He is still being dishonest about the beat ups. They don't push negative stories about RL to prove how independent they are - they run those stories to sell papers. They will cannibalise the sport they part own to make more money. Would they admit to that however? No, because then they can't pretend to be noble.
They don't write these stories to sell papers. They do it to sell MORE papers. They know that these stories are more popular than the ones about Hindy visiting a kids hospital. The DT sell papers and get hits everyday but they get MORE if there is a photo of Carney walking out of a pub.
The audience has proven it prefers the seedy stuff when available. They're going to keep the majority of their readers happy if they can, aren't they? Shareholders would demand that.
They haven't cannibalised the sport because it is going better than just about ever. They might have tried but it's been a distinct failure. Maybe a nibble on the toe and that's as far as they have got.
Players don't think about nobility when they are putting a grapple tackle on or claiming a try they know they missed. Fans don't think about nobility when they are calling the ref a c#$t. Nobility is neither here nor there in this game. They are entertainers. They do whatever they need to in order to get a crowd. And they get a bigger crowd when they write about scandals, rats and filth, dodgy refs, betting stings, Matty Johns' d!ck, or start a fight. As was written in the article, our game is full of hate. If GI does something wrong, then a thousand Rooster and NSW fans are bagging him on the websites. If Gallen does something, it's the Dragons and QLD fans. Etc etc etc.
Some might want to blame the media for creating the appetite for this stuff. I'd rather think it's an individuals choice to view what they like. Invariably the audience dictates what the media do. They sell and we buy. If they can't sell it to us then they go broke.
Some people are saying that various groups should be excluded from getting the media rights. I reckon we need every bidder we can get to get a good price. But regardless of who gets the rights, they won't be handing over any editorial control to the NRL. If channel 7 win the day, there is nothing stopping them from poaching Slothfield and Weedler as their roving TV mudslingers. Wouldn't that be something. You can't "protect" the game from the media or the public.
We only see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to footy scandal stories and sh!tfights at the clubs. These papers get literally hundreds of calls a week from people with a rumour or a mobile phone photo. Anyone that doesn't like hearing the seedy stories should be thankful they don't hear the rest.
