Birmingham Mail and Villa coverage

[ciggiesnbeer]

An opinion piece from the local music journalist. Which begs the question, why ask him to write a negative opinion about Villa (when he doesn't seem to write anything else about sports) and when you see how awful it is, why publish it?

[PeterWithesShin]

Can anyone spot the difference between them?

Yup, one of them is an opinion piece backing the integrity of a Villa player and refuting the suggestion that he would only want to leave Villa because of money.

The other is just reporting that West Brom might sell one of their better players.

Yes because that's the only difference isn't it.

[dave.woodhall]

If you think the Mail's coverage of us is balanced then your dictionary must have a different definition of the word to mine.   

For what seems to be the hundredth time, I don't think I've said that I think that at any point.

Look.

I've not said that it is balanced. I've said that it should be balanced.

But you're perfectly happy with them being blatantly unbalanced, provided it's against us.

[Dave]

But you're perfectly happy with them being blatantly unbalanced, provided it's against us.

I genuinely can't see where you would get that idea from.

Presumably not here:

The Howell piece was still an absolute embarrassment though.

Or here:

They should praise when appropriate and criticize when appropriate.

Or here:

They should be reporting things accurately, not with a negative slant and not with a positive slant.

[dave.woodhall]

But you're perfectly happy with them being blatantly unbalanced, provided it's against us.

I genuinely can't see where you would get that idea from.

Presumably not here:

The Howell piece was still an absolute embarrassment though.

Or here:

They should praise when appropriate and criticize when appropriate.

Or here:

They should be reporting things accurately, not with a negative slant and not with a positive slant.

Sorry, I must have imagined that you've just spent an hour or so defending them.

[Dave]

Sorry, I must have imagined that you've just spent an hour or so defending them.

No, I've spent parts of an hour explaining that I think journalism is better when it is balanced, not partisan. If you've decided to take from that I want to have Bill Howell's children then that's not my problem.

But any time that you want to let me know where I've said that I'm "perfectly happy with them being blatantly unbalanced, provided it's against us", feel free to point it out.

[tomd2103]

An opinion piece from the local music journalist. Which begs the question, why ask him to write a negative opinion about Villa (when he doesn't seem to write anything else about sports) and when you see how awful it is, why publish it?

It's the article about John Barnes thinking Benteke should go to Liverpool that I don't really get.  Why an earth is that appearing on the website of a Birmingham paper?

[dave.woodhall]

Sorry, I must have imagined that you've just spent an hour or so defending them.

No, I've spent parts of an hour explaining that I think journalism is better when it is balanced, not partisan. If you've decided to take from that I want to have Bill Howell's children then that's not my problem.

But any time that you want to let me know where I've said that I'm "perfectly happy with them being blatantly unbalanced, provided it's against us", feel free to point it out.

There's the way you compare one report of a newspaper story which they themselves call gossip and consider it equal to one of their reporters talking about selling Benteke and a lengthy piece from John Barnes on the same subject for a start.

[ciggiesnbeer]

An opinion piece from the local music journalist. Which begs the question, why ask him to write a negative opinion about Villa (when he doesn't seem to write anything else about sports) and when you see how awful it is, why publish it?

It's the article about John Barnes thinking Benteke should go to Liverpool that I don't really get.  Why an earth is that appearing on the website of a Birmingham paper?

Indeed!

[olaftab]

Well Barnes did make that comment and it's  being reported as it was and lot of people on here would agree that Benteke  should play in the Champion League in the near future and that's unlikely to be with us.

Not aware of aware of "hate" or "violence" comment so if correct than  that writer is a twat.

Haha you're either a paperboy or a mail journo

Mail journo on bank holidays and paperboy rest of the time.

[dave.woodhall]

Well Barnes did make that comment and it's  being reported as it was and lot of people on here would agree that Benteke  should play in the Champion League in the near future and that's unlikely to be with us.

Not aware of aware of "hate" or "violence" comment so if correct than  that writer is a twat.

Haha you're either a paperboy or a mail journo

Mail journo on bank holidays and paperboy rest of the time.

I think the best line I've ever written was "When I heard George Gavin was working for the Mail I naturally assumed he'd got a paper round."

[PeterWithesShin]

A recent comment from a typical balanced Villa article.

As an ex media man I have seen this in the Mail for years and I am aware of the subtle, hostile and anti Villa rhetoric. I know all teams will claim that their club doesn't get a fair deal, but the anti Villa bias is simply astounding. The current situation is that we have gone from having scored just 12 goals by February and being relegation certs, to survival with a game to spare, a win at Wembley under our belts and the first local team in an FA Cup Final since . . . . . . . . . . The Villa in 2000. We play our final game of the season against Burnley on Sunday in a game that all the tickets sold out days ago. Our main striker is actually Europes leading striker over the last 11 games. We have just signed Scott Sinclair on a 4 year contract. We have an FA Cup in just over a week and the potential for another trip to Wembley in August to play Chelsea and European Football to come back to the City.

So bearing this in mind why are the stories about why Benteke should be sold and rehashing of Livepool Echo stories of why he should go to Liverpool and Tony Pulis's views on the Villa getting prominence? It is disgraceful.

The paper should be running competitions to win a pair of tickets. They should be giving away car stickers celebrating the occasion, they should be interviewing fans about what they will be doing on the day. There should be pullouts from previous Wembley visits and posters of all the star players. They should be all over the club like a rash and every story should be positively encouraging Brums biggest supported club. They should be orchestrating best claret and blue decked streets and parties for those that can't get tickets. But no. Nothing. They would rather report on why Benteke should leave Villa. They are a disgrace to the fans and the club.

I am not advocating that they should only report good things. They should be investigative and tell the bad news as well. But there is a time and a place and the Mail know exactly what they are doing by undermining the club. Shame on them.

[saunders_heroes]

Well said.

[Matt Collins]

I think they should be doing all of the pre final excitement stuff - pullouts and competitions and all that


It's not a paper's job to be a cheerleader though. I don't think they should be banning benteke to Liverpool stories or anything like that

[Tony Erdington]

Lets be honest, the mail is on its arse, sales of the paper have dropped year on year, it cant demand the advertising fees for space in its rag, the small minded people that work for it, obviously "villa haters" want to drag down the most successful sporting team in the region. I'd say boycott it, But that has been done already by the people of Birmingham lol