Is it possible/wise for the club to give the press nothing whatsoever?

[Dave]

Personally I've got to the point now where it's kinda fun trying to predict the shit the press will come up with based on nothing whatsoever, or in some cases perfectly innocent quotes from Keegan et al.

 

Just wondering though, in this 24/7 news age, where players, agents and managers alike are tracked almost constantly, is it possible to genuinely keep quiet about everything? And if so, is it a good idea?

 

Made the point elsewhere yesterday; there's a fine line between simply sticking fingers up at the press and leaving the fans feeling cut out of the loop to the point where they start believing the stories. Would you rather the club carry on not giving anything away and don't mind putting up with the subsequent bile? Or would you prefer the lines of communication to be a little more open?

 

This is a discussion about the apparently current method of things, so please let's not turn it into a direct comparison with how the previous board operated.

[Cajun]

Fuck the press, if people are stupid enough to believe everything they read in the papers its their own fault.

[madras]

yes it's possible and yes it's wise.

 

after a while the fans will get used to the idea thast the press have no idea what is happening (it's already started) then the press will face the ridicule,print objectivly or print nowt.

[Dave]

Fuck the press, if people are stupid enough to believe everything they read in the papers its their own fault.

 

They don't have to believe every single thing to get the doubts flowing.

 

Tend to agree with your sentiment though.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I've been wondering about this myself recently.

 

All I can come up with is that it doesn't matter either way - even if the club has an excellent relationship with the media and pass them loads of leaks/info they will still write whatever nonsense they feel like. So in that situation best just say 'fuck them'.

 

The only problem with it is that the media is the only way for fans to find out what is going on at the club. When Sam wouldn't talk to the BBC it left a lot of fans without a channel to find out about what he thought.

 

So ideally we would talk to the media and then they would print what we really said, in the context we said it, without their own agenda thrown in. But since that will never happen, best to keep quiet.

[Dave]

yes it's possible and yes it's wise.

 

after a while the fans will get used to the idea thast the press have no idea what is happening (it's already started) then the press will face the ridicule,print objectivly or print nowt.

 

I hope you're right. It'll take a long time before it gets to that stage though IMO.

[Cajun]

Probably could do a little more via the official site and programmes to keep the fans sane.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

yes it's possible and yes it's wise.

 

after a while the fans will get used to the idea thast the press have no idea what is happening (it's already started) then the press will face the ridicule,print objectivly or print nowt.

 

I hope you're right. It'll take a long time before it gets to that stage though IMO.

 

But I think the fans on this site represent a relatively interested and aware minority. For more casual fans it might seem like nothing has changed... if all they look at is the back page of the Chronicle.

[madras]

I've been wondering about this myself recently.

 

All I can come up with is that it doesn't matter either way - even if the club has an excellent relationship with the media and pass them loads of leaks/info they will still write whatever nonsense they feel like. So in that situation best just say 'f*** them'.

 

The only problem with it is that the media is the only way for fans to find out what is going on at the club. When Sam wouldn't talk to the BBC it left a lot of fans without a channel to find out about what he thought.

 

So ideally we would talk to the media and then they would print what we really said, in the context we said it, without their own agenda thrown in. But since that will never happen, best to keep quiet.

point 1) after a while the fans will get used to it

 

point 2) in these days of media training do you think you really find much out or are trerated to a spin show (think allardyce and souness interviews)

 

point 3) won't happen so use what you see on the pitch as your guide.

[juniatmoko]

yes it is wise ... especially on transfer market to avoid bidding war

[Dave]

Probably could do a little more via the official site and programmes to keep the fans sane.

 

Definitely agree with that. Although I remain convinced the Coloccini thing (the only issue that's really unresolved) is due to others coming in.

[madras]

yes it's possible and yes it's wise.

 

after a while the fans will get used to the idea thast the press have no idea what is happening (it's already started) then the press will face the ridicule,print objectivly or print nowt.

