I'm thinking about: Media Stuff

[mjp]

I feel like I'm contemplating too much these days and some of my time is being consumed by the 'attack dog' level the media have been going at our club.

I'm a 1970's baby and have been following the dogs (I'm a Perth boy) since the early 80's. I've told the story before.

As I grew up, there were clear haves and have-nots. The 'Dogs - along with the Roys, Saints, Dees, Roos and Swans - were the 'NOTS'. The Cats were in the middle. The Hawks won every year so they were a 'Have Not' under zero scrutiny, the Tiges LOST every week so they were a 'HAVE' under pressure. The Blues, Dons and Pies did whatevs. I've no doubt missed someone...

Anyway, as time has gone on:

- The Roys are gone.
- The SWANS are in Sydney and hence now 'FINE'.
- Geelong and Hawthorn have moved out of the middle into the 'top' - Geelong helped by Geography, the Hawks helped by winning loads of flags and getting heaps of supporters as a result.
- The Dees, Saints and Roos still have their hands out to the AFL every year and are really battling on and off the field.

WE have moved ourselves into the middle, We really dont seek AFL financial assistance. The club is - historical law suits that no-one involved today is responsible for - financially stable. We play finals as often as any of the 'big' sides. We have the most acclaimed player (Bont) and the most acclaimed YOUNG player (Darcy) in the game. We have a stable coaching environment with our current senior coach > 10-years into a successful tenure. We were a pioneer of the AFLW AND have created an amazing off-field facility for both mens and womens programs...

So why the hell are we the ones they wanna go after?

If anything, the media should be looking at what the club has been able to do - independently operating in a highly competitive environment and over-coming what was a pretty low base in terms of results on field (though plenty of amazing individual footballers!) and financially off the field.

If ever a club needs a PR Manager it is ours.

[Sedat]

Great thread. I don't recall Clarko being warm and fuzzy with the media while he was busy winning 4 flags, but the gutter scribes have long memories and they are sticking the knife into him hard now that he is struggling at North.

Bevo will never get a good run with certain mouth-pieces - Caro, Barrett, Cornes - and it is a colossal waste of time bothering to try. Tom Morris was on this list but he is no longer as vindictive as the others and has softened his criticism to be more measured and less personal.

Contrary to the narrative, Bevo is cultivating strong media relationships (most of Fox Footy, Josh Gabelich and others), just not with the afore-mentioned clickbait dickheads who are never going to reciprocate. If we become successful with silverware, everything will take care of itself (like Clarko and Hawthorn) with minimal lasting negative impact on the club.

Ch 7 are a shitstain on footy broadcasting and hopefully they lose the rights when they are next up for grabs. They are not making many friends at City Hall or club land with their antics this year.

[Axe Man]

Sam McClure is hosting my clubs sponsors day tomorrow - want me to ask him anything in regards to the club/Bevo and the media? As a channel 9 employee he may be willing to stick the boots into 7.

[mjp]

Sam McClure is hosting my clubs sponsors day tomorrow - want me to ask him anything in regards to the club/Bevo and the media? As a channel 9 employee he may be willing to stick the boots into 7.

Nothing specific mate but I would love to know why the 'bash the dogs' narrative is such a winner.

[Bornadog]

Nothing specific mate but I would love to know why the 'bash the dogs' narrative is such a winner.

Seems to come out from two sources, Channel 9 and Channel 7 - Lots of fossils work there and they are still living in the 80s when it was fashionable to bag us. They haven't been out to Whitten oval since the old stands were there.

[Go_Dogs]

We’re more relevant than the clubs at the bottom and accordingly, there is more to gain by going at us in terms of clicks and subsequent discussion.

When do Essendon become a club in the middle to lower rank? 30 years with no final win???!!!

[Uninformed]

Sometimes you are just harder on the one you love the most

[SonofScray]

Nothing specific mate but I would love to know why the 'bash the dogs' narrative is such a winner.

They have a lot of pre written, pump and dump type of copy on us. Years and years they have just had a handful of stories and talking points to recycle and we as a club gave them the opportunity to keep recycling it.

I think there’s an older guard of journos that probably hang onto that, and the ex opposition players are locked into it because that was their experience of our club and they potentially carry the bad blood with them.

Maybe people are uncomfortable with the idea that we’ve become something different. We mightn’t have done quite enough for it to be accepted yet.

[jeemak]

People generally don't want to celebrate minnows rising. There's an order to be maintained and they're hellbent on maintaining it for as long as they can.

Though I agree with Sedat, we're cultivating good relationships in the media outside of Ch7 and Damian Barrett - and we'll win those battles eventually. People are getting sick of the nastiness, it has a shelf life.

[GVGjr]

So why the hell are we the ones they wanna go after?

If anything, the media should be looking at what the club has been able to do - independently operating in a highly competitive environment and over-coming what was a pretty low base in terms of results on field (though plenty of amazing individual footballers!) and financially off the field.

If ever a club needs a PR Manager it is ours.

I really want to throw this back on to the media.
Over the last few years we have seen a sharp decline in standards and there are now way too many in the media that are intentionally trying to be an agitator.
As a result it's easier and considered somewhat acceptable for them to target some clubs and in particular coaches in their search to create their own agenda and story line.
I agree that we need a different approach and we also need to be more proactive in engaging the media. It's an absolute must.
If the various media outlets had the good sense into pulling some of their chief agitators into line it would help lift the standards of the various TV shows.

[Bumper Bulldogs]

I actually think channel 7 are simple frustrated by not being able to get under the skin of Bevo and get that big headline. I think they see him as someone with a short fuse and if the go at him about his players he may snap and they get 15 minutes of fame

I think Bevo and the club have done very well this year with all the headwinds that could quite easily have gone sideward at a rate of knots.

well done Bevo and the Bulldog leadership team/club

super interesting also that we don’t seem to have many leaks coming out from the inner sanctum. Even with Rohan Smith/ Granty movements. We have done quite well

[ledge]

We’re more relevant than the clubs at the bottom and accordingly, there is more to gain by going at us in terms of clicks and subsequent discussion.

When do Essendon become a club in the middle to lower rank? 30 years with no final win???!!!

They have , free to air has even given up on them .

[ledge]

What I find funny is they openly tell you they will make the story .
Having a show called Agenda setters means they make the story not actually what’s happening . The media shouldn’t be setting agenders , the public do and the media
are the ones who report on it .
One headline was about Breretons family disappointment and how it was “Brutal” read the story and it’s about Archie May spraining his ankle !
won’t even miss a game .

[Bulldog Revolution]

I really want to throw this back on to the media.
Over the last few years we have seen a sharp decline in standards and there are now way too many in the media that are intentionally trying to be an agitator.
As a result it's easier and considered somewhat acceptable for them to target some clubs and in particular coaches in their search to create their own agenda and story line.
I agree that we need a different approach and we also need to be more proactive in engaging the media. It's an absolute must.
If the various media outlets had the good sense into pulling some of their chief agitators into line it would help lift the standards of the various TV shows.

I think this starts to get to the heart of it - they arent really journalists anymore - there are still a few but predominantly they are gossip columnists. They have lowered their standards - its speculation, heresay all designed for click-bait. They are almost AFL influencers seeking relevance and legitimacy.

Bevo would do better to not engage at times withthe Kanos, Damos and Tommy Morris's of this world