MUEN - what's gone wrong?

[bluemanc]

Re: MUEN -whats gone wrong

When something like andy mitten is writing fairytales about City in the M.E.N & then taking the piss about what he's doing on his twitter page then something has to be wrong.
Another rag Denise Evans's The "Imfamous Helen Turner" was an horrific headline,she comes across ok in conversation & the article itself was good BUT i don't believe she didn't know what infamous means,very poor even if taking the piss,spelling worse than mine aswell.
NOT a go at Stu by any means,but the M.E.N is getting worse with these other freelances penning stuff about us
Best bet is just read Stu's stuff and ignore the rest.
Etc..............

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Re: MUEN -whats gone wrong

I also remember after the Spurs FA Cup game at Maine Road and the pitch invasion, the MEN's editorial (rightly) went to town on City fans for their behaviour. Added to the piece was a comparison to how United fans had behaved the day before when they impeccably observed the minute silence for Tony Bland - the Liverpool fan who had been in a coma since the Hillsborough disaster and had his life support machine switched off.

Only thing was, United's fans were not impeccable that day as they marred the minute silence....
The MEN offered no apology or follow up to that huge error - apart from acknowledging it was an error under my letter of complaint that was published in Postbag. Had I not written in, there wouldn't have been a dicky bird about it.

 

[laserblue]

Re: MUEN -whats gone wrong

When something like andy mitten is writing fairytales about City in the M.E.N & then taking the piss about what he's doing on his twitter page then something has to be wrong.

Absolutely. Come on Stu, what was that all about? Another of Spencer's snide ideas?

 

[Braggster]

Re: MUEN -whats gone wrong

If you speak to Man Utd fans, they think the MEN is biased against them.

I pick up a copy of the MEN when its free in the City Centre, and I check out it's web-site but I don't regard it half as well as I used to many years ago when it clearly had a much closer relationship with City than they do now

The world is changing and newspapers are struggling to keep themselves at the fore so the loss of relevance of the MEN has got nothing to do with the standard of the journalism or any bias.

Agree with this.

To the extent there is bias at the MEN, I think it's the same type of bias as at many papers (and the other sports media such as the BBC, SKY and so forth): United have been so dominant for so long, and taggart has been such a dominant (bullying) and manipulative figure as regards the media, that there is a natural and unthinking tendency to almost see / present things from his perspective. That will change in time, as and when he retires and / or United's fortunes take a prolonged turn for the worse. You only have to look at how Arsene is now a bit of a joke figure to see how it happens.

To suggest that there is deliberate and thinking bias is nonsense though (with some dishonourable exceptions in the London press - cross and co. as detailed in the horrendous Sunday Supplement extracts that periodically get posted on here). The MEN is pro City and pro United, as you would expect. Its problem is that it's of no real value to City (or United) fans any more as due to changes in the industry it is of increasing irrelevance to both the clubs and the fans, but that hardly means it's biased or doing a bad job.

Spencer is still a prick, though.

EDIT: the point about Andy Mitten is spot on actually, I have to admit. There's no way that biased little prick should be writing about City (a club who he can't resist making snide comments about). Apart from anything else, you couldn't find anyone who is likely to have less understanding and feel for what City as a club stand for so he is not going to have anything of value to say. (In fact, his faux-sophisticated football savant act is the kind of thing no respectable media outlet should encourage in general - he is emblematic of the worst traits of the "thinking fan" and should be binned asap on general principles but for him to write about City ostensibly from a City perspective is the insult that tops it all off and is a disgraceful and stupid editorial decision by the MEN).

 

[Barcon]

Re: MUEN -whats gone wrong

No, it's not an opinion - it is fact. I work at the MEN, and know how the sports desk functions, and it doesn't operate on any kind of bias.
You tell me one instance where I have made something up to back up what I have been saying.
The people having a go on here have not come up with ONE bit of evidence of this stuff - they have offered half truths and lies as evidence.
I'm sorry if me using the word "paranoid" offend you, but it is hard to come up with a more appropriate term for people who feel they are being criticised or persecuted, without any basis. Next post, how about offering us some actual evidence to back your argument?
And we fear the wrath of Fergie? You haven't read this thread, have you? Why did we print more criticism of the Glazers, Gill, United and Fergie over the takeover than any other media outlet in the world, thoroughly pissing off all of them? How does that fit with our agenda, exactly.
This is not an opinion, it is FACT, a concept you appear to be struggling to grasp.

