Talksport deliberately misrepresenting Stefan Borson
By: Ted Fred Franky, Refuting misinformation, February 18, 2024 5 months ago
How the media deliberately spin a different narrative to what is actually said
This interview on TalkSport (White and Jordan 18 January 2024), was with former City financial advisor Stefan Borson. I listened to this interview live on the radio whilst driving on a long journey and so also heard the follow up. I was aghast at the behaviour of White and Jordan. They were clearly trying to set Borson up for a fall.
This demonstrates how the media deliberately misrepresent news and interviews, to say what their audience will lap up. It is a classic technique that has been used by fraudulent news agencies for years to misrepresent a situation. Take a good interview and cut out a small section portraying the interviewee as saying the complete opposite of the point he was trying to make.
In this case, the point Borson was making was that he felt City would be cleared of all charges, but the sound bite was that City wil be relegated!
Borson gives his interpretation of what he thinks will happen regarding the charges brought against Manchester City. He explains why he has come to his conclusion, based on his experience of similar situations. His conclusion is that City will be cleared of these charges.
Throughout the interview, the TalkSport team of Jordan and White constantly interrupt him. It is particularly vulgar when someone shows such a lack of respect and talks over someone else, but when two people do it you know something is afoot. There is an pre-planned aim.
Deliberate Tactic from the Church of Scientology
I first saw this as a deliberate tactic when Louis Theroux was investigating the Church of Scientology. He was surrounded at the roadside by 3 memebers of the church, who kept throwing different points at him. This prevented him from being able to respod to anything. Everytime he tried two other points were made and so it went on. Anyone discussing Brexit with Remainers or Scottish Independence with Leavers, would have expeirenced the same thing. This is a deliberate tactic, and this time it failed.
The pair kept interrupting Borson, asking him what he thinks will happen if the charges are proven. Borson explains how serious the charges are, and that were they to be proven City would be relegated. Talksport now have their sound-bite!
As the interview continues Borson is constantly interrupted by Jordan. Jordan is clearly attempting to disrupt Borson’s concentration, in the hope Borson won’t say what Jordan fears, ie this case has no hope of success.
Borson continues unflustered and makes his point.
This interview was broadcast between 11.30-11.40am. In the news blast at mid-day, TalkSport had edited what Borson said along the lines of:
“Former City advisor says Man City will be relegated as a result of the Premier League charges against them”
As I listened the same mantra was broadcast for about 2-3 news bulletins. Then Borson had obviously had a word with them, objecting to this portayal of what he had said. For the rest of the afternoon, TalkSport stopped misrepresenting what Borson had said, and were more honest in their summary, along the lines of:
“Former City advisor says Man City will be relegated if the Premier League charges against them are proven, but he thinks City will be cleared.”
So what we have is a total stitch up by TalkSport, and one which Borson no doubt put in a serious complaint.
[Stefan if you are reading this, please comment on the BlueMoon Forum in this thread and I’ll pick it up, and add your comments to this article]
However, it doesn’t stop there. TalkSport have created a handy 2 minute cut of the 10 minute interview and plugged 2 articles on their website with this edited interview showing that City will be relegated according to former City advisor Stefan Borson. So despite being corrected, we have a concerted attempt by TalkSport to misrepresent Borson….
Full 10 Minute Interview:
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This interview was broadcast on TalkSport on 18 January 2024, circa 11.30-11.40am.
Why there is a picture of Pep Guadiola in the still above is a mystery. TalkSport have even added #PepGuadiola to it, when he is not even mentioned in the interview?
Deliberate Misrepresentation by TalkSport
The two TalkSport articles promoting the twisted narrative are here, with a 2 minute edit of the above interview:
- Published 18 Janaury 2024 at 15.10: Football finance expert believes Manchester City will be relegated if guilty of FFP breaches
- Published 09 February 2024 at 14.34: What is the latest on Man City’s FFP case?
As fa aas talkSport are concerned, the fact Borson thinks City will be cleared is irrelevant, the point is the sensationalist headline, “Man City will be relegated according to City expert.”
Harranging by Simon Jordan
In this interview Jordan constantly interrupts Borson with the usual “115 Charges”, “related companies” yadda yadda scratched record.
Recently he has started to use the phrase “blatant disregard” several times. Jordan seems to have picked up from Dan Roan’s article which I critique here. What you can see with these two misrepresentations of fact, is how two independent City hating journalists are combining to double down on their charade. These made up fantasies have the naïve supporters of Arsenal, Liverpool and United believing it, and then quoting it as fact, when it is nothing of the sort.
If you look at the actual section, quoted in the CAS report. City were found to have shown a blatant disregard for a principle. The principle being that the whole UEFA FFP process requires cooperation. By filing additional information on a appeal, which could have been presented to UEFA’s AC, City had failed to do so. That’s all. The real criticism is that had City done so, UEFA’s AC should have reached the same conclusion as CAS, and cleared City. Ergo, there would have been no need for City to appeal
Still Guilty When Cleared….
Jordan also seems to draw a distinction between the ban imposed by the UEFA Adjudicatory Board, and the lifting of the ban by CAS, as if the two are separate unrelated topics. The fact is City appealed to CAS to over turn the decision of the UEFA Adjudicatory Board which they did. This is synonymous with a defendant being found guilty in a criminal caught, and then having that conviction quashed on appeal.
For example, we have over 900 postmasters and sub-postmasters who were wrongfully prosecuted by the Post Office as part of the Horizon scandal. Some have already had their convictions quashed and we would expect the remainder to have theirs quashed as well. Are these people still convicted thieves? In the eyes of Simon Jordan, are they all still guilty?
Jordan is deliberately ignoring the fact City’s ban was overturned on appeal. This is deliberate and it is defamation, it is not fair comment or opinion.
