Media persecution of Raheem Sterling

[Ric]

This is getting a bit weird now. The other week he was getting grief for shopping at Poundland, today The Mail are having a go at him for having three garages in his new house. Won't link to the article, but pretty sure no white footballers are subjected to the same scrutiny. It's all a bit sinister.

 

[City_Sean]

I think we all know it goes beyond being sinister mate. The press have had it in for Raheem from day one.

 

[BigJoe#1]

Strange supposition Ric....

 

[Shirley]

Perhaps they are trying to increase sales in dipperland.

 

[aguero93:20]

3 garages? Utter disgrace, charities all around the country are crying out for garages for those in need. Some of these poor children don't even have cars.

 

[citytill1die84]

Horrible twats basically trying to destroy his life because he left the dippers and they didn't like it.

 

[aguero93:20]

Perhaps they are trying to increase sales in dipperland.

Doesn't excuse the S*n doing it in the summer, they could hand out free fixes along with the paper and the dippers wouldn't touch it still.

 

[domalino]

This is getting a bit weird now. The other week he was getting grief for shopping at Poundland, today The Mail are having a go at him for having three garages in his new house. Won't link to the article, but pretty sure no white footballers are subjected to the same scrutiny. It's all a bit sinister.

I actually don't think this is unfair coverage.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3259796/Wayne-Coleen-Rooney-spend-150-000-KITCHEN-neither-use.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3760474/amp/PICTURE-EXCLUSIVE-Beck-good-Removal-men-unload-three-vans-Beckham-s-refurbished-31-5-million-West-London-mansion.html

www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/182550/Arsenal-star-Jack-Wilshere-snaps-up-1-2m-house

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3155516/The-boy-good-Welcome-Steven-Gerrard-s-18million-Beverly-Hills-super-home-complete-six-bedrooms-pool-cinema.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-3204550/Can-match-stunning-homes-current-former-Premier-League-stars-mansions-penthouses-lived-footballers-WAGs.html

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/pictures/10141499/For-rent-Phil-Nevilles-15000-a-month-Manchester-apartment.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3725123/amp/Manchester-United-ace-Memphis-Depay-moves-plush-16-500-week-home-Cheshire.html

There you've got Beckham, Neville, Wilshere, Gerrard, Depay and Rooney, plus one which just does a load at once.

"Footballer earning X buys expensive house for Lots of money, here's some photos to make you jealous" is a classic story that the daily mail and co run every time they get a chance.

It might seem unfair because of the earlier article about Poundland, which I think everyone agreed was bullshit, but this is just the norm for any footballer, white or black, City or elsewhere.

 

[SPIDERBOY]

Character assassination!

 

[Saddleworth2]

I actually don't think this is unfair coverage.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3259796/Wayne-Coleen-Rooney-spend-150-000-KITCHEN-neither-use.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3760474/amp/PICTURE-EXCLUSIVE-Beck-good-Removal-men-unload-three-vans-Beckham-s-refurbished-31-5-million-West-London-mansion.html

www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/182550/Arsenal-star-Jack-Wilshere-snaps-up-1-2m-house

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3155516/The-boy-good-Welcome-Steven-Gerrard-s-18million-Beverly-Hills-super-home-complete-six-bedrooms-pool-cinema.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-3204550/Can-match-stunning-homes-current-former-Premier-League-stars-mansions-penthouses-lived-footballers-WAGs.html

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/pictures/10141499/For-rent-Phil-Nevilles-15000-a-month-Manchester-apartment.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3725123/amp/Manchester-United-ace-Memphis-Depay-moves-plush-16-500-week-home-Cheshire.html

There you've got Beckham, Neville, Wilshere, Gerrard, Depay and Rooney, plus one which just does a load at once.

"Footballer earning X buys expensive house for Lots of money, here's some photos to make you jealous" is a classic story that the daily mail and co run every time they get a chance.

It might seem unfair because of the earlier article about Poundland, which I think everyone agreed was bullshit, but this is just the norm for any footballer, white or black, City or elsewhere.

Evidence based logic doesn't wash with me mate!

