Our PR department and the media

[GaudinoMotors]

Could be, but why would the ingrained attitudes care? Won't they just go somewhere else for their cushy interviews?
It strikes me as chipping away at a cliff with a small chisel - not something to be ignored totally, but extremely difficult and longterm to fix.

We're not asking for propaganda, we're only asking for fair and reasonable reporting. If the media can't, after we've expressed our concerns and possible future actions, see that they could lose out on inevitably exciting future news, then there is no helping them and banning rather than putting up with what some might think are knowledgeable articles, is preferable.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

I've never worked in media relations, so maybe I am talking complete bollocks, but isn't the key word, "relations". If I was in that job, I'd be trying to make friends with these hacks who at the end of the day are trying to do a job. Go to the pub with them, get pissed together. As I say, fly them to Abu Dhabi and spend a few days getting to know each other. So you can say "come on mate, you can't keep printing that shite, please don't". I may be totally out of whack, but do we have any relations with these people???

It's an idea, but won't others already be doing this though?
We know match reports are a bit different as they need filing within about half an hour, so they're partially pre-written, and based on the run-up to the match - it's the background to other things that is available for change, and our club don't seem to brief about transfers. There's no way the Sun/Mirror are going to publish something positive about the academy without a name to hang it on.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

We're not asking for propaganda, we're only asking for fair and reasonable reporting. If the media can't, after we've expressed our concerns and possible future actions, see that they could lose out on inevitably exciting future news, then there is no helping them and banning rather than putting up with what some might think are knowledgeable articles, is preferable.

I didn't think you were, but I agree.
Others are giving them things though, and their editors/beancounters want more.

It's a matter of opinion obviously as to the best course of action, and one with risks attached either way.

 

[Otamendi's Beard]

I've never worked in media relations, so maybe I am talking complete bollocks, but isn't the key word, "relations". If I was in that job, I'd be trying to make friends with these hacks who at the end of the day are trying to do a job. Go to the pub with them, get pissed together. As I say, fly them to Abu Dhabi and spend a few days getting to know each other. So you can say "come on mate, you can't keep printing that shite, please don't". I may be totally out of whack, but do we have any relations with these people???

I do work in media relations and I can't imagine that the club haven't tried this approach already. They've clearly tried to make 'friends' with them and have offered exclusives to more 'friendly' journalists in the past i.e Henry Winter, Martin Samuel, but only certain ones will be open to the hospitality. For example, do you think a Utd fan, such as Ogden, would change his opinion or tone about City just because a PR took him for a beer? Then think about how many Utd and Liverpool fans are currently Chief Football Writers or Sports Journalists...

Media relations is much more complicated on this level than people seem to believe. Most journalists have minimal freedom in their style, agenda, tone, etc, as they are held to their publication's editorial guidelines. Therefore they write whatever their editor tells them to, while the images and headlines are managed by sub-editors. That's just the traditional stuff. When it comes to online media we all know that they publish 'click-bait' and whatever generates income.

IMO the best way for the club to operate would be to focus on building our own channels (e.g website, Facebook) and restrict any interviews/exclusives that aren't tied into media commitments with the PL. We can generate enough publicity and insight into the club that way without relying on red tops or Sky.

However, we can never control what people put in match reports or opinion pieces, it just won't happen.

 

[remember arthur mann]

Probably being run by Mr Gill !!

 

[Chippy_boy]

I do work in media relations and I can't imagine that the club haven't tried this approach already. They've clearly tried to make 'friends' with them and have offered exclusives to more 'friendly' journalists in the past i.e Henry Winter, Martin Samuel, but only certain ones will be open to the hospitality. For example, do you think a Utd fan, such as Ogden, would change his opinion or tone about City just because a PR took him for a beer? Then think about how many Utd and Liverpool fans are currently Chief Football Writers or Sports Journalists...

Media relations is much more complicated on this level than people seem to believe. Most journalists have minimal freedom in their style, agenda, tone, etc, as they are held to their publication's editorial guidelines. Therefore they write whatever their editor tells them to, while the images and headlines are managed by sub-editors. That's just the traditional stuff. When it comes to online media we all know that they publish 'click-bait' and whatever generates income.

IMO the best way for the club to operate would be to focus on building our own channels (e.g website, Facebook) and restrict any interviews/exclusives that aren't tied into media commitments with the PL. We can generate enough publicity and insight into the club that way without relying on red tops or Sky.

However, we can never control what people put in match reports or opinion pieces, it just won't happen.

I am sure what you say is very largely, if not entirely true.

But I work in sales, working on large complex deals that may take years to land. Invariably there's many players to influence, not just the key decision maker(s). A big deal could involve 100's of people, all with different agendas and personalities. Invariably you cannot win over all of them, but you have to try to network and use your relationship building skills. You gain support through some person or other, who helps you get access to someone else. You get a partner organisation to talk to someone you can't reach. You try to marginalise people who are dead set against you. In short, you have a strategy and a clear plan, driving towards building a consensus and getting the decision to go your way.

It strikes me this situation is not at all dissimilar. We want "the industry" to be broadly positive towards City, or at the very least neutral. And yes there's lots of people who will stand in our way, but not everyone will and we need to build support and allies and win over those that can be won over. Maybe the chief sports write for the XYZ newspaper is a rag, but perhaps his boss is not. Maybe the editor is into rugby and doesn't care about football, but is most interested in advertising revenue. So what's our pitch to him, and how do we get to meet him? And what about the owner? etc etc.