 

I hope you're right. It'll take a long time before it gets to that stage though IMO.

the press will help. with nothing to print they keep on making up stuff or making mountains out of nowt and each day turn more people against them. it has already started happening this summer.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

yes it is wise ... especially on transfer market to avoid bidding war

 

Important point, I would say transfers are a special case where it is best to keep everything quiet until the deal is done. The new regime seem pretty good at that in particular.

[buzza]

I quite like the way we are doing things at the moment, not giving anything until deals are done and dusted and when asked about possibilities giving nothing away so that anything the press do write is pure speculation. It leaves no scope for punishment if we are "gazumped" or whatever (transfers/buyouts) as this would leave us wide open for a press onslaught, which sadly is what the majority of the national papers thrive on.

I think we have been treated very badly by the majority of the press and therefore should treat them with caution. This will only change when we start winning games, playing entertaining football and public favour turns towards us through our playing style and when we also don't have "priks" dragging our image through the mud with their bad behaviour (choose from: Dyer, bellamy, Barton..etc).

When we are in the top six we can evade tabloid topics and just wax lyrical about football, the press will only be able to write positively about us or will be found out... Can't wait!

I vote for the current method and I am quite enjoying Ashley's approach although I would like a few more quality signings (which could be lined up or couldn't? the intrigue is too much!!).

[madras]

Probably could do a little more via the official site and programmes to keep the fans sane.

 

Definitely agree with that. Although I remain convinced the Coloccini thing (the only issue that's really unresolved) is due to others coming in.

me too. personally i think he has signed and the paperwork is done.

[thomas]

Seems to me the only shame in all this is that the average fan doesn't have all day to trawl blogs/rss/newsnow/sites for information so they have to take what the papers give them. 

 

The best way to help is get your non-nerd friends (if you have any) on here and off the papers. 

 

N-O recruitment drive '08.  

[leazes.ender]

We give stories to the press, they sell papers on the back of headline grabbing 'rumours', they bad mouth us.

 

We don't give stories to the press, they bad mouth us.

 

No difference in the outcome apart from they make no money out of it. A winner everytime in my mind. Why should we carry out our business to their gain. Even better that like on Saturday everyone had already seen the pics of the 'hairy one' before they got to sell paper on the back of 'first pics'.

[duwy]

I think the club is doing the right thing not communicating with the press, but IMO it has a disadvantage: I don't think it's possible to do this when we are after a famous, big name player (like Coloccini). So if there are no serious news about big names on the transfer front, the best possibility is that we are working on a transfer of less famous players.

My english is not so good, but I hope it's undestandable what I mean.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

http://www.true-faith.co.uk/html/tbawe.htm

 

I haven’t read the Mike Ashley thing in the club doo-dah yet but when its been analysed by several malcontents in the tf bunker we’ll be commenting on it in depth. A couple of observations however – its only a ‘kin year late coming, is it really an event? Wouldn’t it have been better to do something with an independent journalist – our choice would have been either George Caulkin of The Times or Michael Walker of The Independent to give it some objective journalistic credibility? Might it have been an idea to do a radio phone-in thing for an hour of the type done by KK with Mick Lowe from Radio Newcastle, which are always good value? Its ironic Shy Mike should start talking now when actually the time for talking is over and we need to see some additions to the squad to take us forward.

 

I like True Faith but I don't know why they think having a journalist ask the questions to Mike Ashley would make things better.

[buzza]

They are spot on about Caulkin and Walker... decent non-biased journalists!

[Dan Gleebals]

http://www.true-faith.co.uk/html/tbawe.htm

 

I havent read the Mike Ashley thing in the club doo-dah yet but when its been analysed by several malcontents in the tf bunker well be commenting on it in depth. A couple of observations however its only a kin year late coming, is it really an event? Wouldnt it have been better to do something with an independent journalist our choice would have been either George Caulkin of The Times or Michael Walker of The Independent to give it some objective journalistic credibility? Might it have been an idea to do a radio phone-in thing for an hour of the type done by KK with Mick Lowe from Radio Newcastle, which are always good value? Its ironic Shy Mike should start talking now when actually the time for talking is over and we need to see some additions to the squad to take us forward.

 

I like True Faith but I don't know why they think having a journalist ask the questions to Mike Ashley would make things better.

