Newcastle United v The Journal is definitely not a score draw. The football club has opened hostilities on the Journal, Sunday Sun and Chronicle over their recent coverage of the protest at the club’s management.
Newcastle United’s head of media stated because ‘the turnout at the march renders your extraordinary coverage completely disproportionate’, all reporters from the Newcastle Journal, Chronicle and Sunday Sun are banned: he added -
‘…the club’s owner, director of football, board of directors and team manager have reached a unanimous decision that the three NCJ Media titles, The Chronicle, The Journal and Sunday Sun, will not be permitted access to any media facilities, press conferences and player interviews at Newcastle United indefinitely and with immediate effect’
The editor of the Chronicle said of the ban:
‘We may be banned but we won’t be gagged. We all want Newcastle United to be successful but it would be nonsense to pretend the fans are happy about what’s going on behind the scenes....It’s important for fans to know that our coverage is informed and independent. We’ve no intention of allowing the club to dictate what we can and can’t print.’
NUFC have to accept that they are in the public domain, and their actions are fair comment. The relationship will get worse if they refuse to let the papers cover the team from up close. It creates a siege mentality.
I get plenty of criticism, and occasional praise, from papers, but provided it is not personal abuse or attacks on my family I accept that by choosing to do a public role my actions as an MP can be criticised; your actions as an MP in the decisions you make as a legislator are fair comment, and my views on how well or badly I have done are often interpreted in a different way by the media. That is their call and their job.
NUFC saying that people have no right to comment adversely - even if a bit over the top - is ill advised, and smacks of throwing your toys out of the pram. NUFC are wrong, and deep down I suspect they know it. Or to put it into football parlance - this is fantasy football thinking at its worse - or possibly playing the man not the ball?
To see what the Chronicle said see here: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/alan-pardew-says-newcastle-united-6252292
