MOTD - Media Bias Against City

[leomcfc]

One last post I'm forwarding for Stuart Brennan sent as a pm via Bluemoon:

Thanks for sticking my replies up - I have tried to register to answer directly, but am awaiting approval.
Maybe one last time?

Few questions Leo
1. Why would we have an anti-City agenda? Do you know of ANY business that sets out to deliberately antagonise large numbers of its target market?
2. What is the evidence that the MEN "softened its stance" on City? You think the MEN would have told me if that was going to happen. I can assure you they didn't. You made that up, didn't you?
3. You said we showed pictures of Munich for "days" after the Liverpool v Utd game. Then you changed it to claim you had "seen a picture"
4. We didn't mention Utd fans chanting at Anfield? What is this then? http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... nsive-fans
5. It wasn't a "couple of City fans", it was large numbers singing "Who put the ball in the Munichs net" at Blackburn and West Ham, and other games - I could clearly hear it from the press box.

You haven't backed up any of your wild claims, but don't let that get in the way of the truth


As I said earlier I sent SB a pm via my Bluemoon account advising him of the discussions about MEN on this forum. These are his replies. I am not Stuart Brennan and have no connection with him or the MEN.
I do however think it is fair play of him to respond to comments.
He has done the same in the past on Bluemoon and I think an open discussion with feedback from us fans is to be welcomed and encouraged. As a City fan I think we should treat all people with respect.

Ok Stuart .
1. I do not know why you took this anti-city agenda. That would be a question for you not me. Maybe because you support united?? Oh no you don't do you. That's right , you used to.
2.ok, let me tell you a couple of things. I follow city home and away. You get to know people etc. There is a lad we all know who works at the MEN. He has told many people the MEN are worried about the paper with city fans. And that the reporters are being much more careful with what they are saying now. Lots of people on here have noticed the attitude seemed to have changed over the past few months. Is this just by chance?????
3.ok there seems to be confusion on this one. The MEN had a backpage spread of both pictures. I don't remember if was before or after the game. To be honest I'm not bothered about this, this is me just getting to my main point.
4.so you did report on the anfield chanting ?? What is it, on an inside page somewhere like a SUN apology ? How come nowt else about when united played Leeds in the league cup last season either? I thought you went back page headlines when this sort of thing happened. Or is this just with city ?
5. And finally , the main thing for me. This is where it all stems from for me and many many blues.
We had just won the semi final, we played Blackburn on the Monday night at ewood. I was there. Yes there was a loud chant of who put the ball in the munichs net, yaya yaya toure. We won the game with a dzeko late goal.
Now the next day it was all about the song. We were all puzzled as blues cos , we were going for the cup and top 4. We know the nationals hate the fact we have money etc. So why did the MEN go with negative stuff?? Why never report on Carlos tevez is a blue, he hates munichs which went on all season and much louder. Seemed a very storage way to go. Especially at such an important. Before this I'd heard people slagging the evening news and just thought, whatever, your paranoid mate.
So the next game. Sunday vs west ham. Again I was there in the singing section. I'd say about 15-20 people sang it, and they were trying to rally others saying, come on lads, that twat brennan gonna start telling us what we can sing is he. To be honest, nobody cared and the main response was, arsed mate, I just don't buy it.
The next day, back page headline, "defiant" city fans still sing Munich . Once again our local paper had gone negative at a crucial time for us. The SUN (think it was the sun) followed with saying dzeko done an aeroplane gesture when he had scored ( pathetic) and as for Colin bell. I know for a fact your paper went to him and asked his opinion on fans singing Munich . Colin replied as most of us decent blues would and said it was wrong.
Bottom line is Stuart . As far as a lot of us are concerned. And I don't mean a handful . I mean a lot of blues who travel all over with city. We feel you and your paper tried to throw a spanner in the works at a vital time.
That is why we don't trust you or your paper.
If ive picked up on anything off others on my travels that isn't true then I hold up my hands. But there is no way your turning the Munich chanting headlines. You can say whatever you want. Call me a liar , twist the words etc. But there are a lot of blues who won't forget that. Me being one of them.
Leo

[Dameerto]

One point about the chanting, if they were after the Champion's League match where Yaya scored against Bayern don't forget the fabled City-humour factor.

[Wonderwall]

I have activated Stuart's account

[Mase]

I have activated Stuart's account

Brilliant. I can abuse the rag and know he'll get to read it.

