Media persecution of Raheem Sterling

[Armaan]

I don’t think it’s got anything to do with his skin colour, it’s purely because he left liverpool for us. Lots of dippers work in the media and we know how weird their fan base is.

 

[daztrueblue91]

I don’t think it’s got anything to do with his skin colour, it’s purely because he left liverpool for us. Lots of dippers work in the media and we know how weird their fan base is.

There is no doubting that the original cause of the Sterling bashing stemmed from his decision to leave Liverpool and the clubs subsequent response to assassinate his character in the media.

However, things move on and times change. Terry and Suarez are no longer consistently derided because of their racist comments, Gerrard's assaulting a DJ and Giggs's affair with his brother's wife are mere footnotes in history these days. So I think it is a bit too simplistic to suggest it's purely because he had the audacity to leave Liverpool. I'd wager that a sizable chunk of the people slagging him off during the World Cup probably didn't even know that he previously played for Liverpool.

Someone hit the nail on the head with a previous post when they commented that there needs to be a distinction between sections of the media. The anti-bias from the pundits and sports writers probably does stem from a pro-Liverpool/anti-City bias. Yet the persecution of Sterling stems much further than a few sports articles.

The Sun and The Mail will have noticed how popular the anti-Sterling rhetoric is and have developed that angle even further for clicks and profit. Linking Sterling to drug dealing and knife crime is nothing to do with football but sets a narrative about him. The World Cup only highlighted this fact as people who don't usually follow football get behind the national team but a lot of those people seemingly had a hatred of Sterling.

 

[City Raider]

 

[Henkeman]

I thought the most interesting part of what Ian Wright said when he suggested it was racism was the bit at the end where he posited the question that if it isn't racism, what is it then?

Now, as we on here would say repeatedly, it has an awful lot to do with him having the cheek to leave Liverpool, but what genuinely fascinates me is how the media would rather discuss the racism possibility than ever say that. It's absolutely astonishing. No one in the public eye ever answers the point with "because he left Liverpool and they're media darlings". How the bloody hell can that possibility be more taboo than it being racist?

 

[1.618034]

I thought the most interesting part of what Ian Wright said when he suggested it was racism was the question at the end where he posited the question that if it isn't racism, what is it then?

Now, as we on here would say repeatedly, it has an awful lot to do with him having the cheek to leave Liverpool, but what genuinely fascinates me is how the media would rather discuss the racism possibility than ever say that. It's absolutely astonishing. No one in the public eye ever answers the point with "because he left Liverpool and they're media darlings". How the bloody hell can that possibility be more taboo than it being racist?

Fair point.

 

[Barney Daniels]

Somebody did text the show to say it was leaving Liverpool that brings Raheem the majority of the abuse but Wrighty wasn't impressed with the argument and laughed it off.

 

[SVP]

Every neutral fan I know thinks he is useless. This has nothing to do with the Sun or Mirror as I don't know anyone who reads that crap. It is more to do with people like Hoddle who every time he commentates on England continually slags him off and completely ignores anything positive he does. Sky are the same -he should have been mom on Sunday but they focus on a nothing tackle and ask him snide questions about Liverpool. Even when he scored his 50th premier league goal instead of a positive it was only his 3rd outside the box!

 

[trumpton]

I don't think the treatment of Sterling is racially motivated. Liverpool and their supporting media have thrown everything at him and unfortunately a mass of the population read those articles and buy the opinion. He has a blinding season but received lowest ratings of any starter for England during the WC because, again, Liverpool fans crawl all over the BBC because of their love in.

He played really well in a City shirt against Arsenal to pick up where he left off. In a team that allows him to play where he wants to he will thrive. In a team that prioritises Lingard and Alli ahead of him and plays him too narrow he will not. He is best coming in from wide positions. Not starting centrally and being forced to stay in those areas.

It is good for Wright to have his back and say what he has. Mainly because now the press will fear to write anything negative about Sterling in case the racist tag is thrown at them.

Not sure if already mentioned but cant see it being as racist issue when they were clamouring for rashford to play instead of sterling!

 

[quiet_riot]

Not sure if already mentioned but cant see it being as racist issue when they were clamouring for rashford to play instead of sterling!

Racism can still be "I don't like him because he's black, but I don't mind the other DESPITE him being black."

 

[mad4city]

Not sure if already mentioned but cant see it being as racist issue when they were clamouring for rashford to play instead of sterling!

You're right, but you're missing a point, I think.

I say, 'you're missing a point' because I believe that denigrating and vilifying Sterling is perfectly in line with the constant, unwavering anti-immigrant bigotry of The Mail, Express, Telegraph, Sun etc.

The last thing those racist shits want to see in an immigrant boy doing well and becoming a respected role model.

Of course, it's relevant to point out that the shithead who attacked Sterling last year definitely used racist language, as do many of his on-line haters. So, whatever the media's motivations in scourging Sterling, they are undoubtedly appealing to the racist shits at large in doing so.