general grievances that we Spurs fans have with the reporting on the Bale "news":

(a) There is, actually, no news to report, other than the fact that Bale and Spurs are currently holding negotiations over his contract
(b) Not one of any of the "news" items carries any direct quotes from either Bale, AVB or Levy
(c) The "news" being report appears to emanate from Real Madrid's PR sources, and is therefore unreliable
(d) Any "newspaper" or other media outlet that reports any "news" on the Bale story is acting as nothing more than Real's propagandist mouth-piece
(e) Not a single journo, in either the press or other media outlets have provided a creditable analysis of the emotional effects likely to affect Bale if he were to move to Real, carrying the tag of "the world's most expensive player"

There are other points that could be added to this, but I am confident that I have covered the most important ones.

Bearing all of these in mind, and turning to the Durham "article," one can now readily appreciate the ignorance, spite, bias, and anti-Spurs propaganda that motivated Durham to put his name to it, and how shamefully devoid of any news that piece is.

ADRIAN DURHAM - you are a complete and utter clown and a disgrace to your so-called profession.

 

[Spurm]

I can write a better "article" than that and i'm maths/science orientated and i barely ever read a book.
It must be tough knowing that most Joes on the street can do your job better than you. Poor Adrian Durham

 

[NSIS]

Scumbag British football journalists!..Jesus, I wouldn't even know where to start. It might be easier to do a thread on the decent ones - probably be a bloody short thread though!...

 

[crackerman jack]

Adrian Durham is a massive bellend. His only saving grace is that he seems to hate Arsenal more than us.

 

[Spurm]

can we get #AdrianDurhamBellend trending? How do we trend stuff?

 

[crackerman jack]

I don't know how to but someone should do. I reckon there would be a lot of support for this campaign!!

 

[Spurm]

i'm willing to call in the help of the Arsenal fans. Who else does Durham hate? If he's insulted Liverpool we could be onto a winner, they're like a pack of animals that lot

 

[crackerman jack]

I think he pisses off most fans Spurm. I know Jamie Carragher phoned in once because Durham said he "bottled it" by making himself unavailable for England. So I guess Liverpool fans can jump on this band wagon! He does the daily Arsneal which is a daily slag off at Arsenal which originally was quite funny but now has become boring.

 

[humanbeingincroydon]

The Grauniad has been doing their bit for poor excuses of journalism, too (but what do you expect, they empoy Charlie Brooker?)

First is this article from yesterday's paper which I alluded to elsewhere: http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/jul/28/cristiano-ronaldo-gareth-bale-real-madrid

They couldn;t even get to the second paragraph without saying Bale's "feet are itchy" despite a complete lack of anything to back up this assertion - and then it goes that extra step into not knowing anything about football by thinking that Bale going to Madrid would lead to Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Old Trafford. No, it won't, not unless Man Utd plan on using the barter system to pay for the transfer with something other than money.

That was soon followed up with this article online: http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/jul/28/gareth-bale-ambition-outgrown-tottenham

I could go into that second article, but it's best summed up in the comments second: "curious that a beat reporter for arsenal is the one writing these stories about bale and spurs..."

Today they have an article talking about Bale's leaving as if it is a foregone conclusion and how he would be great for Real, which is the exact same stance as Marca have been churning out for weeks, whilst ignoring the obvious fact that he's great for another team that plays in white - Spurs!
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/jul/29/gareth-bale-tottenham-real-madrid-questions

 

[totsfan]

they are all ****s!!!!!!!

 

[Spudulike]

Going slightly off topic, doesn't this and many previous BS stories flooding through the sports press just go to show how gullible and easily influenced people can simply by reiterating a supposed fact over and over until people stop questioning it and believe it to be true? If people can believe a story made up on the back pages, the same goes for the front pages!

"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone elses opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." - Oscar Wilde
"The difference between literature and journalism is that journalism is unreadable and literature is not read." - Oscar Wilde

Opps sorry... wrong meeting!

 

[Moorpheus19]

How's about all of them?

I read an article in I today about Bale wanting out - no quotes, lots of 'apparently's and 'according to's

Made me mad

 

[irdan]

He hates us Norwich boys so get on our board too

 

[NSIS]

It is accepted that the press, particularly the red top press, invent sensationalist crap to try and sell their tawdry little rags - that's their job.

However, in this case, I think we must accept - given the weight of basically the same story from so many sources - including just about every "serious" newspaper, that somebody in Bale's camp is leaking info.

Therefore, in this case, I think it would be foolish to just dismiss it all as hype.

 

[redwhiteandermblue]

I've been understanding all this crap as coming primarily from Bale's agent as a negotiating ploy, and secondarily from Real being perfectly happy to play the part Bale's agent wants them to play--though it occurs to me it suits just about everyone except for fans of either Spurs or objectivity.

The bigger the buildup, the closer Bale seems to leaving, the more credit we'll tend to give Spurs assuming they keep him--and, one might argue, the less blame we would give them if he leaves. At some level, some Spurs in the organization may see a story like

Spurs Say Bale will Stay as

SPURS, etc., etc., etc.

and Real does the same when it's mentioned.

There's no such thing as bad publicity, has been said.

 

[NSIS]

I've been understanding all this crap as coming primarily from Bale's agent as a negotiating ploy, and secondarily from Real being perfectly happy to play the part Bale's agent wants them to play.

Yes, quite possibly. However, I find it very hard to believe that the agent has been acting against his client's wishes for so long.

 

[Spudulike]

Yes, quite possibly. However, I find it very hard to believe that the agent has been acting against his client's wishes for so long.

It's a win win situation as far as the agent is concerned. If Bale is sold, he gets a pay cheque. If not, he negotiates Bale a bumper new Spurs contract off the back of the relentless hype which has contributed to inflating Bale's value. So the agent also gets another cheque. Agents are only self-interested and this is a prime example. Pure and simple.

 

[humanbeingincroydon]

It is accepted that the press, particularly the red top press, invent sensationalist crap to try and sell their tawdry little rags - that's their job.

However, in this case, I think we must accept - given the weight of basically the same story from so many sources - including just about every "serious" newspaper, that somebody in Bale's camp is leaking info.

Therefore, in this case, I think it would be foolish to just dismiss it all as hype.

The thing is, the Grauniad articles I posted were pure opinion pieces - "I think Bale will go, ha ha ha" by Obnoxious Hack Journo (one of whom happens to be their Arsenal reporter, FFS!) - but somehow get treated as being superior journalism to the bilge in Marca. The comments sections are calling their reports the complete bollocks they quite clearly are.

 

[NSIS]

It's a win win situation as far as the agent is concerned. If Bale is sold, he gets a pay cheque. If not, he negotiates Bale a bumper new Spurs contract off the back of the relentless hype which has contributed to inflating Bale's value. So the agent also gets another cheque. Agents are only self-interested and this is a prime example. Pure and simple.

Not that simple. Are we to assume that Bale is acquiescent in this circus? Or that he is so meek and docile that he has no control over his own agent, and just allows him to do as he pleases?

 

[NSIS]

The thing is, the Grauniad articles I posted were pure opinion pieces - "I think Bale will go, ha ha ha" by Obnoxious Hack Journo (one of whom happens to be their Arsenal reporter, FFS!) - but somehow get treated as being superior journalism to the bilge in Marca. The comments sections are calling their reports the complete bollocks they quite clearly are.

I would tend to agree with your theory, in general. . However, in this case, I think there is far too much smoke for there not to be a fire somewhere.