Perhaps all of this is happening, but somehow, I doubt it.

 

[MillisleBlue]

Perhaps we need to hire an Alastair Campbell type character to "manage our communications" with the media?

Loathsome git by all accounts but could spin any story whatever way his paymaster wanted.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

We need to be more proactive with the issues that damage our reputation. I think we do a good job with our community PR. Lots of local stories about what the players do with local schools and hospitals and we have had some success with the academy. The problem is we have never really tackled the negative narrative around the club.
Virtually all of this is driven by figures at United who fear us more than anyone. They have a lot of contacts in the media who are happy to listen to whispers and smears. There are also some ex players of ours who are snakes (some of them leaked stuff when they still played for us). Mancini was relentlessly attacked from inside and outside the club (accepting he didn't always do himself any favours); Pellegrini was ridiculed and mocked; the narrative with Pep is more complex but essentially it is that he "just doesn't get English football."
Underpinning all this has been the institutionally racist printed press who just don't like the heritage of our owners. The Liberal media including the BBC, the Guardian, don't like us because we are a wealthy club.
We have tried to rise above this sort of stuff and I am sure for some of the players it provides an incentive to "prove the media wrong" but it is not easy to dispel a dishonest narrative (look at the Hillsborough cover-up)
Our PR team knows full well who the bad guys are. I think it's time they started getting tougher with them. We also need more public visibility from our senior management.

 

[Otamendi's Beard]

I am sure what you say is very largely, if not entirely true.

But I work in sales, working on large complex deals that may take years to land. Invariably there's many players to influence, not just the key decision maker(s). A big deal could involve 100's of people, all with different agendas and personalities. Invariably you cannot win over all of them, but you have to try to network and use your relationship building skills. You gain support through some person or other, who helps you get access to someone else. You get a partner organisation to talk to someone you can't reach. You try to marginalise people who are dead set against you. In short, you have a strategy and a clear plan, driving towards building a consensus and getting the decision to go your way.

It strikes me this situation is not at all dissimilar. We want "the industry" to be broadly positive towards City, or at the very least neutral. And yes there's lots of people who will stand in our way, but not everyone will and we need to build support and allies and win over those that can be won over. Maybe the chief sports write for the XYZ newspaper is a rag, but perhaps his boss is not. Maybe the editor is into rugby and doesn't care about football, but is most interested in advertising revenue. So what's our pitch to him, and how do we get to meet him? And what about the owner? etc etc.

Perhaps all of this is happening, but somehow, I doubt it.

You're right and it's very similar. You also make good points.

However, there's no way on this earth that City haven't got a strategy in place and aren't already meeting the right people. I work at a brand who's name opens similar doors to that of the MCFC comms team, so getting into those meetings and opening the opportunity to pitch is easy. The hard part is what can we give these journalists/editors/etc that the other clubs can't?

It's clearly our approach/plan that needs refining in order to get the results we want.

However, if you look at the bigger picture and the work the club is doing to target new fans and 'Gen Z', we are at the forefront of content creation and engagement. Take the latest trip to Abu Dhabi as an example, the club took out two YouTube/Social media influencers to meet the players and create a video. These guys are who the kids listen to and look up to now, they don't read newspapers or their websites.

One of the influencers, Miniminter, has nearly 6 million subscribers to his YouTube channel. That's one hell of an audience to reach and the club is bringing on the next generation of influencers and fans in this market. These guys will all be positive in their coverage of MCFC and our players.

I know for a fact that other media outlets are copying MCFC's approach and see them as the benchmark for social media/football content.

So even though the older generation of fans may still care about tabloids/print, MCFC are looking forward (as in everything the club does) and making them irrelevant. Young supporters don't have a clue about Neil Custis or Ian Herbert, nobody will in 5-10 years.

BTW I'm in no way affiliated with the club. I just respect the work they're doing as I'm in a similar profession.

 

[Centurions]

You're right and it's very similar. You also make good points.

However, there's no way on this earth that City haven't got a strategy in place and aren't already meeting the right people. I work at a brand who's name opens similar doors to that of the MCFC comms team, so getting into those meetings and opening the opportunity to pitch is easy. The hard part is what can we give these journalists/editors/etc that the other clubs can't?

It's clearly our approach/plan that needs refining in order to get the results we want.

However, if you look at the bigger picture and the work the club is doing to target new fans and 'Gen Z', we are at the forefront of content creation and engagement. Take the latest trip to Abu Dhabi as an example, the club took out two YouTube/Social media influencers to meet the players and create a video. These guys are who the kids listen to and look up to now, they don't read newspapers or their websites.

One of the influencers, Miniminter, has nearly 6 million subscribers to his YouTube channel. That's one hell of an audience to reach and the club is bringing on the next generation of influencers and fans in this market. These guys will all be positive in their coverage of MCFC and our players.

I know for a fact that other media outlets are copying MCFC's approach and see them as the benchmark for social media/football content.

So even though the older generation of fans may still care about tabloids/print, MCFC are looking forward (as in everything the club does) and making them irrelevant. Young supporters don't have a clue about Neil Custis or Ian Herbert, nobody will in 5-10 years.

BTW I'm in no way affiliated with the club. I just respect the work they're doing as I'm in a similar profession.

Good post. I never understand all this bile that's pointed at the PR team, they don't operate under their own purview but will be following a long term plan handed down from above and surely no Blue can doubt that our owner and the team he appointed know exactly what it is that they're doing.