 

[MillisleBlue]

Media pandering to the vermin and red scouse shite. Oh well, just another day.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

I actually don't think this is unfair coverage.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3259796/Wayne-Coleen-Rooney-spend-150-000-KITCHEN-neither-use.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3760474/amp/PICTURE-EXCLUSIVE-Beck-good-Removal-men-unload-three-vans-Beckham-s-refurbished-31-5-million-West-London-mansion.html

www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/182550/Arsenal-star-Jack-Wilshere-snaps-up-1-2m-house

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3155516/The-boy-good-Welcome-Steven-Gerrard-s-18million-Beverly-Hills-super-home-complete-six-bedrooms-pool-cinema.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-3204550/Can-match-stunning-homes-current-former-Premier-League-stars-mansions-penthouses-lived-footballers-WAGs.html

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/pictures/10141499/For-rent-Phil-Nevilles-15000-a-month-Manchester-apartment.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3725123/amp/Manchester-United-ace-Memphis-Depay-moves-plush-16-500-week-home-Cheshire.html

There you've got Beckham, Neville, Wilshere, Gerrard, Depay and Rooney, plus one which just does a load at once.

"Footballer earning X buys expensive house for Lots of money, here's some photos to make you jealous" is a classic story that the daily mail and co run every time they get a chance.

It might seem unfair because of the earlier article about Poundland, which I think everyone agreed was bullshit, but this is just the norm for any footballer, white or black, City or elsewhere.

Whilst this is no doubt all correct I would question the timing, unless he bought it yesterday. I'm not in the least bit wedded to any of the conspiracy theories about City, but: He's had a weekend where he's almost been lauded for not 'going to ground' following the Walker push in the box. Just in case opposition fans might be tempted to stop booing him, here's a non-story to remind them that they can all do their duty, next time he's on the pitch.

 

[Marvin]

Evidence based logic doesn't wash with me mate!

It's the main article on their online Sport Page. Why is it there? Got nothing to do with football. It emphasises wealth, and the subtext is obvious. I don't recall other rich City players getting similar treatment.

 

[Shirley]

It's the main article on their online Sport Page. Why is it there? Got nothing to do with football. It emphasises wealth, and the subtext is obvious. I don't recall other rich City players getting similar treatment.

Mario but for different reasons.

 

[andyhinch]

I'll wager the cars he keeps in them cost a lot more than the garages themselves, complete non story, so why print it ?

 

[M18CTID]

I hope he builds another 20 garages and plasters it all over social media.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

I actually don't think this is unfair coverage.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3259796/Wayne-Coleen-Rooney-spend-150-000-KITCHEN-neither-use.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3760474/amp/PICTURE-EXCLUSIVE-Beck-good-Removal-men-unload-three-vans-Beckham-s-refurbished-31-5-million-West-London-mansion.html

www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/182550/Arsenal-star-Jack-Wilshere-snaps-up-1-2m-house

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3155516/The-boy-good-Welcome-Steven-Gerrard-s-18million-Beverly-Hills-super-home-complete-six-bedrooms-pool-cinema.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-3204550/Can-match-stunning-homes-current-former-Premier-League-stars-mansions-penthouses-lived-footballers-WAGs.html

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/pictures/10141499/For-rent-Phil-Nevilles-15000-a-month-Manchester-apartment.html

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3725123/amp/Manchester-United-ace-Memphis-Depay-moves-plush-16-500-week-home-Cheshire.html

There you've got Beckham, Neville, Wilshere, Gerrard, Depay and Rooney, plus one which just does a load at once.

"Footballer earning X buys expensive house for Lots of money, here's some photos to make you jealous" is a classic story that the daily mail and co run every time they get a chance.

It might seem unfair because of the earlier article about Poundland, which I think everyone agreed was bullshit, but this is just the norm for any footballer, white or black, City or elsewhere.

I think this is a different kettle of fish though. Players like Beckham, Rooney and Stevie Sliparse are internationally known figures, whose domestic lives are often featured in Vogue and similar publications, plus, and this is a key point, those articles on the rest of them aren't based on a wilful intention to mislead the reader. Yes, there's a clear common element, which you refer to (Footballer earning X buys........), but in Sterling's case, apart from the sheer number of times he is being featured (or targeted, depending on your viewpoint), there's surely more to it. In the summer, the press knew damned well that the bling house in question was one that he'd purchased 2 years earlier for his mum, but they tried to portray it as one he'd just bought for himself and presented as a giant sized, empty headed, 'fuck you' to the British public after his dismal performances in the European Championship - 'Raheem doesn't care about England, just his tasteless gold taps', was very much the message.
Similarly the Poundland thing was a device to reinforce the notion of the lad as a vulgarian. The photo of him in the shop was 3 years old (was it not newsworthy when he was a Liverpool player?!), but was again presented as current, and the story itself just a means of feeding the reader such nuggets as "he drives a £500k Bentley car and lives in a £3.5m mansion" and "one week in November he brought a different car to training every day".
And now this latest load of bollocks barely 3 weeks later. I think Ric is unquestionably right in raising the possibility of a racially motivated angle as well as a personal one. It's the Donald Trump supporting, Katie Hopkins employing, Mail we're talking about, a publication that relishes the opportunity to portray immigrants in a particular light and I doubt they would balk at extending that policy to convince its readership that young black men have no class, no taste and are only interested in showing off their bling. Otherwise why Sterling all the time? Why not Aguero, why not Coutinho, why not Gary Cahill?

