<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-9453 alignright" src="/files/2010/06/the-sun-newspaper-cover.jpg" alt="" width="232" height="300"></figure></div>The Sun newspaper is the type of tabloid filth that upsets people both in England and now, thanks to two condescending covers, people in the States.
You may remember that back in December, The Sun newspaper ran a headline on its cover which declared “E-A-S-Y” in reaction to the news of the 2010 World Cup draw which put England in the same group as the United States, Algeria and Slovenia.
Not only was the cover condescending but it was also disrespectful to a US team and nation.
Earlier today The Sun got up to it’s old tricks with a headline on its newspaper, which was a bit tongue in cheek, which read: “Here’s hopin’ that England United Shoot Some Totally Awesome Strikes Past The Goaltender In The Soccerball World Series Today.”
Yes, it was their attempt at humor but yet again it was condescending behavior from the paper’s editors. It’s another example of England’s feeling of superiority not only on the field but off it too where they think that Americans are uneducated when it comes to soccer. Nothing could be further from the truth especially considering the fact that more Americans visit The Guardian’s football site than the UK public does.
Just as there are still soccer haters in the United States press who are stil perpetuating their inane comments, members of the British press still show that they’re living in the stone age.
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone" src="http://cdn.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/the-sun-world-cup-2010.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="730"></figure></div>

It's Not So Easy Anymore, Is it England?

It's Not So Easy Anymore, Is it England? - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/the-sun-newspaper.jpg" alt="the-sun-newspaper.jpg" align="right" vspace="15" hspace="15"></figure></div>The biggest news of the past 24 hours is that Manchester United has reportedly tabled an official £20 million bid for Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov. Problem is there’s no evidence of an actual bid being made and all we have to go on is a quote from his agent in The Sun newspaper. What is the “money quote” from the agent that “confirms” that the “bid” has happened?
<blockquote>“I cannot make any comment until there is official confirmation from Tottenham or United.” </blockquote>
While the story may be true, it could also be the agent trying to start a price war to raise Berbatov’s price.
What makes the whole affair ludicrous is now the other British tabloids are picking up on the story and regurgitating the news, and all they have to go on is an article from The Sun. Meanwhile, The Daily Mail even had the cheek to call the story an exclusive.
Here’s a breakdown of how the story broke and how the other news organizations rewrote The Sun‘s material without one of them crediting The Sun:
Headline: <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1413705.ece#OTC-RSS&amp;ATTR=Football" target="_blank">United’s £20m Berbatov Bid</a> 
Newspaper: The Sun 
Day/time article appeared in RSS feed: Friday, 8:53pm ET 
Number of attributed sources: One 
Source: Emil Dantchev, Berbatov’s agent 
Number of direct quotes: One (from agent) 
Quote from agent: “I cannot make any comment until there is official confirmation from Tottenham or United.” 
Article length: 266 words
Headline: <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/ferguson-turns-his-attention-to-berbatov-865860.html" target="_blank">Ferguson Turns His Attention To Berbatov</a> 
Newspaper: The Independent 
Day/time article appeared in RSS feed: Friday, 9:03pm ET 
Source: “There are reports” (i.e. The Sun) 
Number of direct quotes: Zero 
Article length: 965 words (although only 121 words are about the Berba “bid”)
Headline: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jul/12/premierleague.manchesterunited?gusrc=rss&amp;feed=football" target="_blank">United Bid For Berbatov</a> 
Newspaper: The Guardian 
Day/time article appeared in RSS feed: Friday, 10pm ET 
Source: “According to reports” (i.e. The Sun) 
Number of direct quotes: Zero 
Article length: 135 words
Headline: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1034446/Get-Berbatov--Fergie-puts-20m-table-Spurs-ace.html" target="_blank">Exclusive: Get Berbatov: Fergie Puts 20m On Table For Spurs Ace</a> 
Newspaper: The Daily Mail 
Day/time article appeared in RSS feed: Friday, 11:17pm ET 
Source: None mentioned in reference to “bid” 
Number of direct quotes: Zero 
Article length: 628 words (with only 454 about the Berba “bid”)
At 2:48am ET on Saturday, BBC Sport mentioned 20 words about <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport2/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/7503126.stm" target="_blank">the story</a> and appropriately placed it in their Saturday Gossip Column
Headline: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/07/12/ufnberbatov112.xml" target="_blank">Spurs Striker Dimitar Berbatov Subject Of Bid From Manchester United</a> 
Newspaper: The Daily Telegraph 
Day/time article appeared in RSS feed: Saturday, 4:06am ET 
Source: “According to reports” (i.e. The Sun) 
Number of direct quotes: One (the same quote from The Sun) 
Article length: 317 words
To me, this is all about selling newspapers. All of these tabloid and broadsheet newspapers want the eyeballs on their website so they can sell more advertising space. And those print newspapers who were able to squeeze the news into their fish wrappers last night will sell more copies today with the headline about Berbatov. As of press time, the only respectable English newspaper that hasn’t written about the story is The Times. That either may be by choice, if they determine the story is to be utter tosh, or they may be trying to write their own version of the story with new facts and quotes. Then again, they may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
And all of this comes from one news story in The Sun which features plenty of hearsay and one innocuous quote.
The British press are quick to criticize football clubs and stars, but isn’t it time that they raise their journalistic standards and refrain from lazy journalism?

Berbatov To Man United: British Newspapers Follow The Sun&#039;s Lead

Berbatov To Man United: British Newspapers Follow The Sun&#039;s Lead - World Soccer Talk

Berbatov To Man United: British Newspapers Follow The Sun's Lead

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It's Not So Easy Anymore, Is it England?

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