[Chinners]

As I said earlier I sent SB a pm via my Bluemoon account advising him of the discussions about MEN on this forum. These are his replies. I am not Stuart Brennan and have no connection with him or the MEN.
I do however think it is fair play of him to respond to comments.
He has done the same in the past on Bluemoon and I think an open discussion with feedback from us fans is to be welcomed and encouraged. As a City fan I think we should treat all people with respect.

Bang on to that. Fine by me and good work WW

[Chinners]

I have activated Stuart's account

Brilliant. I can abuse the rag and know he'll get to read it.

How about having as constructive and as abusefree debate as possible instead Mase?. I'm sure you wouldn't want to give any ammo would you. This site, in the main has a more adult clientel remember ... don't let the lads and the site down is my stance tbh.

Welcome Stuart , I'm Chinners and talk bollox on here most days, in fact most would agree that the previous 70 odd words are a typical example of my bollox at work. So how's life down at the MuEN then?

[Mase]

How about having as constructive and as abusefree debate as possible instead Mase?. I'm sure you wouldn't want to give any ammo would you. This site, in the main has a more adult clientel remember ... don't let the lads and the site down is my stance tbh.

Like when the rags all came on and joined to stick the boot in after the 4-3 at OT when Hughes was in charge? That's just one occasion I remember off the top of my head. There's been loads.

Most people on here have been calling him all sorts. Well now that he's on you better back yourself up!

[Beefymcfc]

It will be very interesting to see what the views of the MEN are. I have many observations, good and bad, and with a direct line could actually find the truth behind my thoughts.

[Beefymcfc]

How about having as constructive and as abusefree debate as possible instead Mase?. I'm sure you wouldn't want to give any ammo would you. This site, in the main has a more adult clientel remember ... don't let the lads and the site down is my stance tbh.

Like when the rags all came on and joined to stick the boot in after the 4-3 at OT when Hughes was in charge? That's just one occasion I remember off the top of my head. There's been loads.

Most people on here have been calling him all sorts. Well now that he's on you better back yourself up!

Let's not forget how they swarmed after the 6-1 (I'll repeat, Sick Swan), they were all over it, throwing the shit, kicking r ass. If I remember rightly?







































*Brought to you by 'Altzheimer's are us'*

[stuart brennan]

Right

1. So now you think it’s me that is setting an anti-City agenda, because you deem me to be a United fan! I thought you were implying it was some kind of bizarre MEN policy to do City down. I’d have to be pretty dumb to pursue an anti-City agenda which would be damaging to my company – I suggest they would sack me if that was the case. The only alternative is that the MEN, is deliberately trying to damage its own commercial interests by alienating a substantial number of its customers. It really is idiotic stuff, leo.
The City press office is staffed by very good professionals, people who know the media inside out, and none of them have every suggested to me, or the sports editor, or the editor, that we have an agenda against City.
If they thought we did, they would be after us very quickly. On the contrary, we have a good relationship – they accept that sometimes the MEN will give the club stick, as we are not a mouthpiece for them, and they also appreciate the good, positive coverage which we also give, but which you choose to ignore.
So, are you suggesting City’s press office are abandoning their duty, or maybe they are all Rags, all part of this subliminal plot to destroy City?
2. The Munich chant thing will always draw criticism from the MEN, and from all right-minded people – I know plenty of Blues who are disgusted by it. The stuff about it “not being about Munich but United’s exploitation of the disaster” just doesn’t wash. You should put your energy into stopping it happening rather than whingeing about the MEN reporting on it. I had no input into the two stories you mention, other than confirming to the sports editor that I heard it.
But at that time, the Munich docu-drama was on TV, leading to a lot of debate, and we carried Colin Bell’s plea – not mine, not the MEN’s, but that closet Rag and anti-City agenda merchant Colin Bell.
I honestly don’t recall if it was back page or not, and at the moment have no way of checking, as I have no archive at home.
3. The “lad” who works at the MEN is talking shit, whoever he is. Unless he is the editor, the sports editor, news editor, or sports news reporter Mike Keegan, he wouldn’t be in this made-up loop. I would suggest he is telling you stuff about which he has no clue, to make it sound like he inows what’s going on. At no point in my three-plus years as City reporter have I been told to harden or soften my stance on City – and you would think they would tell me, wouldn‘t you? If you think I’m lying, there is little point in me continuing, as you have got it into your head that there is some kind of weird conspiracy going on, and nothing will convince you otherwise. If you want to call me a liar to my face, I’m in the press box every home game, and would be more than happy to discuss it.
4. WE tried to “throw a spanner in the works”, did we? Again, commercially, City being successful, and Utd being successful, is commercial gold for us. Sales go up, advertising goes up, our profile goes up. We win when City win, and when United win. I wanted City to win the title last year, on a professional level, because it was a great thing to write about, and because there are a lot of people at City, including several players, for whom I have the utmost respect and who I like as people. City doing well over the last two years has been great for the MEN, and for me personally, and we will always support them as a paper – but that doesn’tmean we won’t have a pop when we think things are wrong, and it doesn’t mean we will always get it right. We have made mistakes, but we make them with both clubs – United, and Fergie in particular, think we are pro-City, which is equally laughable.
I’m not going to keep coming back on here, because I suspect I am wasting my breath, but it just takes a bit of sober judgment and perspective to see that we have no agenda.
Oh, those people like Dougie who think “once a United fan, always a United fan” don’t understand the nature of this job.
As a football fan, you only see red and blue, and make your choice. In this job, other factors come into play. I have been up close to United and didn’t like what I saw – I was No. 2 on United a few years ago, and was eventually blackballed by the club for covering the Glazer takeover, and met a lot of people at the club, some who used to be my heroes, who I simply didn’t like.
I have no affection for United now, at all, other than for my memories of years ago, when they were a football club, not a brand. Again, everyone who knows me, red or blue, will tell you that to be the case, and it happened years before I was given the City job, so it isn’t just convenient. I last went to Old Trafford as a supporter in 1989, and I will never go back there other than in a professional capacity.

