Journalists not here to spread propaganda
THE idea that news organisations should suppress news when it is waved in front of their faces — as was suggested when photographers appeared to capture the England line-up — is an interesting concept but it is unlikely to catch on. I have very much enjoyed the greater degree of openness that Gareth Southgate and the FA encouraged between the players and the media in the build-up to this tournament. It is pleasing that it has created a more cordial spirit, some barriers being broken down and a raft of excellent interviews with a group of young footballers who are extremely easy to like and whose stories are inspiring to read. As a longterm strategy, it can only yield positives for both sides.
It has also been a pleasure to witness our FA behaving like an organisation ahead of the curve. A few ex-footballers, such as Danny Murphy and Stan Collymore, stuck in the sad old ways of the past, and a lot of angry people on social media have suggested that the price for this new spirit of open dialogue should be for journalists to act as propagandists when it comes to reporting on the England team.
Fortunately, Southgate is smarter than that. ‘I don’t expect the media to be supporters of us in terms of the way they work,’ the England manager said yesterday. ‘They’re here to work. I know they want us to do well.’
That is the beginning and the end of it.
There is no reason why the positivity around the team should not continue to grow.