Good media practice starts with courtesy – which is apparently what some of England’s footballers forgot or chose to ignore during their disappointing World Cup campaign.



In the fishbowl of the World Cup, all players know that there are times and places they have to deal with reporters and plenty of time when they are protected from intrusion. After a game, journalists from TV, radio and newspapers stand in the “mixed zone” waiting behind barriers for interviews with players.

Members of the tournament’s press corp felt that many of England’s players showed arrogance. One reporter wrote in The Mirror: “England players come through often pretending to be on their mobile phones or listening to music. The foreign players come through and will talk, win or lose.”
After losing last week’s semi-final to the Netherlands, for example, Uruguay’s players, including player of the tournament, Diego Forlan, spoke at length with the media.

Many players say that losing a semi final is more painful than losing the final but Forlan had the self-control to show courtesy.

A second criticism to emerge is that England’s manager Fabio Capello and his players kept press conferences to minimal length and often excluded foreign reporters. Players from Germany, Spain and many other countries, in contrast, took the time to speak with media representatives from countries other than their own.

Visibly shutting out the media is an approach reporters don’t forget in a hurry. People who ignore reasonable requests from reporters earn instant suspicion, a negative image magnified by gossip of the press corp and newsroom.

It’s a reminder to large organisations where a mantra of conservatism often leads executives to avoid or minimise media contact. Company representatives who take this approach risk being portrayed as inaccessible, secretive and greedy. Human contact, and common courtesy towards reporters, can enhance anyone’s image.