[leomcfc]

Right

1. So now you think it’s me that is setting an anti-City agenda, because you deem me to be a United fan! I thought you were implying it was some kind of bizarre MEN policy to do City down. I’d have to be pretty dumb to pursue an anti-City agenda which would be damaging to my company – I suggest they would sack me if that was the case. The only alternative is that the MEN, is deliberately trying to damage its own commercial interests by alienating a substantial number of its customers. It really is idiotic stuff, leo.
The City press office is staffed by very good professionals, people who know the media inside out, and none of them have every suggested to me, or the sports editor, or the editor, that we have an agenda against City.
If they thought we did, they would be after us very quickly. On the contrary, we have a good relationship – they accept that sometimes the MEN will give the club stick, as we are not a mouthpiece for them, and they also appreciate the good, positive coverage which we also give, but which you choose to ignore.
So, are you suggesting City’s press office are abandoning their duty, or maybe they are all Rags, all part of this subliminal plot to destroy City?
2. The Munich chant thing will always draw criticism from the MEN, and from all right-minded people – I know plenty of Blues who are disgusted by it. The stuff about it “not being about Munich but United’s exploitation of the disaster” just doesn’t wash. You should put your energy into stopping it happening rather than whingeing about the MEN reporting on it. I had no input into the two stories you mention, other than confirming to the sports editor that I heard it.
But at that time, the Munich docu-drama was on TV, leading to a lot of debate, and we carried Colin Bell’s plea – not mine, not the MEN’s, but that closet Rag and anti-City agenda merchant Colin Bell.
I honestly don’t recall if it was back page or not, and at the moment have no way of checking, as I have no archive at home.
3. The “lad” who works at the MEN is talking shit, whoever he is. Unless he is the editor, the sports editor, news editor, or sports news reporter Mike Keegan, he wouldn’t be in this made-up loop. I would suggest he is telling you stuff about which he has no clue, to make it sound like he inows what’s going on. At no point in my three-plus years as City reporter have I been told to harden or soften my stance on City – and you would think they would tell me, wouldn‘t you? If you think I’m lying, there is little point in me continuing, as you have got it into your head that there is some kind of weird conspiracy going on, and nothing will convince you otherwise. If you want to call me a liar to my face, I’m in the press box every home game, and would be more than happy to discuss it.
4. WE tried to “throw a spanner in the works”, did we? Again, commercially, City being successful, and Utd being successful, is commercial gold for us. Sales go up, advertising goes up, our profile goes up. We win when City win, and when United win. I wanted City to win the title last year, on a professional level, because it was a great thing to write about, and because there are a lot of people at City, including several players, for whom I have the utmost respect and who I like as people. City doing well over the last two years has been great for the MEN, and for me personally, and we will always support them as a paper – but that doesn’tmean we won’t have a pop when we think things are wrong, and it doesn’t mean we will always get it right. We have made mistakes, but we make them with both clubs – United, and Fergie in particular, think we are pro-City, which is equally laughable.
I’m not going to keep coming back on here, because I suspect I am wasting my breath, but it just takes a bit of sober judgment and perspective to see that we have no agenda.
Oh, those people like Dougie who think “once a United fan, always a United fan” don’t understand the nature of this job.
As a football fan, you only see red and blue, and make your choice. In this job, other factors come into play. I have been up close to United and didn’t like what I saw – I was No. 2 on United a few years ago, and was eventually blackballed by the club for covering the Glazer takeover, and met a lot of people at the club, some who used to be my heroes, who I simply didn’t like.
I have no affection for United now, at all, other than for my memories of years ago, when they were a football club, not a brand. Again, everyone who knows me, red or blue, will tell you that to be the case, and it happened years before I was given the City job, so it isn’t just convenient. I last went to Old Trafford as a supporter in 1989, and I will never go back there other than in a professional capacity.

