Caroline Wilson - Woof Verdict

[Ghost Dog]

Caroline Wilson

She does seem to get it wrong from time to time ( recent Bombers player revolt meeting, her 'sourced' comments on Collingwood V St Kilda spat which were claimed to be fabricated, Her article on James Brayshaw a few weeks ago with disputed facts )

Anyone else have an issue with her writing?

What is the woof verdict on Caroline Wilson.

[bornadog]

I don't think she makes it up, where there is smoke there is fire. Having said that, I don't enjoy the tone of her articles and rarely read them these days.

[Jasper]

Caro's job is to sell papers with sensational headlines.
Clearly there are people in the football world that are now using her to run their personal campaigns. The Bombers saga is a clear example of that.
Obviously she gets sucked in by the "scandalous" aspect of these stories and runs with them.

Hutchy clearly decided to embarass her on Monday night and did a fairly good job with the Brayshaw stuff.

It would be good if she could write a positive article for a change.
She'd be a great writer for a reality show, always sell the drama

[Greystache]

I read the footy section of the paper to read about football not back office politics. Her knowledge of the game itself appears limited at best and hence she prefers to focus on the off field gossip. For me she's football's equivalent of a womans day journalist and I have no interest in reading it.

[ledge]

I read the footy section of the paper to read about football not back office politics. Her knowledge of the game itself appears limited at best and hence she prefers to focus on the off field gossip. For me she's football's equivalent of a womans day journalist and I have no interest in reading it.

You hit the nail on the head there.

[mighty_west]

She is a shock jock journo, always has been, in a similar way to Steve Price on radio, she should be writing for the Truth newspaper.

She tends to generalize alot, and add a little salt & pepper to spice things up somewhat.

When Caro is quizzed, she bangs on about saying that "the majority of fans would think this way"..who? a few workmates in the Age office?

A parasite.

[Ozza]

I read the footy section of the paper to read about football not back office politics. Her knowledge of the game itself appears limited at best and hence she prefers to focus on the off field gossip. For me she's football's equivalent of a womans day journalist and I have no interest in reading it.

This is not to say or like or dislike Caroline Wilson - but the politics of football is exactly what she is employed to do.

She is not a football expert, doesn't claim to be a football expert and doesn't do match reports or analysis.
Her job is to report on the Politics of football, the club structures, the AFL administration and various stakeholders in the game.
If you're not interested in that side of the game - thats fine - it can definitely be a bit tedious at times - but Football is in many ways a very large business - and some people are interested in Football - the Industry - and Clubs as the Companies/Businesses.

[mighty_west]

I read the footy section of the paper to read about football not back office politics. Her knowledge of the game itself appears limited at best and hence she prefers to focus on the off field gossip. For me she's football's equivalent of a womans day journalist and I have no interest in reading it.

I don't mind so much journo's focusing on the off field, there are many journo's these days on tv, breaking stories etc etc, what i don't like is bullshit, stretching truths, generalising etc, Caro is good at doing that.

[Remi Moses]

Agree I think some Caro stories are vindictive and she does waffle on like a No Idea journo.
I think she's right on Brayshaw though,he did stand up and say that North will play all home games in Melbourne.I recall 10 News going with the speech .Hutchison and Lyon were sticking up for their mate!

[Murphy'sLore]

Well I must say, as a football lay-person and newbie, I am fascinated by the off-field politics, intrigues, vendettas etc and I'm interested in the material that Caro writes about. I accept that she gets it wrong sometimes but what journalist doesn't? I suspect Caro is judged by a harsher standard than others a) because her field is of its nature more speculative and rumour-based than straight match analysis, and b) because she's a chick and therefore by definition she's not qualified to make observations about football.

What sickens me is watching Hutchy and the other boofheads on FC attack her week after week as if their masculinity is at stake by merely allowing a woman in the room. It's embarrassing.

[Greystache]

This is not to say or like or dislike Caroline Wilson - but the politics of football is exactly what she is employed to do.

She is not a football expert, doesn't claim to be a football expert and doesn't do match reports or analysis.
Her job is to report on the Politics of football, the club structures, the AFL administration and various stakeholders in the game.
If you're not interested in that side of the game - thats fine - it can definitely be a bit tedious at times - but Football is in many ways a very large business - and some people are interested in Football - the Industry - and Clubs as the Companies/Businesses.

That's fair enough, Womans Day journalists are paid to report on Bec Hewitt's latest emotional setback, that doesn't mean they do it well, or that they even have the facts at hand that they claim they do. Yet people still read it, so they keep writing it.

[Greystache]

b) because she's a chick and therefore by definition she's not qualified to make observations about football.

What sickens me is watching Hutchy and the other boofheads on FC attack her week after week as if their masculinity is at stake by merely allowing a woman in the room. It's embarrassing.

I think this is the biggest misnomer in football. Caroline Wilson is more than happy to attack the credibility of people in the football world day in day out from the security of hiding behind her article, yet when people confront her about glaring errors she first- attacks their position as wrong, second- denies black and blue that she's wrong even when the facts are presented for all to see, third- changes her original position to seem as though she was talking about a broader issue rather than specifically about the person she's actually critizised, then finally if all else has failed- plays the "don't criticize me just because I'm a woman" card.

If she would just admit she is wrong when she clearly is no one would be continually attacking her. She is just your typical modern day journalistic bully, happy to dish it out when she has an advantage (being a newspaper article in which people can't directly defend themselves), but when people confront her about it she instantly claims to be the victim.

[Murphy'sLore]

then finally if all else has failed- plays the "don't criticize me just because I'm a woman" card.

Fair enough.

Has she actually played the "don't criticize me because I'm a woman" card? I'm happy to be contradicted but I can't recall an instance when she's actually done this (though as you can see I'm more than ready to do it on her behalf! )

[Greystache]

Yeah she has, usually when she's blatanty wrong and hasn't been able to get them to move on to the next segment, or when they've questioned her place to make particularly personal comments about a senior football identity. She doesn't do it all that much.

[Murphy'sLore]

I must say I'm disappointed to hear that. It does weaken her position to play that card. Though having said that, it is a boys' club and I admire her for even getting in there (notwithstanding her flaws).