-- Sun Jul 29, 2012 5:11 pm --

Back in the day when both clubs would play Saturday at 3pm, after the match me and a mate on the 99 bus back to Sale would play the game of guess which team has the headline in The Pink.

I remember in the early 90's, for five consecutive Saturday's, each teams result was the same.
This is the result and which team got the Pink headline
both won - United
both won - United
both drew - United
both drew - United
both lost - City

I got a fiver letter in Pink Postbag the following week, highlighting this discrepancy! United got beat something like 2 or 3-0 at home to Everton and City lost by one goal at QPR and the headline was something like ''City crash in London'' or some other similar heading.

United fans come out with the same kind of stuff, but in reverse, obviously. I'm not saying you, or they, are making it up, I'm sure it happened, but not through any agenda. Have you any more up to date examples of our "bias", as they are far easier to address than something that happened years ago, and which we cannot look at?

I didn't say any of that stuff mate.

 

[jrb]

Re: MUEN -whats gone wrong

I never said that article was anti-City.(I stand corrected)

it attracts traffic from both sets of fans

Fair play, at least you've admitted why the MEN now does the s*** stirring. Who's call was that?

You didn't answer.

Why is the comments page now uncensored? The amount of s*** that get's through from both sides is appalling.

If I'm honest BM is more tightly regulated.

Is there a point when you and the rest of the lads at the MEN will put a big two fingered salute up to management and say enough is enough? It's bringing you and your fine reputation down.

 

[lloydie]

Re: MUEN -whats gone wrong

This is how a MEN describes two players in the same article....

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Alex Stepney, who won the league, FA Cup and European Cup,

Average Goalkeeper...

Colin Bell, who won the FA Cup with Manchester City

the finest English footballer of the generation...

 

[jimharri]

Re: MUEN -whats gone wrong

A serious question to Mr Brennan (and credit to him for coming on here). Are you saying then that all the City fans who have said that the MEN is biased towards the vermin are wrong then? Becuase if one person expresses that opinion, and is said to be wrong, then by definition all posters who said the same thing are wrong as well. Can they be all wrong?

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Re: MUEN -whats gone wrong

And.

As I've stated. Perhaps I'm just being...... Or is it just Journalistic Licence?

The headline.

Powell play: Manchester United beat Manchester City to Nick Powell,says Sir Alex Ferguson

What Sir really said.

“There were already a few interested. As well as Arsenal and Chelsea, we knew City were keeping tabs on him.

(which clubs do as a matter of course)

The aftermath. 442 comments.<a class="postlink" href="http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1584409_powell-play-manchester-united-beat-manchester-city-to-nick-powell-says-sir-alex-ferguson" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... x-ferguson</a> Result!

It's been like that all Summer. Sensational headlines just to cause a reaction between both sets of fans.

Stuart - have you answered this one yet? Apologies if you have, couldn't see it.

 

[stuart brennan]

Re: MUEN -whats gone wrong

Has there been any explanation as to why Peter Spencer goes on Talksport pretending to be the voice of football in Manchester and downplays City at every opportunity?

Somebody came on and said this once before. I asked him, and I'm asking you now, to go on Talksport's website, where you can listen to clips going back months, search for spencer, and find me the evidence of him downplaying City at every opportunity. I will then give you an answer.

Last time, the person didn't come back to me - let's see if you have the conviction to do it.

Like seeing what they want to see in newspapers, people hear what they want to hear on radio.
For instance, I wrote an article saying City were absolutely brilliant last season, and played some magical football, but next season are targeting CL and PL, so will need to improve. I then detailed the areas where I think they can improve.
This was portrayed in some City quarters as me slaughtering City, saying they weren't good enough. It is Idiotsville stuff, really