Stuart you have just wrote a lot but not answered my question.
Why , at such an important time for city did your paper concentrate on a few clowns instead of city charging to the top four and our first trophy? Them clowns have sang Munich for years , so why then?? And why was the chanting united fans did (on a few occasions ) never made such a fuss over??

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Can I just say fair play to Stuart for coming to debate.

Other than that I'm sure the truth is somewhere in the middle. I doubt there is some giant conspiracy, but united as they do with every outlet, always seem to cop it a lot lighter than us.

I remember reading for over a week leading up to the Munich anniversary derby about how we better behave and not disgrace our club, yet all the trouble I read about on here from their scummy fans never made the news.

Some of us just take the softly softly stance on them to be a slight to us. It happens.

[Ted Hughes]

Fair play to Stuart Brennan for replying to the various criticisms.

Imo, as I posted earlier, on the whole he's done a good & fair job reporting on City, but not the same same kind of job as he did when reporting on Utd, where he was part of the Pravda machine.

Probably that's a subconscious thing, but imo it's true nontheless. The traditional big 4 types get a better press for their peformances as their fans expect it.

And that's how I think it works in the media; it's not a concious effort to do City down, (well it is with a few people but not the majority) it's a case of pandering to the mentality of certain clubs. If Stuart had reported on Utd coming back from a goal down, with ten men, he would mark them higher. When he was the Utd reporter, he gave them the same kind of marks as the current bloke does, ie; an average Utd performance ranks higher than a top notch City one.

It's the same with the Liverpool & the London media mafia.

They always deny this, and then they do it again.

Brennan is much better than most tbf.


Spencer on the other hand..

[john68]

Stuart,
I sincerely hope that having posted, you have stuck around to see what responses you have got. Welcome to the site and like Chinners, I will treat both yourself and the issue of any MuEN bias with respect.

I have supported City since 1956 and can assure you that the issue of biased reporting has been a genuine and honestly held issue with City fans for many many years. Even the great Eric Thornton referred to it in his book on City, published in 1969. I am not an idiot and am reasonably educated and well read, so you can trust me when I assert that alongside the vast majority of City fans, over the years, I too have found much of the MuEN reportage on City as extremely negative, false, politically driven and insulting.

Please confirm that you are willing to take part in this discussion and I will happily raise issues in a respectful manner. It would serve both sides well to clear the air. I don't know many City fans who now buy/subscribe to your paper, so maybe the commercial damage has already been done.

[twosips]

we all take football too seriously

[Swales4ever]

welcome mr. Brennan,
if You want to exchange opinions with sensible and open minded Citizens, this is certainly the place to be.
Fair play to You, as towards everyone wise enough to look after debate and mutual understanding.