 

Especially the cock mentioned from the Times, although I guess it would put him in his place at least as he is one of the worst offenders against us IMO.

[Parky]

Personally I've got to the point now where it's kinda fun trying to predict the shit the press will come up with based on nothing whatsoever, or in some cases perfectly innocent quotes from Keegan et al.

 

Just wondering though, in this 24/7 news age, where players, agents and managers alike are tracked almost constantly, is it possible to genuinely keep quiet about everything? And if so, is it a good idea?

 

Made the point elsewhere yesterday; there's a fine line between simply sticking fingers up at the press and leaving the fans feeling cut out of the loop to the point where they start believing the stories. Would you rather the club carry on not giving anything away and don't mind putting up with the subsequent bile? Or would you prefer the lines of communication to be a little more open?

 

This is a discussion about the apparently current method of things, so please let's not turn it into a direct comparison with how the previous board operated.

 

In the modern era most clubs are busy developing a brand, exporting their image abroad and looking for new pastures to make money from merchandise and the like...In this environment it is critical that the press be managed and we develop our relationship with them to gain as much positive newsspace as possible, the other way in the long run will only hurt us. We are all aware it is better to feed little stories now and again and keep a semblence of control rather than have the wolf at the door making up shit. Your point about a hungry 24/7 media is the key really, they have space to fill and if they don't get something or there is too much silence from the club they will go on their merry way assuming somthing is wrong....That is the nature or the beast. The moderm media is a huge machiine, attached to mulit-billion pound conglomorates world wide, it's just silly to think we can go to war with them or shut them out without negative consequences.

[JH]

In an ideal world, we'd give the press nothing and they'd leave us alone and not print anything.

 

However, that is never going to be the case. As much as I hate journalists, I'd rather us feed them a few crappy stories and they print some decent stuff on us, than us attempt to piss them off and they print shit every week like they are at the minute.

 

Some fans don't access the internet, don't have what we have, and so believe this stuff. Half of SJP actually believe Martins wants away to Arsenal, Keegan is under pressure and about to walk and Ashley wants to sell up.

 

The media are a massive weapon, you have to learn how to control them and use them to your advantage.

[dustynrg]

Yes but a good example is Ashley giving that interview at the weekend. They can't find anything in it they can give a negative spin to so they just completely ignore it.

 

Keane is an ex Man U captain so that labels him a saint, just the same as Smith is ex Man U and he can't be anything else than a fantastic footballer. It's obviously Keegan's fault  that he's turned into a shite footballer. Ferguson played him in midfield as a clever experiment, Keegan played him in midfield because he has no tactical nous whatsoever. And so on and so on.

 

The only way to shut them up is to start winning games, of course that would be labelled a flash in the pan as well.

 

We're never going to win the media war, we just stand together behind the barracades and stick two fingers up at them.

[UV]

yes it's possible and yes it's wise.

 

after a while the fans will get used to the idea thast the press have no idea what is happening (it's already started) then the press will face the ridicule,print objectivly or print nowt.

 

I hope you're right. It'll take a long time before it gets to that stage though IMO.

the press will help. with nothing to print they keep on making up stuff or making mountains out of nowt and each day turn more people against them. it has already started happening this summer.

 

Ridiculously naive IYAM.

 

The vast majority of supporters do not scour internet forums for reasoned debate and form their own opinions. They believe what gets drummed into them from all sides by the media which feeds off any rumour it can get it's hands on. Even on here, most believe we were in for Aimar , Turam, etc, without anything whatsoever from the club itself to back that up. It's been seen before, no matter how ridiculous the story the "there's no smoke without fire" brigade will come out. So far Ashley is still in his honeymoon period for most, but that will last no more than another mid-table season. If he carries on letting the media set the agenda, and refuses to deny the stories they come up with, by the end of the season I believe a large number of supporters will have turned against him whether justified or not, and any negative story that come up will be believed.

 

The media will produce stories about NUFC whether the club feeds them the stories or not. If they work with the media, then there's at least a chance the press will be positive. If they force the media to rely on rumour and hearsay, then there is absolutely no chance of that press showing the club in a positive light.