Media essays

Fame, football and the reporting of scandal

By Jason Thatcher (2005 essay)

Once upon a time, working as a football journalist simply meant covering the events of a match; evaluating player performance, the result, and any other on-field incident. These days, every aspect of an AFL footballers life is under constant surveillance and scrutiny from the media. Everything regarding players contract negotiations, family life, social behaviour, drug and alcohol problems, even sex habits are exposed in countless reports, articles and media telecasts.

This media scrutiny became more evident than ever before during the launch of the 2004 AFL season, when claims of sexual assault and rape were made against several prominent AFL footballers. Instantly, becoming a major scandal, football journalists and other experts appeared in newspapers and telecasts everywhere, presenting these allegations and their personal opinions to the public sphere. It soon became obvious that a number of these stories were being written in accordance with the best interests of the football club and the players involved, with little consideration given to the alleged rape victims.

This essay reveals several ways in which the media contributed to the public perception that the players involved were the innocent victims, while the female accusers were considered predators, destroying the image and reputation of our great game. It analyses the ways in which the media worked in conjunction with the AFL to help prevent any charges being laid against the accused footballers.

Analysing this period in Australian football journalisms history is significant because it reveals how the media, by limiting what is revealed to the public, can shape and manipulate their views and perceptions of the truth and protect the integrity of a national sport.

The Accusations

The first serious allegation of this nature came from the National Rugby League where a twenty-year old woman accused six players from the Canterbury Bulldogs of raping her during a pre-season trip in February 2004. Eventually, there were no charges laid against any of the players. (Cassidy, 2004)

The next major allegation came from the AFL where two St Kilda footballers were accused of sexually abusing two young women in March 2004 during celebrations of St Kilda’s victory in the 2004 Wizard Cup pre-season competition. It was alleged at the time that the players swapped partners after consensual sex without the knowledge or consent of the women. Again, no charges were laid. (Cassidy, 2004)

Following the release of these alleged rapes to the public, a number of new cases appeared with several women claiming to have been raped by members of the AFL and also the NRL. While these claims created major public concern, no charges were ever laid against any players in any of the two major football codes in Australia.

These stories placed an enormous amount of pressure on the AFL as well as the clubs and players involved in the allegations. The media, which is responsible for presenting the facts to the public, played a major role in delivering their defences, giving them ample opportunity to plead their case and discredit the alleged victims stories.

Players Deny all Allegations 

Historically our popular conceptions of sexual assault have functioned to deny and discount women’s stories of rape. (Prent, 2004) When facing questioning about the incidents, staff members and players of AFL clubs immediately denied any knowledge or involvement in the alleged crimes of sexual assault. “(The players) have both vehemently denied the allegations against them.”(Lyon, 2004) “Both players have issued statements… emphatically denying the claims against them.”(Denham, 2004) CEO from the Adelaide Crows Brian Cunningham treated allegations made against players from his club with total disdain and appeared to disrespect the seriousness of the claims “I'm somewhat bored by these allegations that cannot… that aren't substantiated. It just puts a very unhealthy taint on AFL football.” (Epstein, 2004) Virtually every article written on the details of the allegation against AFL footballers relied on these statements, and despite their prejudicial nature, excluded any information from alternative sources. (Prent, 2004)

It became immediately apparent that the media’s sole focus surrounded the reaction, response and emotions of the football clubs. The difficulties and trauma facing the alleged victims were almost totally excluded from the coverage. There seemed “to be an automatic assumption that the claims were unfounded and, even worse, that this kind of aggressive sexual behaviour was acceptable.”(Media Release, 2004)

The issue was a major topic for a panel on the high-rating Footy Show, which featured two female board members from AFL clubs. The show once again highlighted the prejudice nature of media reporting as the female board members sat in silence while Sam Newman spoke of “predatory women” and St Kilda footballer Aaron Hamill, alluded to the women “who do hang around, they stick around and you’ve got to be careful…they are out there.” (Porter, 2004)

Predatory Women/ Who’s the victim?

