Why does the press need to get blood?

Question

Yesterday's "AGE" editorial informed us that Heath Shaw refrained from disclosing who (Didak) was in the car with him. HE DIDN'T LIE, he just didn't tell. HE PROTECTED A VULNERABLE MATE. So it is finally uncovered that Alan Didak was in the car, a passenger. Is that a crime?

A similar situation was explored in the movie "Taste of a Woman". Al Pacino gave a remarkable speech about the honour that befalls a person who offers himself to save a friend, the self sacrifice that dignifies a person.

Heath Shaw has paid Society for his misdemeanour. Why do we tolerate the Press acting as judge and jury to further pursue these matters ad nauseum. But for the grace of God go I.

Answer 1

Why in fact i find the players about ' this week - end ' this at a club

this week -end that in a fight, and so on.

The players are not Ballet Dancers, though some Rugby Union Players

could be mistaken for that genre, albait a little heavier! (meaning when

they fly through the air to grab that ball ) Hahaha...sorry , i couldn't

help it. Back to my point.  Every young man behaves like this.

Why are we so suprised ? ..... do we want the game to pause and

the players to write out written appology to each other , followed by

a kiss ? .   This nonsense of hounding the players is too much.

Leave them some space to be human, unless they have broken the

law big time!  .... I still believe if someone insults you , you have the

right to respond.  What do we want these guys to be ? Act like they

are Angels ?????......I want that they have a good time like any other

young person and to play like h**l on the Field !

I don't care what they do in their own time, and i believe most people

feel the same, as long as they don't let their teem down at the game.

If the Gov. and others want to do really something about changing the

drug culture it is too late to spend Copius amount of money on the

notion of Advertising to ring a Councillor ( tell that to the parents of

teen trouble makers- now Adults out of Control and see how effective

that is ) .  No it needs to be put at drug testing all junior levels with

real Government authority.....that is where it can be stopped.

Answer 2

It's an industry based on selling stories... simple really.

Answer 3

because they believe it sells papers

Answer 4

Don't worry Laurie. I understood the "Scent of a Woman" comparison!

But Antoi hit the nail on the head. What's that saying? "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story?"

Nuff said.

Answer 5

The press do blow many things out of proportion, such as the latest Sam Newman incident, and many issues in sport, especially football. However, what Heath Shaw did was wrong, and by not disclosing the truth, he made the problem at Collingwood twice as bad as what it could have been. The public and supporters have a right to know what is happening at their club, and Shaw and Didak withheld important information.

I do think that the media need to step back, and stop making big issues out of nothing, but as a Collingwood supporter, I have to say that what Shaw and Didak did was wrong. However, the media should have given the club more time to work through it's issues, and maybe the outcome would have been better.

Answer 6

Didak was complicit and lied. What Shaw said is irrelevant to how Didak should be dealt with and besides it is not the first time Didak has hidden the truth about who he rides around with....remember the dangerous thug he caught a lift with?

It is the Victorian press which needs blood. Look at the way they tore apart Ben Cousins...while whistling in the wind at Victorian players' discretions. Talk about double standards and don't give me that 'mateship' c**p. If someone you loved was hit by a drunk driver you wouldn't care if they were a famous footballer or not so get your priorities right MATE!

Answer 7

Well the press are vultures, and vultures love blood!

All three got what they deserved, they were out drinking in defiance of club rules, end of!

Publically humiliating them is a worse penalty than any non-sports person or "celebrity" ever gets, so lets hope thay have learned their lessons and behave from now on.

Answer 8

I often wonder myself why the press aren't held more accountable for their actions. Not just in this, but many other things, like the way they 'hound' people in the news & celebrities visiting our country etc. Our media is almost as bad as the British, which to my mind is the world's worst.They don't let up till they ruin someone's career or reputation.

Answer 9

I totally agree with you.  I have always strongly opposed the media's desired to create frenzied propaganda to sell their newspapers etc.

