When newspapers cut their own throat

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I had very little interest in what former Rangers player Kirk Broadfoot did or said in a match against Wigan recently, I didn’t even know he was still in the game.  What makes him newsworthy (to some) today is a 10 match ban, handed down by The FA in England, for what was reportedly sectarian abuse.

What I found galling is how Mirror Group Newspapers reported this story.  The Mirror wrote:

“Kirk Broadfoot has been handed a staggering 10-game ban for a sectarian tirade against James McClean.

The Rotherham and former Scotland defender will have to serve what is believed to be the longest ban for verbal abuse in English football history.”

Its Scottish sister paper the Daily Record reproduced the same text with one edit:

“Kirk Broadfoot has been handed a staggering 10-game ban for launching a verbal tirade against James McClean.

The former Scotland and Rangers defender will have to serve what is believed to be the longest ban for verbal abuse in English football history.”

The italics are mine.  For reasons which don’t surprise me, the biggest selling Scottish newspaper decided it was unwise to report that a former Rangers player received a huge ban for sectarian abuse.  In 2015.

When Celtic Quick News started 11 years ago a couple of newspapers and radio stations pretty much controlled the news, politics and sports reporting in Scotland.  The journos all worked together; this was a real cabal.  If they wanted to blacken the name of a Fergus McCann, or his like, droves of people quickly turned away from him.

CQN started because reporting like this was rife and unchecked.  I know the value of the new “citizen” media, but I also know its limits.  We need newspapers, we need people to continue to buy them and we need them to find a viable business model.  Without them, reporting which requires considerable resource, experience and, occasionally, money, will not happen.

Most of all, we need them to stop cutting their own throat.

I’m off to Aberdour today, for the 12th CQN Golf Charity Open, not that I’m a golfer, of course.  See you there.

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712 Comments

  1. Hamiltontim, Jimbo67, Leftclicktic:

     

     

    Three of my clique…:)

     

     

    Keep on posting…

     

     

    Sitting here a wee bit worse for wear after the CQN Golf outing in Aberdour. All Oldtim, Richie and Blantyretim ‘s fault.

     

     

    Great day, as usual too many in the clique to mention but special thanks to Marspapa for getting me there and back. Also to The Token Tim and the former for suffering my ranting son the way home.

     

     

    Cliquesareuscfc…:)

     

     

    Keep the Faith!

     

     

    Hail Hail!

  2. Dj67The OldFirmWasEhBusinessPartnershipThereforeJustLikeRangersTheOldFirmIsDeadGetOverItZombies on

    The BBC doin’ the Huns dirty work as usual. “Coming up Scott Allan talks about his future”.

     

     

    __________________________________________________________

     

     

    bournesouprecipe

     

    12:56 on

     

    25 July, 2015

     

    Petrofac is gaelic for ‘Wee Diddy Cup’

     

     

     

     

     

    I find that strange since Petrofac is the Greek for ‘Useless feckin’ Mug’.

  3. RWE

     

    Its scandalous that there are still deaths in police custody like this.

     

    Its very easy to kill someone by restraining them in the wrong fashion.

     

    Pressing down heavily on the rib cage makes it impossible for the victim to draw breath. In minutes they can go into a coma from which it is unlikely they will survive.

     

    The dangers of restraint asphyxiation have been known about by the police for many years yet these deaths keep happening with black people often being the victim.

  4. Hibs are actually playing OK, apart from missing a couple of sitters. Sevco are running around a bit harder then McCoists mob but they are still sh*te.

  5. If Hibs were more clinical up front they would walk this, next goal is crucial. H H Hebcelt

  6. Good free kick by their new left back Tavernier, He looks OK going forward but a bit suspect defending. Overall scoreline flatters Huns but there you go.

  7. Tricoloured Ribbon on

    corkcelt,

     

    Tavernier’s had two bad fouls against him,the second of which should have been a booking.

     

    Hibs are the same as last season.Tippy tappy stuff with no killer touch upfront.

     

    They’ve just paid the price for that.

     

    There’s a clear reason Sevco are odds on for that league.

     

    Hibs and St.Mirren are rotten.

  8. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    CTV showing today’s match to all subscribers home and abroad as mini leaves for the match

  9. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    I can happily report that Sevco remain shite …

     

     

    Having watched Wilson today …..continues to mystify me why he was even considered for us …he’s rubbish

  10. Hibs nae bottle, the other mob are no great shakes, their keeper looks well dodgy. Enough of them , hope a few of our fringe players get an outing today and put on a show. H H Hebcelt

  11. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Scott Allan the saviour?

     

     

    Beautiful cameo of a lady telling him to “eft off” on 20mins as he was doing his wee limber up.

  12. hibees subbed their poor striker early doors ,and replace him with a guy who is worse.

  13. i'vehadtochangemyname on

    A £175,000 player to save them – jeez , do you ever pinch yourself ? Cast-offs from English league 1 and 2 teams being bigged up, smsm continuing to delude them, lie to them and not report important stuff, we are very healthy, we have success in alternative scouting markets, we can play well, we get on with it, some here have had to deal directly with discrimination in its new phase: football laws and have beaten them.