As a result of biased reporting the weight of blame had suddenly shifted, where now it was the alleged perpetrators who were the victims, and the women were responsible and even blamed for the rape allegations. The media, by giving the AFL full coverage of its defence, were therefore permitting them the benefit of the presumption of innocence, at the same time as destroying the dignity and credibility of the women. (Prent, 2004) Major football identity, Eddie McGuire was another who was obviously attempting to protect the sports reputation, and was given maximum opportunity to do this by the media. This was obvious as on several occasions he was shown making derogatory comments about the sort of women that are involved in these scandals. “I'm saying there is as many predator women these days… That's women target the footballers…they instigate situations, they approach the players, they instigate all these types of things.” (Cafagna, 2004) He further defended the players during the same Footy Show discussion mentioned earlier.“The AFL, the clubs and the media have been only too happy to use footballers' abundant sex appeal to market the game to women, and to encourage "trophy footballer" hunting with fashion-oriented Brownlow Medal coverage, and coy "footballers' wives" programs.” (Porter, 2004) McGuire’s public comments appeared to centre only on this risk players face when confronted by these “predatory women,” where no thought was given to the risk that some footballers may pose to young, impressionable women.

Another ex-footballer who is now involved in the media, Tim Watson made his stance on the issue quite obvious and immediately tagged the women as sexual predators. “One girl was so convinced of her intentions she sidled up to the coach to explain to him what she planned to do later in the night to one of his players.” (Watson, 2004) It appears in this case that Watson is suggesting that whatever happened to the girls on this night was justified as clearly they were asking for whatever came their way. In response to comments made by Watson, media representative Phil Cleary presented a much more dignified and unbiased account of events and immediately dismissed Watson’s article believing the women had not received fair coverage or the respect they deserve “…that shouldn't preclude us from debunking the myth that most women who 'cry rape' are chronic liars and schemers who've maliciously changed their mind after a sexual encounter.” (Cleary, 23/03/2004)

By presenting these women as sexually provocative, and predatory in their actions, these reports encourage the myth that women precipitate sexual assault. In this case a large portion of the media were saying that these women who alleged sexual assault against footballers have ulterior motives that underlie their claim. (Prent, 2004)

Sympathy/ Players Emotions

During investigations of sexual assault, it appears logical that a large amount of the medias focus would surround the trauma, distress and emotions facing the “alleged” victims. However, when a huge organisation such as the AFL is involved, sports journalists feel more obliged to sympathise with the players and the disastrous ordeal they are facing."As you'd expect they're obviously very distressed about the whole thing."(Lyon, 2004)  There were even comments in the press that this situation would strengthen the teams and help them to become a closer and more unified club. “St Kilda will rally around (the players), offering as much emotional and physical support as they can.” (Watson, 2004) St Kilda coach Grant Thomas himself, highlighted these feelings "I've got no doubt that it will galvanise us and make us even stronger and closer and better," Thomas said. (Lyon, 2004)

At this stage, more honourable journalists were realising how unbalanced the reporting had become and began to speak out in outrage at the biased comments of several AFL identities. “Where, in the deluge of reports of fans "rallying" to the poor beleaguered Saints…are any sincere or detailed expressions of concern for the alleged victims?” (Porter, 2004) These concerns were echoed once again by Cleary who continued to voice his frustration at the media “If this woman is telling the truth imagine how she must have felt when she discovered, under the headline "Fans rally to Saints", that coach Grant Thomas believes the allegation of rape will only "galvanise the group"?” (Cleary, 23/03/2004) These rebuttals are at least some consolation to the women who were otherwise treated with complete disrespect and disregard by a large majority of journalists. Discussing and showing more concern for player welfare in this case conveys “the misleading sense that the players’ reputations, rather than a woman’s belief that she was raped, were at issue.” (Prent, 2004)  