I believe though that Heath Shaw initially said that he was with a mate, and didnt disagree when his president/coach stated that it wasnt Didak.  He was probably literally $hitting his daks more for Didak than himself.

Ok, he may not have wanted to fess up that the "mate" was Didak in a public conference to protect him (especially considering Didaks bad reputation) but surely the boys would have realised they couldnt hide the fact forever.  Even if he wanted to protect Didak, he should have told Eddie & the club the truth up front and they could have dealt with it privately.

Had he told the truth from the start, they would have both been fined and the saga would have ended that day.

Of course the media are now circulating rumors that Didak was in fact driving...something that NOONE could prove.  Again, the media are like vampires and want to suck the life out of these players and the story itself.  Milk it for everything while they can even if they have to create more propaganda - its sick.

You are absolutely right, what gives the media/paparazzi morons the right to be judge and jury and proverbially crucify them accordingly..

Answer 10

I just thought that I should let u know that he actually did lie. During the press conference he was asked whether the passenger was Alan Didak and he said no and went on to say that Didak had turned up afterward but he told him to go because he didnt need to be there. These questions were asked of Shaw during the press conference after several witnesses had named Didak as being the passenger in the car.

I dont blame Heath Shaw for protecting his mate. However the accident is still being investigated so he is yet to pay his debt to society for his misdemeanor, as you have put it.

In response to Alan Didak being the passenger in Shaws car, no that definatly is not a crime. For all we know, he may have been in the car trying to discourage Heath Shaw from drink driving. The press do have their own way of putting a spin on things.

EDIT: I also agree with imawunda and well done Lozz, you gave a great answer!

Answer 11

He lied.

He is from Collingwood!

Anyway, what's with all this defence of a drunk crashing a hoon ute? Asker has worn callouses on the tips of his index fingers defending Heath Shaw & Didak in every question on this forum that has touched on the subject.

Is there a conflict of interest somewhere here?

Answer 12

WoW!!!!

Now it is Heath Shaw being compared to Al Pacino.....wonders will never cease.

OK, so lets all vote that the press cannot report anything adverse about any AFL player.

Seeing you asked - they need to get blood to keep their jobs.

Answer 13

The press are feed by us the baying public the Ben Cousins saga a prime example he has paid his price to society and I don't see the public getting off his back and are not likely to he sells to many papers and we buy them.

Answer 14

The press loves scandal.  It gets them better ratings which leads to more money for advertising.  I personally refuse to read anything that even looks like a media beat up any more.

Answer 15

It's all about money.  Ratings, advertising dollars, subscriptions, sales etc.  If lots of people buy it, the press shows even more of it.  We consumers are to blame for most of the c**p in the media because we give them more money for getting the "dirt" on people and for showing the more sensational stuff.  If people quit watching, subscribing to and buying media products that are full of that kind of stuff, it would quickly go away.  Publishers and producers of media don't put out stuff that people won't buy.

Answer 16

Unfortunately society as a whole just loves it when one of our "celebrities" (and I use that term loosely for our sports stars) stuff up. That is clearly evidenced in the fact that we are more interested in reading about Sam Newmans indiscretions rather than the good work he does for charities etc. You only have to look at the increased amount of tabloid mags on sale at your local newsagents to know what a huge business gutter journalism is. And sports journo's are no different. Sensational headlines sell. And they sell because a lot of people buy stuff for the headlines and 'FOOTBALL PLAYERS LIE TO CLUB, TEAM MATES, THE POLICE AND FANS" Sells (and pays the journo) a lot more than "Three young men crash their car after a few beers".

It would also appear, from Eddies interview last night, that there were some Sydney journo's involved. They have a vested interest up there of discrediting the AFL in any way to try and make League still look good to the masses.....

It is a vicious circle these days. People buy the c**p, the c**p gets sold, people expect more c**p and so we go around and around and around...Us, as consumers, need to make the choce as to whether we read this stuff, or not.

("Lying" "Different Account": You say tomato, I say tomato.....)

EDIT:Mulga42/Imawunda, you make an excellent point!! (And I am confused???)