Cut The Advertising - Give Us More Real News

THE essence of mainstream media can be distilled into that great, now 100-year-old quote from William Randolph Hearst, the great American media tycoon, immortalised in Orson Welles' movie masterpiece 'Citizen Kane.'

William Randolph Hearst - definied the difference between news and advertising

Old Bill, who knew a thing or ten about selling papers, said: “News is something someone doesn't want revealed – everything else is advertising.” So, right now, the churnalists and stenographers in the mainstream Scottish media, are doing a wonderful job advertising Scottish Football, but a lousy job in getting Scottish football news out to the football public.

So, while breathlessly telling us that Rangers crushed the Brazilian equivalent of Albion Rovers 1-0 in Orlando, will, perhaps, persuade a few additional punters to shell-out for today's Daily Ranger, the report says nothing about the real story around Rangers, which is – the club could well re-enter (if you accept the current Rangers as a continuation of the club formed in 1872) or (if you follow the “new club” line), enter administration, sometime between now and the end of the season.

To be aware of this possible scenario, you need to be “an obsessive” - a Celtic fan who reads the Donegal Blogger's blog, or one of the other off-message non-mainstream media outlets, such as the one you are currently browsing.

All is not well with Rangers. The club does not have a credit line at any bank; it is dependant for survival on “soft loans” from directors and well-heeled fans. It has an absentee Chairman, who has been described by a leading South African judge as: “A glib and shameless liar” and who is up to his knees in court cases in Scotland, and has singularly failed to keep any of the promises he has made as regard funding the club he leads.

A wee tip of the hat here to the four-named Donegal Blogger, for a quite brilliant line yesterday. Describing how, in his opinion, The King based south of the Limpopo has based his stewardship of Rangers on operating on “OPM – Other People's Money”, he described the King's financial dealings as: “the OPM of the masses.”

 

  The Donegal Blogger - an obsessive, yes, but so-often ahead of the mainstream

Now old Phil Four Names gets treated with scorn and derision by the RRM – that's Real Rainjurrz Men – by the mainstream media and yes, he is I suppose, an obsessive, who has taken schadenfreude to excess, but, that does not say he is wrong. And, he is giving the highly-paid troops of the Scottish Football Writers Association and their elite senior officer class – the Lap Top Loyal, weekly lessons on unearthing real news, and not simply being an advertising copy writer.

With the return this season of the mid-season break, the churnalists and stenographers again have two shots at doing what they do best, printing “Jackie Baillie” - the new approved Scottish synonym for pish – fed them by agents etc. I refer of course to the transfer speculation which fills space when nothing else is happening.

Ah, remember those heady days when, for every £5 Celtic spent, Rangers would spend £10. What fun we had, reading how one or other of the Bigot Brothers was about to buy everyone from Diego Maradona to Wan Fittit, who was unhappy with the resigning offer Invertottie Howkers' manager Wullie Singum had made him. What rollicking summer entertainment, and all pure Jackie Baillie.

Well, they are at it again right now, with the January window open. By the way, who leaves a window wide open, in Scotland, in January, and expects anything good to come of it?

At the moment, Rangers are apparently “eyeing” Burnley's Scott Arfield. Of course they can look, but, if anyone really believes Rangers can in their current state of financial embarrassment, make a realistic offer for a guy on English Premiership wages – well, they ought to seek treatment.

The Ibrox club are also, apparently, in a three-way tug-of-war with Kilmarnock and Hearts for out-of-favour Norwich and Scotland man Stevie Naismith. Stevie is 31 now, and probably looking for that last reasonably-big signing-on fee, to top-up his retirement pot. The notion of coming back up the road will appeal, he could lengthen his playing career in Scotland compared with England – but, he has always been a Stewarton boy, so, perhaps is drawn to a choice between Killie and Rangers, rather than going to foreign climes in Edinburgh.

As a Killie fan – I would love to see him return to his first club; a final hurrah of the Boyd/Naismith partnership, under the terrific managership of another Ayrshire boy who has come home from England, Stevie Clarke – what's not to like here in East Ayrshire.

 Steven Naismith when he had hair - I wouldn't mind seeing him back in these colours

He TUPE-toed out of Rangers at a time of financial turmoil, I doubt if he would fancy going back there when the financial turmoil is still ongoing. And, in any case, the question has to be asked – can Rangers afford to recruit him? I think not.

I mean, they were meant to be buying Jamie Murphy; that has turned into a loan deal. We hear players have to be moved on, before they can be replaced, and other clubs are not exactly lining-up to take the dead wood off Graeme Murty's hands.

Rangers have Andy Halliday and Michael O'Halloran back on the books, after they were cast aside by Pedro the Portuguese – can they afford to take on anyone else?

Maybe, getting answers these pertinent questions, would be a better use of scarce and costly staff journalists' time than breathlessly re-printing agents' flyers and repeating transfer tittle-tattle. But, as always with the Scottish dead trees press, there is the number one rule – don't upset Ra Peepul or the Celtic Family with bad news, or, they will stop buying the paper.

Well, I have news for adherents to this credo – the public has been less-inclined to buy your papers over the last few years, and a few stories which embarrass football clubs is not going to make the circulation downturn any worse. Indeed, a few good, true stories, as opposed to glossy PR for two clubs, just might maintain your falling circulations.