Affect of allegations on the club, sponsors and the AFL’s reputation

When any of its members are involved in any form of allegation that reflects badly on the league, the AFL will do whatever it can to protect its image and reputation. These new rape claims had the potential to place a serious black mark against the AFL and could very easily have tainted its public image and standing. With the exception of only a few journalists a lot of the media coverage surrounded the affects these rape claims would have on sponsorship, the image of the game, and even St Kilda’s on-field performance “…the AFL will be primarily concerned today about the image of the game.” (Watson, 2004) “The timing of the allegations could not have been worse for the AFL.” (Wilson, 17/03/2004) When any discussions surrounding the image of the game were initiated, the only persons opinion that seemed important to the media was that of AFL Chief Executive, Andrew Demetriou. He maintained during the entire ordeal that the overall reputation of the AFL had not been tarnished, “our players in general, in the main the 640, are outstanding people, outstanding leaders of the community and continue to set the example as role models." (Cooper, 2004) As expected of the AFL’s most highly ranked representative, Demetriou maintained a focus on the positive role models of the game, ensuring the media presented a story that reflected the best interests of the sport. “I think the James Hird’s, the Michael Vosses, the Nathan Buckleys - I could go on and on - are outstanding leaders in this community.” (Cooper, 2004) The media covering the NRL stories also revealed the negative affects these allegations had on the sport, “It was certainly a disappointment for a lot of people in the game; fans, administrators, players. It was a punch in the guts.” (Canning, 2004) The concern that was shown towards the AFL and its player’s reputations was clearly disproportionate to the concern shown for the credibility and emotional welfare of the women involved.

Comparisons between the AFL and NRL

The AFL and NRL have never missed an opportunity in the past to compare and debate exactly who is more successful in terms of money, popularity, skill level and even sponsorship. Upon the release of rape allegations involving players in both codes, media representatives took it upon themselves to compare the professionalism and the manner in which the claims were handled. “...both the club and the AFL are showing signs that they have at least learned some lessons from rugby league's Sydney scandal.” (Gearin, 2004) Journalists themselves were seen commenting on the different responses shown by both codes, including Patrick Smith from The Australian, “We saw the Bulldogs performance…they didn't come forward quickly enough. Here (St Kilda) were as open as they could be…they named the players involved…I think that's the way to go, that's crisis management.” (Gearin, 2004) Tim Watson also used these rape cases as an opportunity to criticize the professionalism and integrity of the NRL, “Sadly, in the eyes of some it will have blackened the name of football and led them to believe we are no different to the other disgraced code in their back yard.” (Watson, 2004)

Another key example of the media reflecting the best interests of the AFL was evident in further comments made by CEO, Andrew Demetriou. When allegations had only been made against NRL players, Demetriou made “repeated statements… that Australian rules does not deserve to be tarnished by the sexual assault allegations surrounding rugby league clubs…” (Wilson, 17/03/2004) However when it was clear that AFL players were involved in rape allegations, Demetriou decided that comparing the two football codes was inappropriate and unnecessary, “…it's not a competition about the AFL and rugby league…It's not about point scoring about who's doing it better.”(Carbonell, 2004)

It was revealed on several occasions in the media that the AFL demonstrated a much more professional response to such serious claims and said that they had learnt from the mistakes made by its rival code. The response of the Canterbury Bulldogs provided ammunition for those arguing the claims highlighted problems in player culture. However, St Kilda FC exercised a much higher level of discipline and control over the message they sent to the public sphere, by carefully selecting who spoke to the media and controlling what was revealed. By turning the allegations into a competition between codes, the media aimed to reach higher levels of public interest and debate.

