BBC Scotland have responded to the comments of Rangers’ Managing Director Stewart Robertson by claiming their coverage of the club is “editorially fair”.
Rangers had released an interview with Robertson via their communications channels on the ongoing discussion about the disciplinary process in Scotland.
The club also used it as an opportunity to challenge the perceived “trial by Sportscene”. Rangers, amongst others, feel BBC Scotland’s coverage is influencing decisions with the Compliance Officer.
Rangers also feel they are being treated differently to the other clubs by BBC Scotland. This is something which Robertson claims the club has in writing.
The BBC Scotland response reads:
“The central part of this dispute is that Rangers is continuing to operate an exceptional ban of one of our journalists.
“We have offered to return to Ibrox to provide commentary, as per our contracted rights, while we try to find a permanent solution to the overall dispute, but Rangers have said this is unacceptable.
“Our coverage, including analysis and comment, is editorially fair. We will continue to speak to both Rangers and the SPFL about the situation as we believe it’s in the best interest of our audiences to restore the ability to bring commentaries from all SPFL grounds.”
Robertson explains in the Rangers video that this dispute has been going on much longer than the dispute with Chris McLaughlin. McLaughlin clashed with Rangers for what was perceived as continued obtuse reportage as the club beat Hibs 6-2 back in July 2015. He chose to focus on arrests at the match. It was the first game of the revamped Warburton era.
He basically sensationalised a story to bring the club down – and not for the first time – whilst we were trying to cultivate good news. Rangers believe that McLaughlin had an agenda.
The prominent BBC Reporter has since moved roles. It’s tedious and desperate to lay the blame of this entire debacle at the feet of one incident. It reduces the severity of the several before and since. There are also unanswered questions over whether McLaughlin is actually “banned” – or if he has simply had his free entry press rights provoked. If this is the case he can still attend matches by buying a ticket.
The Rangers Managing Director also explained why Rangers have knocked back the BBC’s offer to return to Ibrox.
The club are willing to let the BBC return. But as part of that they simply want the outlet to interview the club’s staff and players the way they do with the other sides. Rangers claim the National Broadcaster have intimated that in this case they will treat the side differently.
BBC Scotland response childish and unproductive
It’s simple – Rangers want balanced reportage. The BBC seem incapable of providing it. Their statement is brash, classless and deflects from the genuine issues at hand. Most of all, it comes across as fairly childish. There have been plenty of incidents of harsh, unbalanced reporting involving Rangers – the most of recent of which includes the use of an image of Ryan Jack’s severed head. Or of their poorly balanced use of images in the Ryan Jack Alan Power clash.
There are three things that are clearly visible from these two responses. Firstly, that Rangers and Stewart Robertson come across much better than the BBC in the manner of their statements.
Secondly, that there is no end in sight to this tiresome, murky dispute.
And finally, and perhaps most worryingly, that BBC Scotland don’t seem to care a single jot.
