Rangers tell Graham Spiers & Chris McLaughlin they are "no longer welcome at Ibrox"

[aweebluesoandso 290]

This might be bordering on conspiracy theory but I think the issue lies higher up the editorial chain at Pacific Quay. Guys like McLaughlin and English are just copy filers in terms of their influence over the prominence of stories. What the club (whoever that means) was upset about is the prominence of the arrests and flare story and the location and profile of the story is at the discretion of the editorial management rather than the reporter.

 

Perhaps Tom Connor - Editor, online and sport, is the man we should be taking to task?

 

Edit.wrong information.

Edited August 4, 2015 by aweebluesoandso

[forlanssister 3,050]

Or the brother of SNP MP and Rangers hater Brendan O'hara who's a editor at the BBC. Runs in the family i'm sure.

 

He parted company with the BBC a while back.

 

https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/diarmid-o-hara/77/74a/715

[JohnMc 2,482]

I think most people would agree with a lot of what you're saying, but there is a bit more to it.

 

What's being published about is us is not illegal - no slander or libel laws have been broken as far as I can see. But there is no doubt in my mind that there is a bias to their reporting - and surely it's reasonable to expect the BBC to treat all its mandatory customers even-handedly? Reports on incidents involving certain other clubs are nicely air-brushed; played down or hidden away. Reports on anything negative surrounding us however get a "warts and all" approach. To me, the story after the Hibs game just smacks of McLaughlin scrabbling for something bad to write about us to take the shine off a really good result. Am I being paranoid for thinking that?

 

Assuming it's not just me, how can you build a bridge with an organistaion like that? There's no cosying up to them and sadly, writing anti-rangers articles seems to be a sound strategy for any unscrupulous journalist to adopt. Whatever you lose in Rangers fans, you more than gain back in OCD haters.

 

I don't think the ban will stop the bias, but at least it lets the world know that we see these reporters as being biased.

 

Bridge building, not always the easiest of tasks. For me it starts with recognising what mutual benefit do both parties have and taking it from there. The BBC require content, they've airwaves and websites to fill and as we're now hopefully moving into a less turbulent period off the park then something else has to be found to fill that. That means the focus will return to the pitch, the players and managers again.

The BBC will want interviews with Warburton, with Weir, with Dave King with Lee Wallace with Tavernier and so on. As things stand they won't get them and that's not in the interests of BBC Scotland's sport output. An exclusive interview with Warburton will fill two whole programmes for them, one the interview and the following one analysing it. It also guarantees a big audience. These are carrots the club can dangle, there are deals that can be done on access and exclusivity for example. Then there's cultivating relationships with individual journalists and editors. Not everyone at the BBC is a Parkhead season ticket holder even if it seems like it at times. Figure out who these people are and begin the process of creating a convivial working relationship with them. It's how all business is done and particularly the PR business. Most journalists are under a lot of pressure (seriously, it's a deadline driven job and mostly under resourced these days too) and they won't look a gift horse in the mouth. They are open to relationship building if it makes their life easier.

 

It won't happen overnight but figuring out how to achieve that shouldn't be beyond the wit of our club.

[Frankie 8,179]

Now this lovely woman is Head of Programmes and Service:

 

https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/donalda-mackinnon/64/2a2/21a

 

Though, IIRC, Ken MacQuarrie remains in overall charge:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/corporate2/insidethebbc/managementstructure/biographies/macquarrie_ken

Edited August 4, 2015 by Frankie

[JohnMc 2,482]

There's a bit of a difference between someone being pro-Liverpool/anti-Man Utd and what we have been subjected to. It's gone beyond football with the whole sectarianism issue.

 

I don't think anyone has an issue with a pro-Celtic journalist like Ronnie Cully, for example, who could give biased match reports. It's more "sinister" (for lack of a better word) where it's not an on-field/performance related issue but they are actively trying to do harm to our club and its support.

 

I agree to an extent. However an element of our own support are actively trying to harm our club and its support too and ultimately if no one had been arrested that report couldn't have been written. Mclaughlin can't choose that angle for his story if 'we' don't create the opportunity for him. I think it's fair to say McLaughlin will write about 'sectarian arrests' if they happen at our game, that's part of his bias and world outlook. Others at the BBC won't, that's where the balance comes in. In the end though 'we' keep giving people like McLaughlin the opportunity to write his rubbish, our anger should be directed at least equally in the direction of those among us who keep letting us down.

[JohnMc 2,482]

Now this lovely woman is Head of Programmes and Service:

 

https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/donalda-mackinnon/64/2a2/21a

 

Though, IIRC, Ken MacQuarrie remains in overall charge:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/corporate2/insidethebbc/managementstructure/biographies/macquarrie_ken

 

Neither of those two are people with an institutional bias against Rangers, I mean have you ever been in the Mishnish?

[Frankie 8,179]

Neither of those two are people with an institutional bias against Rangers, I mean have you ever been in the Mishnish?

 

Haha, I doubt either have a huge interest in football but are clearly happy to delegate responsibility to their staff who, IMO, are making editorial decisions which cause more harm than good. As such, these two people are ultimately responsible - biased or not.

 

As Richard Wilson said last night on Sportsound, I'd hope Mr MacQuarrie in particular aims to meet with Dave King or Stewart Roberston at the earliest opportunity as neither the BBC nor Rangers gain from this stand off.

[RANGERRAB 3,291]

I agree to an extent. However an element of our own support are actively trying to harm our club and its support too and ultimately if no one had been arrested that report couldn't have been written. Mclaughlin can't choose that angle for his story if 'we' don't create the opportunity for him. I think it's fair to say McLaughlin will write about 'sectarian arrests' if they happen at our game, that's part of his bias and world outlook. Others at the BBC won't, that's where the balance comes in. In the end though 'we' keep giving people like McLaughlin the opportunity to write his rubbish, our anger should be directed at least equally in the direction of those among us who keep letting us down.

 

Will McLaughlin report the arrests at every game he attends this season or just Rangers ones? I think this is where the problem lies

[Germinal 27]

Can't say I've ever met Mr McQuarrie but I have met Mrs Mckinnon and frankly she makes the Queen sound common.

 

If anyone is imagining a hard-faced Republican harridan, think again.

[JohnMc 2,482]

Haha, I doubt either have a huge interest in football but are clearly happy to delegate responsibility to their staff who, IMO, are making editorial decisions which cause more harm than good. As such, these two people are ultimately responsible - biased or not.

 

As Richard Wilson said last night on Sportsound, I'd hope Mr MacQuarrie in particular aims to meet with Dave King or Stewart Roberston at the earliest opportunity as neither the BBC nor Rangers gain from this stand off.

 

Exactly, a BBC Sport employee urging sanity, they ain't all bad.