Clubs Protection By the Media

By examining and comparing the coverage given to the AFL and its members with the opportunities given to the women to plead their case in the media, it has become clear that the media and the AFL often work in conjunction to produce stories that reflect each others best interests. When serious rape claims against AFL representatives are made public knowledge, football clubs will do everything they can to “contain allegations, relying on group silence, denial, cover-up, spin doctoring, expensive legal advice, confidentiality agreements and the blind faith of many fans.” (media release, 2004) In the past, even in this instance, the AFL has always been able to cover-up any serious threats towards its image and reputation. The media has always played an integral role in ensuring this is the case. This controlling of public knowledge is possible when journalists and media sociologists assume a “gate-keeping” role. According to this theory, the news media act to screen events, so that what appears on television programs or in newspaper articles comprises a selective and “biased” representation of what has actually occurred. (Francis 1999, 114) When the media controls these boundaries, they create an “insider” and “outsider” relationship between the messages that they produce and the media consumers receive. This shows how sociological accounts of the relationship between the media, commercial interests and the audience can easily portray them in insider/outsider terms. (Francis 1999, 117) The only access the public or “fans” have to the affairs of a football club, and in this case, the rape claims made against them, is the “story” available to them as presented in the media. In cases like this, the football clubs are able to intervene in the journalistic process as the work of the football journalist involves day-to-day meetings with the clubs representatives. Here they discuss what can be reported and what cannot to ensure that the best possible image of the club is presented to the public. (Francis 1999, 125)

Sensationalism In The Media

At the same time as protecting the image and reputation of the AFL, the media will also put an individual twist on stories in order to make them more appealing and entertaining for the viewing public. This can often be done with complete disregard for the “alleged” victims because selling the story is more important than protecting their emotions and welfare. The sensationalist and graphic nature of many articles takes on an almost pornographic and voyeuristic nature, which makes a violent and degrading crime appear as an exciting spectacle for public consumption. (Prent, 2004)

Journalists when reporting these rape claims against AFL players used some headlines of this nature, “More Sex Claims Rock AFL” (Cafagna, 2004), “Saints players in Sex Probe” (Wilson, 17/03/2004), “New AFL Gang Rape Claims Emerge.” (Epstein, 2004) Here the media demonstrated how, by using “sexy” headlines, they can show disregard for such a serious criminal offence such as rape and sexual assault. Little media reporting revolves around issues of sexual abuse, which are clearly outlined in press releases. It obviously isn’t seen as “sexy” enough, or is perhaps too depressing for readers. (Ussher, 1994)

Once again, one of the sole voices representing the social rights of the women in these cases, Phil Cleary takes issue with the language used by many journalists. “This isn’t a ‘sex scandal’ A sex scandal is Charles having it off with Camilla…A woman who alleges sexual assault is claiming to have been the victim of an act of criminal violence.” (Cleary, 23/03/2004) This kind of reporting only addresses men and the reality of women as they see it. Thought must be given to the way a woman must feel when she reads such reports. Some of the material used in articles by journalists may prompt a negative attitude from men towards women and may even encourage admiration towards the hero rapist. If this interpretation of rape continues in the media, then rape may continue to be seen as the crime of a sexual pervert and not a crime against all women. (Mohd 1982, 70)

Football Culture Problems

Throughout the media, some serious and appropriate concerns were raised about the dangerous culture that has developed within football circles. They claim men have become comfortable in treating women as sexual objects where violence against them is an acceptable part of a footballers life. One-time AFL rookie, James Murphy, claims to have dropped out of the AFL because of his objections to the actions and attitudes of many irresponsible footballers. He said they would cover each other’s indiscretions and were falsely and unfairly touted as role models with privilege in society. "You can have education programs in football clubs but if the culture says `we don't take responsibility for this' then that maintains the status quo of keeping things secret," (Yallamas, 2004) Cleary also addressed these problems in society where men go after these young women and manage to cover-up any wrong-doings. He takes issue with the fact that while this is occurring, there is still the institutionalised belief that “women who have sex are sluts whereas the men are studs - that's the football subculture.” (Cleary, 23/03/2004) Concerned with the attitude of these footballers, Cleary is outraged that these men have the notion that they can get away with rape, because “this is what we blokes have inherited.”(Brockie, 2004)

He stated that regardless of the outcome of the latest rape claims someone needs to seriously challenge the “subculture of misogyny.” The truth of the matter is, that while many old-fashioned men believe that this treatment of women is acceptable, modern women know the difference between sex and rape. (Cleary, 23/03/2004)

Discussions began to surface that a change was urgently needed in men’s attitude and behaviour towards women.

