A football club which has already banned its local newspapers from media access is set to extend restrictions to other media under a plan to charge for interviews, it has been claimed.
According to Newcastle daily the Chronicle, Newcastle United is planning to offer a series of packages to national newspapers which will see them given “exclusive” access to players in return for a fee.
The club has already banned the Chronicle and sister Trinity Mirror titles The Journal and the Sunday Sun from the press box and press conferences at St James’ Park over a story it did not like.
Now the Chronicle has reported that national newspaper journalists based in the North East have been told they will no longer be given access to players between matches unless they pay for it.
The Trinity Mirror titles have been banned by the club since October but it is not known whether any local newspapers have been offered the paid-for packages or whether they will also face restricted access to players.
Sports writer Mark Douglas wrote: “Fresh from banning ncjMedia titles, Newcastle United have broken from the pack to move in a new direction in terms of their relationship with the rest of the print media.
“They have told reporters from national titles who are working in the North East that they will no longer be given access to their players between matches this season and will instead give those “privileges” to organisations that pay them.
“This has never happened before. They are the first Premier League football club to try to do this and it will be interesting to see what kind of reaction it garners. At least one national newspaper had heard of the plan but there has been an overwhelmingly negative response since news of the proposal leaked.”
MPs have condemned Newcastle United and other football clubs for banning local newspaper journalists in an early day motion.
Newcastle United has so far not responded to requests for a comment on the Chronicle’s story.
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Just checking the date to make sure it’s not April 1st.
Do Newcastle Utd not employ anyone who is remotely media savvy.
If they have a communications Dept., he/she in charge must surely be desparing of the owner?
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As someone who once worked for all three publications I know how fair beyond measure they are and how vitally important to the local population so hop[efully everytone will stand together against the Newcastle management. We might be down as journalists but we are certainly not out!
Didn’t Southampton try something similar a few years ago? This will be as successful.
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One would hope for a bit of solidarity here and that national papers across the board will choose not to pay for any of these packages.
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With any luck the nationals will tell them where to shove their packages, because it’s the thin end of the wedge. And all newspapers, local and national, should now make concerted efforts to dig the dirt on the club. They probably won’t have to go very deep…
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Made it down to the last four or five in an interview for a press officer at Newcastle back in the early noughties. My not being a Newcastle United fan probably cost me the post. But missing out was the best thing that ever happened to me, because since then it’s just been one PR disaster after another at that club, and I would’ve hated trying to put out all of those self-inflicted fires. The club’s board have needed their heads banged together for some considerable time.
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Arguably there could be some attraction to a Bronze/Silver/Gold package with one of the major Champions League side if it generated any exclusivity – but Newcastle, really! (who are probably as high up the table as they ever will be…..)
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I honestly think that if the papers ignored this and made up the quotes with a few ‘obviouslies’ and ‘hopefullies’ thrown in that none of the readers would notice.
The papers will end up ripping stuff from the club’s own website in any case I would imagine.
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What would happen if papers decided not to write anything at all about the club?
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If NUFC seriously think this is a good idea then the media suite and photographer pens at St James’ will be empty on match days…
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This wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact the football clubs get revenue from tv companies…and nothing from the print media……
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Doesn’t matter if there press box is empty, does it?
Who gets their local footy team news from the local paper anyway?
What with after-match press conferences being posted on youtube, plus exclusive video interviews for a few pence a day and blanket coverage by digital TV, the fans wouldn’t really miss it.
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And I thought the late Bill McGarry was difficult!!!
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@DAVE
Lots of people actually. Despite football clubs being all over every media platform wall to wall, an awful lot of people still turn to their local paper for post match analysis by local journos that they trust. If Ncj stopped writing about Newcastle altogether, it would hurt their sales. Not after a lose or draw, but certainly after a good win. We still need our local football clubs – but they probably dont need us anymore.
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How much do they expect papers to pay for some dumbhead with an IQ of 45 or less spouting meaningless waffle.
‘I was over the moon when the goal went in. Then I was as sick as a parrot when they got one back at the other end. We needed three points today, but had to settle for one. We’ll just have to take it one game at a time.’
With a couple of adjustments, this quote could be made to fit almost any post-match situation – and it is roughly the standard we’ve come to expect from the brainboxes of the premiership.
One of my relatives once played premier league soccer. All his team-mates were amazed that he read books on the team coach while they played computer games.
‘Books? Don’t do books – make my ‘ead ‘urt,’ was the general response.
Why anyone would want to pay good money for the outpourings of the premiership ignorami is beyond me. Get real, Newcastle!
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