The media can make or break popular morale

The media has been accused of negativity in reporting the (so far successful) progress of the England football team. Almost everyone I talk to comments on this negativity, usually in terms that suggest those responsible should be put on trial for sedition. It is as if the journalists have made up their minds there is going to be a downturn and are competing among themselves on who is going to be the first to report it. Inside the England camp the negativity has been noticed, with Wayne Rooney voicing bewilderment at why the England performances are being portrayed so harshly. The issue is an important one, since the media can make or break popular morale. The complaint that vested interests are talking down the national good is a familiar one, and dates back to Homeric times and the Trojan War (“Above, on the walls, the wailing has begun, and bitterly for us, Priam and Hecuba cry” etc etc).



Above: The London Evening Standard is a “regional” daily newspaper but effectively operates as if it was a national daily. It has a good reputation for investigative journalism. Generally its World Cup reporting has been supportive and encouraging.