 

[domalino]

I think this is a different kettle of fish though. Players like Beckham, Rooney and Stevie Sliparse are internationally known figures, whose domestic lives are often featured in Vogue and similar publications, plus, and this is a key point, those articles on the rest of them aren't based on a wilful intention to mislead the reader. Yes, there's a clear common element, which you refer to (Footballer earning X buys........), but in Sterling's case, apart from the sheer number of times he is being featured (or targeted, depending on your viewpoint), there's surely more to it. In the summer, the press knew damned well that the bling house in question was one that he'd purchased 2 years earlier for his mum, but they tried to portray it as one he'd just bought for himself and presented as a giant sized, empty headed, 'fuck you' to the British public after his dismal performances in the European Championship - 'Raheem doesn't care about England, just his tasteless gold taps', was very much the message.
Similarly the Poundland thing was a device to reinforce the notion of the lad as a vulgarian. The photo of him in the shop was 3 years old (was it not newsworthy when he was a Liverpool player?!), but was again presented as current, and the story itself just a means of feeding the reader such nuggets as "he drives a £500k Bentley car and lives in a £3.5m mansion" and "one week in November he brought a different car to training every day".
And now this latest load of bollocks barely 3 weeks later. I think Ric is unquestionably right in raising the possibility of a racially motivated angle as well as a personal one. It's the Donald Trump supporting, Katie Hopkins employing, Mail we're talking about, a publication that relishes the opportunity to portray immigrants in a particular light and I doubt they would balk at extending that policy to convince its readership that young black men have no class, no taste and are only interested in showing off their bling. Otherwise why Sterling all the time? Why not Aguero, why not Coutinho, why not Gary Cahill?

What about Cahill? - https://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/n...-mega-mansion-despite-neighbours-kicking-off/

I'm not disagreeing that he's had disgusting treatment in the past, and he might well do in the future (and if he does I'll be one of the first putting complaints in) but this isn't part of that. This is just what everyone goes through. Wilshere isn't a household name worldwide, nor is Luke Shaw who's had it, Gary Cahill, Sol Campbell - all of whom have got the same article.

The sink fiasco was appalling, the twitter picture was borderline comical, but this house article isn't part of a campaign against Sterling, it's what they all get.

You can't just jump at any and all media coverage and throw it in with the unfair stuff, or you create a world where no media coverage of one of England's top players is a campaign, and it isn't. You can't point to this article and scream racism when there's literally dozens of articles with almost the exact same wording but different photos for white footballers.

If you do this, it will become just like the media bias against City thread where it descends into conspiracy theories and stops being taken seriously - people will laugh off the genuine racial element the coverage in the summer seemed to have. Keep the complaints to articles that actually are unfair treatment.


And for what it's worth, the sink thing, along with the Sun's prolonged campaign against him turned the public and the sports press (who weren't actually involved in that) against Sterling bashing. They went too far and everyone knows it. The poundland thing got dominated not by the original story but by the fact it was from an old article and the reaction from pretty much everyone was disdain for the paper not the player.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Media pandering to the vermin and red scouse shite. Oh well, just another day.

I don't even think they are pandering to them, they just are them. If you think about the age profile of the average journalist, they all either grew up when the rags won everything or when Liverpool did, and we all know the average journalist is too spineless to have supported anyone other than the team that was winning everything growing up.

 

[Jazzcat]

There's no such thing as bad publicity and this is hardly a hit piece.

Sterling bought a new mansion, kudos to him.
It's not overtly decadent or lavishly/tastelessly decorated, if anything people'll just envy him or applaud him for it.

Must be a slow news day.