Appeal to Females and Fans to ‘Keep the Faith’

Such potentially damaging claims, such as rape allegations against women had a serious potential to turn female fans away from the game. This was quite a serious threat to the AFL, as in recent years females have become a crucial characteristic of the AFL’s success and popularity. Using the media as its access to female fans, the AFL and its key representatives strongly urged these fans to remain loyal to the game they love, stressing that the majority of footballers act in the games best interests at all times. Andrew Demetriou was once again a significant figure in pleading to the women of the game to remain loyal, “I caution you to understand that please don't tarnish our 640-player group by the allegations against one or two of our players.” (Carbonell, 2004) He stressed the importance of women’s continued interest and involvement in the sport because so much effort had been put in to attracting female participants and spectators to the sport, “…we've put lots and lots of time and lots and lots of thought into attracting women into our game. It's no coincidence that 48 per cent of our attendees are women… We've got more women coming into boards of football clubs, into management positions.”(Carbonell, 2004)

One of the leagues leading female figures, Melbourne FC Vice-President, Beverley O’Conner said that more women were needed in football to change the culture, but allegations such as this one, would turn many women away from the game. "Women are not interested, they are saying: 'I am professional, I am smart.' They want to be treated that way." (Gough, 2004) This was one positive aspect of the media’s reporting as it was giving a female voice to the argument. This had been a rare aspect of the ordeal and O’Conner provided a fresh angle on the events and the possible outcomes. She said players needed to be taught how to behave respectively when they are approached and paid a lot of attention by young women. (Gough, 2004)

Possible Benefits of Media Exposure/ Changes in the future?

While most of the publicity surrounding the rape claims in the AFL was negative and damaging for either the women or players involved, some positive outcomes can still be gained from the exposure of this social problem. There had been a cone of silence surrounding the issues of men’s sexual violence and attitude towards women. What happened in these cases, regarding the extensive media exposure and public debate, is probably the best thing that could have happened for women, because people are talking about it, it is in the spotlight and can no longer be ignored. (Brockie, 2004)

The media’s treatment of those who allege sexual assault has the capacity to influence a victim’s decision on whether or not to report the offence. The high levels of coverage received by these cases have generated increased awareness and understanding that any victims of sexual abuse are not alone. They now know there are many others out there who have suffered the same ordeal as they have. (Prent, 2004)

As a result of this media coverage and the public concern generated from this, the AFL felt obliged to act in a positive way to show something was being done to resolve this problem in football society. They achieved this by launching an educational program for players and officials on violence towards women and sexual harassment. This was the AFL’s first practical response to a discussion paper that was released by its working group on violence against women. (Lane, 2005) This issue was considered so important because of the affect the sex scandals had on the AFL, the players and the community itself. Tony Peek, the co-ordinator of the leagues working group said the issues raised in the media would hopefully be resurrected by this new initiative. "It won't be just the issue of violence towards women. It will be also the workplace-related issues of sexual discrimination," he said. (Lane, 2005)

Conclusion

The power the media has over the public sphere can never be underestimated. By selecting and controlling what is revealed to “outsiders” they can actually influence the views and perceptions of ordinary people and shape their beliefs and cultural values. Following the release of rape claims against AFL players, the media combined with the AFL to present a version of events that not only reflected the best interests of the league and its players, but also worked at manipulating the publics overall view of the relationships between men and women in football. In order to protect our national game, the media viewed the players as the innocent victims who deserved our sympathy, and revealed the women who accused these men of rape as “predators” who knew exactly what they were doing and deserved all that came their way.

By giving the issue maximised exposure to the public the media ensured a number of issues regarding player culture and sexual assault were raised. As a result new initiates and movements were implicated to ensure women would remain a respected and important aspect of the AFL for years to come. It is important to realise the professionalism of the media in this case. While they were not only able to protect the image and reputation of the AFL, at the same time they ensured that public concern was raised as to the dangerous cultures within football communities and they way they treat women within this environment. The fact that the media, regardless of its prejudice and bias, were able to achieve positive outcomes for both parties in this case shows that its influence and importance should never be doubted.

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