I am an Italian City mad with a limited vocabulary, who use to read Your works since long, as the sole worth contribution offered by the Manchester United Evening News to the market of the so called information.
I made myself convinced that You are a smart bitch, who decently knows footy and his trade and tries his honest best to broke between his understanding of reality and his employers' policy. as a small businessman used to deal on international open market, while facing the everyday's corruption and mess of my broken Country, there are very few in better position to sympathise with You... ;)

You'll certainly get on here better Blues, more idiomatically fitted than me to exchange opinions and I genuinely hope You'll stick around steadily, for the mutual benefit of Your profession (this is a gorgeous source of down-to-earth info) and the cause of a better and more fair press for the Blue Moon Rising: something that, I am sure You are aware of, mr. Gill, mr. Rummenigge and his board of very influential German Financial Leaders and the G14 can only try and slower but will never able to stop. Well, not more successfully than the Catholic Popes in stopping the evolution of the Science, anyway.
And that's why I am convinced that You are trying to make Your path towards a more fair representation of a Brand that is gonna feed the media bitching for many of the next years to come, when our beloved Agents Glazers will have finished to drain every wealth from the current media driving Brand.
Still I almost struggle to see and read why the Evil Arabs are "ruining the English Game" by injecting money in the domestic Football system and in the economy of Manchester, while using the English Fans' money to save a US wholesales chain from bail out ain't, but You know... perhaps the oppointment of the CEO of the currently dominant Football Club as FA Vice Chairman will help to sort things out for the better... You know, media are there to inform the public opinion: to know in order to deliberate, they once taught me...

Just for a positive start:

please stop using the public opinions and statements issued by mr. Ferguson, as means of equidistance: it just constitute an insult to Your intelligence.

start working on a serious review of the last and current season rulings on the pitch, and by the FA disciplinary bodies, of both City and United games (each and every one, including FA Cup, devising every aspects, not only goalscoring situations, like when mr. Rooney got his first yellow card last season? or why referees like Mark Clattemburg seems unable to watch an elbow struck on to Balotelli face in front of his eyes as if he was the most cynical editor from the sport desk of the cheapest tabloid?), and edit Your fair and smart assessment on the paper which feed Your family: You may find Your self in few troubles in the short term, but You might also end up to be regarded as one of the most long sighting sport editors, along with Martin Samuel, in the near future.

Failing that, I'll be glad to read Your point of view on honest professional mistakes: as I said I am Italian, hence I am aware that the Family comes first.

welcome on the board, Sir Stuart.

and nice one, Bob. I told You are a clever politician... ;)

[kinkylola]

I think big Stu will get a kick out of you mancio

[stuart brennan]

I've never been called a smart bitch before. I like it . . i think.
Off to Amsterdam shortly so will try to answer Leo's point as soon as i get a minute. Might have to wait until i get back!
Thanks for the welcomes. I honestly appreciate criticism when it is reasonable but can't be doing with the crazy stuff

[Swales4ever]

Ciao Stu,
I think it was commonly acknowledged that almost all senior editors are bitching, at least since Walt Cronkite resigned: calling a senior editor of a regional paper's sport desk a "smart bitch" is a compliment in my books, giving the profession.

I am due, in a quarter, to meet a Greek Shipowner who is begging for the settlement of a major casualty claimed by his fleet.
Although, I too will be interested in replying to Your stance: I take You assume to know better psychiatry than football, but I'll try to redirect the debate on players taunting referees and never booked for almost a seasons, conflict of interests never commented by the press, etc.

Crazy, then...

Meanwhile, have a nice trip: we look forward to reading Your reports from the Netherlands. Try and make as less honest mistakes as possible. You are lucky enough to have a 24 hrs gap from the United match, when You'll assess players rating, this time.

[King Kev]

As John68 says, the media bias against City is not a new thing, it goes back decades. However, it does still exist and I have never heard a good explanation of why it is there.

In my opinion, the Manchester Evening News is one of the more fair news outlets. Maybe because it is a local paper and carries more articles about City then it follows that it will carry more negative stories about our club?

What bothers me more than the media sniping is the City fans who chose to join them rather than telling them where to go. An example of this was when City fans were slagged off for singing 'Who Put The Ball In The Munich's Net' - Normally this would have gone pretty much unnoticed just like many other songs that mention 'Munich' but are not actually about the air crash. However, some press jumped on it and told the nation that City fans are scum and that we think it is great that people were killed in a plane crash. This clearly was not the case, but many City fans chose to jump on their self-righteous high horses and side with the media. (I am not saying that it is right or wrong to refer to united as Munichs, I am simply questioning the timing of the media reports and many fans willingness to go along with them)

As long as people are prepared to believe everything that the media feeds us, they will continue with their agenda against our club.