You Can't Take Carlisle From the Boy

You might have seen features in the news, especially newspapers, over the last year dealing with the threat to the news industry. Basically, the whole business of gathering and delivering the news for profit is under threat as never before. Many serious papers are openly suggesting newspapers as we know them are approaching extinction.

The threats are coming from all directions. Advertising revenues have crashed because of the recession, and advertisers taking their business elsewhere - mainly the internet - where it is easier to target audiences. At the same time the internet has taken over the main function of delivering the news. According to research most people between the ages of 14 and 25 watch television mainly through video on demand on the internet, and avoid news bulletins in favour of brief headlines online, or - perhaps - skimming a tabloid paper.

It is understandable that journalists, especially those in the serious end of the business, are presenting this situation as problem for the whole country. Their argument generally revolves around the business of gathering and presenting serious news, like political shenanigans and cover-ups. Their worry is that without money coming in to finance serious investigation and the writing up of such work the whole country will suffer because those in power will get things a lot more their own way.

It's a fair point, gathering news isn't cheap, and for many years the popular end of the media has been financing it. Back in the days when ITV was famous for stashing piles of surplus cash in cupboards the news gathering at ITN could rely on a steady income. The 'serious' newspapers have typically made a profit on selling advertising in their supplements. Some of the money gained this way has always been poured into reporting and investigation to maintain their reputations for good journalism.

Almost all the arguments I have seen about the demise of the press have concentrated on serious news and current affairs. But it's worth considering the impact on sports coverage. The internet can keep us up to date with reports of sports events, like football matches, but that is about the only place it matches journalism. The internet is alive with gossip on behind the scenes sports stories, sometimes it presents information well ahead of the main news organisations but frequently it presents low-grade rubbish, and rumours based on the flimsiest grasp of the truth.

If you ever see someone posting on a message board and ending their scoop with the word 'FACT' in overlarge capital letters…….be very suspicious. Similarly the internet presents a lot of sports news spun by those involved in the business. For the most part this is great for the seriously committed sports fan. We could never rely on the local press in Cumbria to give us all the inside information on Carlisle United's reserve and youth sides, so the presence of an official and also a lively unofficial Carlisle United website has greatly improved the lives of United's die-hard fans. There is a lot to be grateful for online, despite the threat the web presents to independent news organisations.

But I can't help thinking that the editors banging on about the danger of letting serious news die have a point where football is concerned. At its worst football can be as corrupt, secretive and cynical as politics or corporate dealings. Some events linked to football impact on the whole community.

The campaign to reveal the truth about events like the Hillsborough tragedy has been driven by pressure groups, but helped by serious investigative reporting. Investigative journalism doesn't always carry out the research or reach the conclusions that you and I would like it to, but we'd all be worse off without it. Football fans would be worse off without the investigations and reports that seek out and publish the facts about the things we consistently gossip about online.

In the UK we stand to suffer less than others because the BBC is likely to survive the current storm that lashes commercial news gathering. But the BBC alone can't deal with every little story. One thing that writing about Carlisle United over the years has done for me is bring me into contact with the local press in Cumbria. It's also convinced me that - by comparison to other parts of the country and other clubs competing at our level - we have good journalists and good reporting.

Infact Roger Lytollis - whose words I first read in a United fanzine - scoped a 'feature writer of the year' award for local journalists not too long ago. That achievement deserves serious respect, as does the consistently insightful reporting of Jon Colman. For years we have needed our local press to keep us up to date with what's going on. Now, they need us. I wouldn't want to lose them.

Neil Nixon has written four books about Carlisle United, and a sleazy novel - Workington Dynamo - about a hopeless west Cumbrian football team. His latest book Blueseason 2008-2009 is in the Blues Store. His website can be found at; www.neilnixon.com and click on the books page.