Oxford Fail

[LeftSideBoy]

I have noticed over the course of the season that the level of journalism from the Oxford Mail has been on a rapid decline, highlighted recently by their reporting of the HMRC issues. It's been vague, click-bait driven, divisive and appearing to be angled towards unsettling fans further and from a PR point of view, it has done the club no favors whatsoever - especially with the fans.

Compared to other local tabloids that report for their football teams such as (and I hate to say it) the Swindon Advertiser, they look amateur and quite frankly, clueless. Granted, communication between the club and the fans isn't at its peak right now but a bit of investigative journalism, when required would surely help matters. Using the HMRC issues as an example: How about posting statistics about the number of league clubs that have received winding up orders in the last 5 years, opposed to creating an 'end of the world' fear amongst fans. It appears they are reluctant to report the wider context because that doesn't fit their narrative.

They also seem pretty keen to censor United fans by deleting their comments but allow Scumdon fans to run riot on there and post whatever they like, whenever they like. That alone is bad in itself.

Point being, I think there needs to be a PR shakeup within the club because if Oxford Mail is peoples go to for information on the club then they are doing the club a disservice, in my opinion.

Interested to see how you all view the importance of the Oxford Mail and your opinions on their reporting and journalism when it comes to footballing matters.

 

[Essexyellows]

The majority of local newspapers now rely on "clickbait" to drive folk towards their advert infested sites.
Six groups/companies produce 81% of local newspapers.
Trinity Mirror are by far the worst by "sharing" content across local/regional borders.
Newspapers are, effectively, dead and local journalism died with them.

 

[Deleted member 222]

The lack of investigation from the OM might be due to the paper cutting staffing costs which has left a very skeleton team of reporters.

I can see in a few years local newspapers being a thing of the past.

 

[Junior_1]

Pretty much spot on ^ Although it’s interesting to know that a Ox Mail journo also doubles up into a freelance scout for Oxford Utd!

 

[pooshooter]

maybe the quality decline is due to people not buying the printed version anymore and just having the free web version?

 

[Oldham]

They should appoint @Sarge as Editor in Chief, that’d sort the buggers out ?

 

[LeftSideBoy]

So hypothetically speaking, how would OUFC go about throttling the reporting in order to make the PR/news more centralised in order to avoid the Oxford Mail? Probably easier said than done as we live in a world of 'free press' but over the recent weeks and months, it's been absolutely P**s poor and counterproductive on many occasion.

 

[Sarge]

maybe the quality decline is due to people not buying the printed version anymore and just having the free web version?

Although I work away a few days a week I have the ox mail delivered whether I'm in Oxford or not....when I'm working away I do dip in to the online version.
Although most titles of printed newspapers &magazines are seeing a decline is sales of printed versions, it'll be a few decades yet before online versions can be judged as successful or not. .....I haven't bothered with a national daily paper for over 15 years now......certainly people over a certain age still prefer(in the main) a newspaper or magazine that is printed

 

[LondonRoader]

I think the reporters who cover the club know more than they are putting in the local rag, I'm led to believe they are in the loop (as much as anyone else can find out), but you have to be careful what you go to print with because of the lack of real information.

 

[Robie]

So hypothetically speaking, how would OUFC go about throttling the reporting in order to make the PR/news more centralised in order to avoid the Oxford Mail? Probably easier said than done as we live in a world of 'free press' but over the recent weeks and months, it's been absolutely P**s poor and counterproductive on many occasion.

The Oxford Mail is pretty desperate for content.
If you supply them with a press release they will print it with very little of their own comment on the issue.
If you have a look at the TVP press releases for Oxfordshire it will be pretty much mirrored on the OM website.

 

[Sarge]

I think the reporters who cover the club know more than they are putting in the local rag, I'm led to believe they are in the loop (as much as anyone else can find out), but you have to be careful what you go to print with because of the lack of real information.

Agree 100% with your astute comments ^^^ @LondonRoader

 

[BotleyOx]

I happened to pick up the oxford mail on Saturday and could not believe how thin it was

 

[Sarge]

I happened to pick up the oxford mail on Saturday and could not believe how thin it was

Its been seriously undernourished on Saturdays for sometime now

 

[derek]

Well now, what a shock, for the first time on here I'm ITK.

I've written freelance for the Oxford Times/Mail and a few other Newsquest titles off and on for about 12 years. In that time every single experienced journalist I've worked with has been made redundant.

They've either not been replaced, their work split up among remaining staff, or replaced by younger, less and experienced staff who, crucially, could be paid less.

I started just at the time when advertising revenue, which keeps local papers afloat, fled to the Web. The decimation of the professional staff is the management's answer and explains why quality has steadily dropped.

As to the drop in quality this season, my guess (I'm less ITK here) is that another head has rolled so there are now fewer resources available for footie.

This does give the club an opportunity in that any press release they put out will be printed virtually unedited and unchecked, but that presents its own problems, obviously.

I also noticed that the winding up order wasn't covered for some days, IIRC, but I'd put it down to a sheer lack of time and interest rather than anything else.

 

[Neville60]

I have noticed over the course of the season that the level of journalism from the Oxford Mail has been on a rapid decline, highlighted recently by their reporting of the HMRC issues. It's been vague, click-bait driven, divisive and appearing to be angled towards unsettling fans further and from a PR point of view, it has done the club no favors whatsoever - especially with the fans.

Compared to other local tabloids that report for their football teams such as (and I hate to say it) the Swindon Advertiser, they look amateur and quite frankly, clueless. Granted, communication between the club and the fans isn't at its peak right now but a bit of investigative journalism, when required would surely help matters. Using the HMRC issues as an example: How about posting statistics about the number of league clubs that have received winding up orders in the last 5 years, opposed to creating an 'end of the world' fear amongst fans. It appears they are reluctant to report the wider context because that doesn't fit their narrative.

They also seem pretty keen to censor United fans by deleting their comments but allow Scumdon fans to run riot on there and post whatever they like, whenever they like. That alone is bad in itself.

Point being, I think there needs to be a PR shakeup within the club because if Oxford Mail is peoples go to for information on the club then they are doing the club a disservice, in my opinion.

Interested to see how you all view the importance of the Oxford Mail and your opinions on their reporting and journalism when it comes to footballing matters.

Do us some favours ?

 

[LeftSideBoy]

Do us some favours ?

Oh. I got done by an american autocorrect. At least it wasn't your instead of you're, that puts me on edge haha.

 

[lodeyellow]

The Cambridge News is even worse than the Oxford Mail since it's been taken over by Trinity Mirror.

 

[sideshowrob]

The Oxford Mail and investigative journalism is an oxymoron when it comes to sports coverage. The most striking case being their 'head in the sand' stance during Thomas Guerriero's tenure at Oxford City. A simple Google search would have revealed him for the crook that he clearly was and all they could do was to act as a mouthpiece for his lies, spin and propaganda.

 

[Sarge]

Someone I know contacted them (OM) 're placing a job advert in Oxford mail aimed at candidates in oxford/Oxfordshire....head office of those wanting to place the advert had Newsquest try to get an advert in a Somerset paper!!!