Is RL media dead?

I think previous topics have touched on this issue so apologies if we are covering old ground.

Over the last 12 months I've pretty much stopped following most RL news outlets and journalists. I still think there are some good ones out there like John Davidson and the Forty20 crew. 

Nearly everyone is following clicks now and copy and pasting others. Lately I've seen loads of articles written by AI (just been blocked by 'inclusive' Keighley Cougars for pointing out their articles are written by AI). As good journalists retire or pass away they are replaced by click bait merchants. I'm a bit disillusioned with this aspect of our sport.

I understand this isnt just a RL issue but does anyone else feel this way? Is it really that bad? How do you get credible RL news?

In general, Rugby League suffered from being under represented in traditional media - newspapers (broadsheets in particular) and national TV and radio.

Probably the biggest gripe of RL fans through the 90' and 00's was this lack of media attention. 

As a rule, I am not a fan of this 'citizen journalism' that big tech platforms (one in particular) is pushing as the future of news but I guess the democratisation of media is good for Rugby League as fans and clubs can be in charge of the narrative and the size and scope of the content.

On balance, it could easily be described as a net positive for our sport.

I don't feel like it all can be put down at my doorstep, cut me some slack.

I don't think it's all bad, I think love rugby league has made a resurgence of late with Aaron Bower and John Davidson providing articles and I think that despite the bad presentation full of adds, the reach group stuff led by Matt Shaw does put out plenty good stuff. 

The copy and pasting is mainly done by total RL and the SARL crew these days, although I have noticed an uptick in have a go journalist's just throwing out AI guff, one guy in particular I seem to see everywhere these days passing off AI generated images as his own.

"Five reasons why the RL media is dead"

1 minute ago, RigbyLuger said:

"Five reasons why the RL media is dead"

"Try not to gasp when you read number 4"

I've read this month's Forty20 magazine. Some of it is very good, some of it is middling. Definitely not dead.

2 hours ago, OriginalMrC said:

I think previous topics have touched on this issue so apologies if we are covering old ground.

Over the last 12 months I've pretty much stopped following most RL news outlets and journalists. I still think there are some good ones out there like John Davidson and the Forty20 crew. 

Nearly everyone is following clicks now and copy and pasting others. Lately I've seen loads of articles written by AI (just been blocked by 'inclusive' Keighley Cougars for pointing out their articles are written by AI). As good journalists retire or pass away they are replaced by click bait merchants. I'm a bit disillusioned with this aspect of our sport.

I understand this isnt just a RL issue but does anyone else feel this way? Is it really that bad? How do you get credible RL news?

 

Childish dig at Keighley Cougars there. What did you say to get blocked exactly?

Dog bites man= no news.

Man bites dog= national headline news.

No "Man bites dog" stories = no media coverage.

Check out the latest League Express Podcast for their thoughts on this subject. You won't believe what Martyn Sadler looks like now!

53 minutes ago, Tre Cool said:

Childish dig at Keighley Cougars there. What did you say to get blocked exactly?

How is it a childish dig? I pointed out they had articles on their website written by AI. They took exception to that which is their perogative. I don't think it's very inclusive to block everyone they don't agree with but there we are. 

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

"Try not to gasp when you read number 4"

Don't for get to add the word SHOCK in capitals and underlined in every sentence 

39 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

Check out the latest League Express Podcast for their thoughts on this subject. You won't believe what Martyn Sadler looks like now!

For those wanting to find out, here is a link to the current Podcast.

1 hour ago, RigbyLuger said:

"Five reasons why the RL media is dead"

“ @OriginalMrC breaks silence on RL media”

Some of you have mentioned good media. What other good outlets are there?

1 hour ago, Just Browny said:

I've read this month's Forty20 magazine. Some of it is very good, some of it is middling. Definitely not dead.

If you live in the south, and weren't born to RL, Forty20 is an absolute lifeline every month. Great magazine.

Most of the stuff I see is just click bait trash, even Matt Shaw who has been decent in the past has started going down the click bait route recently. The people who will come out of it with credit will be the people willing to put in the work now for when the algos change in the next year or so and will narrow down the click bait from the articles that people actually read and will no doubt punish the sites in the rankings and in their pockets running cash for clicks schemes.

12 hours ago, OriginalMrC said:

How is it a childish dig? I pointed out they had articles on their website written by AI. They took exception to that which is their perogative. I don't think it's very inclusive to block everyone they don't agree with but there we are. 

Your use of the word inclusive in this context is a childish dig.

1 hour ago, Tre Cool said:

Your use of the word inclusive in this context is a childish dig.

Please clarify. I have no idea what you mean

There are plenty of local alleged newspaper websites that are syndicated and are absolutely atrocious examples of clickbait journalism. It’s not exclusive to RL IMO. These same websites don’t even load properly and I never bother trying to read anything they try to push on me because of this. As for the “journalism” I’m sure the Hull Daily Mail is staffed by a group of fourteen year olds who’d struggle to pass their CSE English exam.

Well at least we are having a go with the new rugbyleague Radio station and the journalism on here is really good as always.

On 19/04/2024 at 09:22, OriginalMrC said:

I think previous topics have touched on this issue so apologies if we are covering old ground.

Over the last 12 months I've pretty much stopped following most RL news outlets and journalists. I still think there are some good ones out there like John Davidson and the Forty20 crew. 

Nearly everyone is following clicks now and copy and pasting others. Lately I've seen loads of articles written by AI (just been blocked by 'inclusive' Keighley Cougars for pointing out their articles are written by AI). As good journalists retire or pass away they are replaced by click bait merchants. I'm a bit disillusioned with this aspect of our sport.

I understand this isnt just a RL issue but does anyone else feel this way? Is it really that bad? How do you get credible RL news?

 

It's interesting how AI is replacing things that are easy

I want AI to be able to come and easily fix my leaking boiler or fix the potholes in my road....or make my bed and tidy up the house 

Replacing crappy pointless jobs like advertising, HR and marketing seem to be it's primary focus 

5 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

It's interesting how AI is replacing things that are easy

I want AI to be able to come and easily fix my leaking boiler or fix the potholes in my road....or make my bed and tidy up the house 

Replacing crappy pointless jobs like advertising, HR and marketing seem to be it's primary focus 

I'm not sure it works in media. It's very easy to tell something has been written by AI and is usually poor quality. It may get better but there's no substitute for written word (media people please take note!)

2 hours ago, Gomersall said:

There are plenty of local alleged newspaper websites that are syndicated and are absolutely atrocious examples of clickbait journalism. It’s not exclusive to RL IMO. These same websites don’t even load properly and I never bother trying to read anything they try to push on me because of this. As for the “journalism” I’m sure the Hull Daily Mail is staffed by a group of fourteen year olds who’d struggle to pass their CSE English exam.

Like him or loathe him, Joe Lycett's recent stunt of getting several fake stories into quite a few media outlets was very revealing about the state of play.

Just now, gingerjon said:

Like him or loathe him, Joe Lycett's recent stunt of getting several fake stories into quite a few media outlets was very revealing about the state of play.

Research is a thing of the past in a lot of what nowadays passes for journalism. When the ship hit the bridge in the States last month an Australian news show proudly showed footage from a dash cam of a car on the bridge at the moment of impact. Unfortunately in their desire to get the scoop they failed to realise or research the fact that the footage was from a bridge in the Crimea which was bombed by Ukraine soon after the Russian invasion.