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| Brief encounter illustrates difference between journalists and PRs | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The distinction between a journalist and a PR was neatly illustrated during a recent press conference at the Glasgow football club, Rangers. | The distinction between a journalist and a PR was neatly illustrated during a recent press conference at the Glasgow football club, Rangers. |
| The journalist, Mark Benstead of Sky Sports, was asking questions of the club’s manager when he was interrupted by the club’s PR, Jim Traynor. | The journalist, Mark Benstead of Sky Sports, was asking questions of the club’s manager when he was interrupted by the club’s PR, Jim Traynor. |
| As Benstead persisted with his line of questioning, Traynor then called the briefing to a halt and ushered the manager, Mark Warburton, out of the room. | As Benstead persisted with his line of questioning, Traynor then called the briefing to a halt and ushered the manager, Mark Warburton, out of the room. |
| Benstead had been trying to get Warburton to comment on the suspension of a Rangers player, Joey Barton. But the manager would not be drawn. Which was fair enough. | Benstead had been trying to get Warburton to comment on the suspension of a Rangers player, Joey Barton. But the manager would not be drawn. Which was fair enough. |
| Traynor’s intervention seemed unnecessary because Warburton, although stone-walling, was holding his own. It was a clear case by Traynor of attempting to manage the news. | Traynor’s intervention seemed unnecessary because Warburton, although stone-walling, was holding his own. It was a clear case by Traynor of attempting to manage the news. |
| How sad that Traynor, a sports journalist for 37 years, should have taken umbrage at a working journalist doing his job. Then again, that transformation from poacher to gatekeeper has a been a familiar journalistic meme for generations. | How sad that Traynor, a sports journalist for 37 years, should have taken umbrage at a working journalist doing his job. Then again, that transformation from poacher to gatekeeper has a been a familiar journalistic meme for generations. |
| After leaving the Daily Record in 2012, where he was associate editor, Traynor became communications director at Rangers for a short period. Now he handles the club’s press relations through his company, Level5PR. | After leaving the Daily Record in 2012, where he was associate editor, Traynor became communications director at Rangers for a short period. Now he handles the club’s press relations through his company, Level5PR. |
| In his final column for the Record, incidentally, he wrote about the (alleged) demise of journalism in Scotland and launched a scathing broadside at fellow journalists, calling them “despicable, pathetic little creatures”. | In his final column for the Record, incidentally, he wrote about the (alleged) demise of journalism in Scotland and launched a scathing broadside at fellow journalists, calling them “despicable, pathetic little creatures”. |
| Traynor’s petty act of censorship was rightly described on Twitter by former Sunday Mirror journalist Brian McNally as “comedy gold”. | Traynor’s petty act of censorship was rightly described on Twitter by former Sunday Mirror journalist Brian McNally as “comedy gold”. |
| But there is another worrying aspect to this incident. After a 20-minute hiatus, the press conference was reconvened. Yet no reporter took the opportunity to pursue Warburton over the status of Barton. | But there is another worrying aspect to this incident. After a 20-minute hiatus, the press conference was reconvened. Yet no reporter took the opportunity to pursue Warburton over the status of Barton. |
| It appears that Benstead had broken some kind of unspoken agreement among the rest of the pack. That’s the problem with journalists who get too close to sports they cover. They are what we called, in pre-computer days, “fans with typewriters”. | It appears that Benstead had broken some kind of unspoken agreement among the rest of the pack. That’s the problem with journalists who get too close to sports they cover. They are what we called, in pre-computer days, “fans with typewriters”. |
| Sources and video clips: Daily Record/SkySports/Daily Mirror/Brian McNally on Twitter | Sources and video clips: Daily Record/SkySports/Daily Mirror/Brian McNally on Twitter |