As all Celts know Traynor’s lickspittle journalism with regards Murray has a long history dating back beyond the infamous “succulent lamb” article but Saturday was truly unbelievable. The broadcast media had received a “nod of the head” from Alistair Johnson about the possibility of Rangers going out of business. Rangers then spent Friday afternoon trying to backtrack. Richard Gordon commented on the main media coverage and that of Scotland’s biggest selling tabloids – The Sun running with the majority story, The Record deciding to plough a loan furrow of claiming that everyone was lying.
The debate can be listened to at the link above but it illustrated the problem BBC Scotland have in employing the sports editor of one of our major tabloids as part of their team. That Traynor was invited to defend the editorial line of his paper was acceptable – they basically called BBC journalists liars. That he got the opportunity to discuss and defend his paper at my expense was wrong and this got me thinking of Traynor’s role on license fee funded Sportsound.
BBC journalism is (supposed to be) independent, free from commercial consideration and editorial influence. In contrast to this, and for whatever reason, Traynor and his paper have a clear editorial bias towards David Murray. Despite this Traynor gets a regular platform to promote his newspaper every week. That is fine on a commercial station, but I ask again – is it right that his regular appearances are paid for by you & I?
I am not saying that commercial journalists can never appear on the BBC. I have no problem with a journalist in Traynor’s position hosting a “paper talk” programme on Radio Scotland. Unfortunately Traynor’s style and promotion of his paper sit uncomfortably with me when he is no doubt being paid by the “impartial” BBC to present the programme and during that show is NOT being paid by his newspaper.
I cannot think of another part of the BBC where journalists, intrinsic to the presenting team, are paid employees of another publication: Where panellists intrinsic to the presentation team actually have another job which is their principle form of employment. I don’t have a problem with invited guest on panel shows, or semi regular contributors. I don’t even have a problem with the principle of Traynor being invited on to challenge Chick following their contrasting account of events at the Rangers accounts press conference. But Traynor’s embarrassing performance, his unwavering support for the Rangers PR line, to be frank his lickspittle journalism, have no part on Sportsound for as long as he remains sports editor of the Daily Record.
