Hugh Keevins has used the prospect of a newspaper ban from Ibrox to wade into Celtic and their media operations.
The veteran Daily Record columnist has spent the last 25 years or so bringing Celtic into any comments that he has about events at Ibrox.
The source of today’s column is that newspaper coverage ahead of matches at Ibrox now consists of being emailed an in-house interview with an Ibrox star from which they can copy and paste the usual spin.
For the midweek match at St Johnstone they were emailed quotes from Gary McAllister and Scott Wright rather than able to ask their own questions, albeit via Zoom, and follow ups. They could also pick up on the broadcast conference available on You Tube.
At Celtic and other clubs, media departments try to make things as real as possible with open questioning but it seems that some newspapers have fallen short of the glowing praise expected from the new Ibrox PR team.
None of the newspapers informed their Army of Readers that their reporters were unable to question McAllister and Wright with the big fear being that a new precedent has been set with no post-match questions at today’s Scottish Cup ties.
In the Daily Record Keevins writes:
One of today’s cup ties, Rangers at home to St Johnstone, fills me with regret from a professional standpoint.
Nothing to do with the game, more the fact newspapers could be denied direct access afterwards to Ibrox manager Steven Gerrard and may need to take what he says from a feed of Rangers TV.
That’s what happened the day before Wednesday night’s league match against Saints when Gary McAllister assumed press duties. No direct questions. No pursuit of an individual line of inquiry. Not good.
With respect, club media, at any team, is about the party line. Celtic’s apology over the ill-fated trip to Dubai in January was delivered by CEO Peter Lawwell on Celtic TV.
Dermot Desmond’s attempt to placate an outraged support disgusted by a shambolic season, admitting “without qualification,” mistakes had been made, took place on the same platform. But which mistakes, specifically, was he talking about? He didn’t say because he was not asked.
And Lawwell wasn’t pressed on the poolside photographs or the players huddled together in a hotel bar without socially distancing themselves because he wasn’t asked, either. That’s where press conferences come in handy.
It is long established that CEO’s, Chairmen and significant shareholders mainly use their own in-house media, Keevins will struggle to find any video interviews or media conferences with Ibrox chairman Douglas Park.
Since investing in Celtic in 1995 Dermot Desmond has never held a media conference, about once a season he has an interview with someone or other, often a golf magazine,this season it was with The Athletic.
There seems little appetite from supporters to provide newspapers with privileged access to players and managers. Fans accept that club media is sterile and doesn’t go after the real issues but trust in newspapers to tackle the real issues died with tales of succulent lamb, a billionaire from Motherwell and the Liquidation Denial.
It goes without saying that the 2011 UEFA licence and 2012 Five Way Agreement are both firmly off the newspaper menu.
Will anyone amongst the SMSM say anything about TRFC’s decision to ban all newspapers from all their press conferences starting tomorrow? The ban is because TRFC folk believe they’ve been treated abysmally by the SMSM since they were formed in 2012. Check out the radio silence. pic.twitter.com/yXwir1C2gq
— David Low (@Heavidor) April 20, 2021
