Scottish journalists: Up your game...!

[Frankie 8,146]

An agreeably concise & accurate main Gersnet site début from @JMcInall (aka Jama88 on the forum) on the flippant attitude of Scottish journos to Mark Warburton:

 

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/news-category/current-affairs/584-scottish-journalists-up-your-game

 

I never normally write any long posts, blogs or articles, but I felt this need to be said. I noticed maybe a month or so into Mark Warburton’s reign at Ibrox a small nattering of the words 'respectful', 'with respect' etc, in regards to comments made by our gaffer. Essentially small jibes made for his over use of the same words/phrases. This started with one or two journalists but has spread amongst quite a few now in the Scottish media. You can see a few recent examples below:

 

 

Now, I’m sure they all believe it is just a “bit of banter” but to me it comes across as mockery: poking fun at a man who is trying to put his point across without trying to be misquoted or his tone being misjudged. Basically he wants to put his point across fairly - without having tit-for-tat arguments with other managers whilst avoiding having his face splashed over every back page. As he repeats constantly: it’s all about his players and Rangers Football Club, along with the product on the pitch.

 

Indeed, I fully believe if he could take a back-seat to all media responsibilities he would (I’m sure most managers would) and let the talking be done purely on the pitch. But unfortunately that isn’t the case and he has to endure press conference after press conference before every match. The journalists enter and sit down, the same motley crew as every other week, the manager enters and the player of choice afterwards (no doubt drawing the short straw), and they ask around 90% of the same questions - over and over again, with other generic, low quality 'debate' thrown in along with it. The usual over-reaction to other players/managers making comments about Rangers, a tedious transfer link, the generic attempt to create a mountain out of that week's molehill!

 

From week one Warburton has given the same courteous answers every time to avoid such petty controversies. Instead of taking heed of this sensible behaviour, knowing that he won’t be drawn into answering such questions, they are asked again and again and again - hoping for a different outcome. Quite simply the pot is stirred to try and create a controversy that usually just isn't there. Superficial doesn't begin to describe it.

 

Of course this is obvious to anyone with a modicum of intelligence. No matter, instead of taking this on board and going back to their office to think of intriguing, thought-provoking questions to ask our clearly learned manager, they prefer to lampoon him in the social media playground - not realising it's them that look ridiculous. Furthermore, it's not as if their own profession is at the peak of its game...

 

Obviously, I feel a bit sorry for Mark. Clearly he tries his best to accommodate these people without jeopardising his own professionalism. It’s a tough ask especially in the Glasgow goldfish bowl (and he's certainly not perfect) but, to Rangers fans at least, his attitude is refreshing and it's only when he features more widely in English media that he's given the, well, respect, he deserves.

 

At this juncture, one wonders why we bother with press conferences at all? Let's see how these struggling newspapers deal with the Rangers press officer giving news of current line up and injuries instead of a clever, modern manager. If only…

 

To conclude, they often ask if of managers and players but I think on this occasion, it's time to ask the Scottish journalists to up their game!

Edited February 26, 2016 by Frankie

[jhunter 0]

Do away with the press conference

 

RTV can ask a number of questions and the official site can upload the video

[Frankie 8,146]

Do away with the press conference

 

RTV can ask a number of questions and the official site can upload the video

 

Unfortunately, it will be an SPFL requirement to hold these.

[jhunter 0]

Unfortunately, it will be an SPFL requirement to hold these.

 

surely there has to be a requirement to send individuals up to the task?

[Frankie 8,146]

surely there has to be a requirement to send individuals up to the task?

 

You'd think so but it would have to be up to the club to flag up any issues.

 

To be fair they've done so in the case of a few journalists in recent times but I'm not sure what support, if any, they get from the SPFL.

[der Berliner 3,234]

13.30 mins of the pre-QotS 15 min presser was spend with questions regarding the Killie game and plastic pitches, rather than the league game. Befrore that, time and again the journos inquired about e.g. transfer targets and ifs and buts in an utterly disrespectful repetitive way that you could come to the conclusion that they either do not understand the answers given or simply weren't listening. And MW was actually pointing that out to them, but they simply ignored him, time and again.

 

IMHO, our media official should watch that once, perhaps twice, then address the journos the next time about the way they go on about their business and if they don't heed that, they will be barred from the next presser. The papers and media outlets sure have more than one chap to send.

[Big Jaws 570]

The repetitive questioning, in order to extract statement that the journalists can sensationalise, can and does become tedious fairly quickly. The vast majority of time spent during these Q and A sessions is, depending on your perspective, wasted doing precisely that. He could just funnel them to yes, no and I'm not discussing that answers though.

[Jama88 0]

They treat a yes, no and i'm not discussing as a type of "Objection" which lawyers do in court. So deem to ask the same questions with different wording in order to get the answer they are looking for. Warburton has been/is wise to it and continues to do so, but you can see the frustration as times goes on.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Jama88

[Big Jaws 570]

I agree with you that they treat it as an objection as it gives very little to work with. However it is an answer whether they like it or not. They are going to write shite anyway so what difference does it make?

[andy steel 0]

Enjoyed the OP, frustration at being served by a media seemingly designed for the lowest common denominator has long bugged many fans (of all clubs, I bet).

 

Thankfully traditional media is dying on it's backside and any social media which apes the Record or the Herald is likely to disappear up its virtual fundament pdq as well.

 

I think what the next step has to be is engagement by clubs, players and officials, with the best kind of online platform. This very board, nurtured over 15 years by people plainly dedicated to keeping it well above the level of the papers and broadcasters, would be an ideal candidate. Getting the clubs to agree, though, I think that'd be hard.