There is no real way to prove it, but there is an undeniable feeling that 2018 is the year a large portion of the rugby league community said “enough” to News Corp journalist Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield.
Though hard to quantify without an expensive study into the topic, it’s difficult to deny that there currently seems to be a groundswell of increasing criticism of Buzz, and backlash against his brand of rugby league journalism.
It’s worth pointing out that Buzz has long had his detractors. It would be disingenuous to suggest that suddenly this year, everyone has turned on him. Firstly, not everyone has. And secondly, given his penchant for controversial and polarising opinions, he’s always had vocal critics, not just recently.
However, it does seem like the volume of critics has increased tenfold this year.
Buzz, to his immense credit, has very thick skin. He’s fully aware that some of the things he says and writes won’t be popular, and is prepared to cop the consequences. Whether you agree or disagree with Buzz and his individual opinions, that boldness and conviction should be applauded.
It’s brave to express a view when you’re completely cognisant of the fact you’re going to be criticised for it.
The truth is, Buzz has a responsibility to help sell papers, get clicks, and improve ratings. He’s said a number of times that he’s giving the public what they want, and that’s his job.
However, is Buzz really giving rugby league fans what they want?
When it comes to Twitter, Buzz is renowned for being extremely prolific on two fronts: blocking people that criticise him, and retweeting those that agree with him. I’m also willing to bet the former far outweighs the latter, which doesn’t really suggest he’s listening to the fans; or if so, is being extremely selective.
Last week, colleague AJ Mithen quoted that the Daily Telegraph’s cross-platform audience had dropped by 5.1 per cent from June 2017 to June 2018. Now, of course, that’s far from just Buzz’s issue alone, but the numbers don’t lie: almost 175,000 fewer people are reading the publication. Does that sound like the Tele is really giving people what they want, Buzz?
Fox Sports commentator Warren Smith received a lot of support when he called out Buzz – and others – for the media’s role in ‘ref bashing’, but Buzz’s reaction was simply sarcastic and childish tweets, so he clearly wasn’t taking Smith’s feedback onboard either.
On Monday’s Controversy Corner, Buzz was torn to shreds by fellow panellists Graeme Hughes, Steve Roach and Bill Harrigan, over the Tele’s coverage of the Bulldogs Mad Monday celebrations.
Though a small sample size, that’s three out of four people on the panel that were critical of the story being covered. Did Buzz heed that criticism from his media peers? No, he staunchly defended his organisation’s coverage on the story, and then doubled down on Twitter afterwards.
If you’d like a larger sample size than four people, then fair enough. How about 75 per cent of the Tele’s own readers believing the Bulldogs behaviour wasn’t bad and that “boys will be boys”. Is Buzz digesting those numbers?
While Buzz can claim that he’s simply giving the people what they want, there is growing evidence that this is simply not true. At the very least, there is a large percentage of people that actually don’t seem to want a lot of what Buzz serves up. If that number continues to rise, Buzz will need to change, or he’ll be out of a job.
Given this is an opinion site, it would be remiss of me not to finish with my own opinion.
I have nothing personal against Buzz Rothfield, but I do think he is, currently, largely bad for the game of rugby league. I don’t deny he has an enviable list of contacts and sources, and he therefore has a tremendous ability to break a story because of them.
However, far too often those stories are mere muckraking, rather than about player movement, coaching dramas, or anything to do with the on-field action.
Hughes and Rothfield’s heated debate gets personal
Combined with his propensity to have opinions that are negative and agenda-based, it ensures that Buzz is often actually hurting the sport he professes to love.
As such, he’s certainly not giving me what I want, so a few weeks ago I made the decision to stop “feeding the beast”. I have blocked Buzz on Twitter, refuse to read his articles, and no longer watch any show he’s on.
It’s my version of ‘voting with my feet’, because I’d like to see a change in the way rugby league is covered in Australia.
It does feel like I’m far from alone in that viewpoint, and should that actually be the case, hopefully Buzz has enough self-awareness to recognise that the tide might be turning, and that he should adjust accordingly.
Or more succinctly, give the people what they want . . .
j
Guest
he hates the rabbitohs with a passion..
At work
Roar Rookie
Thanks Daniel, once this is fixed I think the readership and commenting will increase again.
Ian Coutts
Guest
Neil has got it right. I don’t know if the World would be better off without the DT but it definitely would be if the whole of Rupert Murdoch’s evil empire of bottom feeding media went missing. He can’t possibly go on forever...can he ? Hope springs eternal. When the financial genius Lachlan finally takes over the end must be in sight. I hope I live to see it.
Ted Baxter
Guest
This is the best article on the subject of rugby league I have read in 25 years! This is EXACTLY why I stopped buying the DT many years ago. To have been able to block him means that you must have been the last person left on Twitter who hasn't been blocked by him. He certainly has a soft underbelly & cannot handle ANY criticism whatsoever. I love rugby league but what News Limited are doing to the game is chipping away at that love. I love to hear what the boys are doing ON the field, but what they do in their spare time as long as it isn't criminal is THEIR business. I didn't like what the Bulldogs got up to on their Mad Monday BUT it was in a private function room 3 stories up. To get those grubby pictures means that they had to get a cherry picker to take them. Surely that is illegal. If you lived in a 3rd story apartment & I got a cherry picker to take naked photos of you, I would be arrested. Why aren't these peeping Toms? The integrity of journalism is hanging on by a thread & you have given it a heartbeat with this story. I hope you pass this article on to News Limited & the NRL to read along with the responses. The response by the NRL also showed that the leadership doesn't lead, it reacts! Because of this we are due for Super League II!
westernred
Agreed. The bloke has to be getting extra money to put dirt on the game. Nothing like this happens to other sports.
Daniel Jeffrey
Editor
Hi At work, We'll be reinstating the subscribe to comments function in the not-too-distant future. If you have any other bits of feedback about the new site, feel free to get in touch and we'll be sure to take it on board. Cheers
At work
Roar Rookie
Hey @The Roar, can you please fix up your comments section (to how it used to be). How are we to know if someone has replied to a comment, or another comment in general if we’re not notified by email?????????????? Cheers
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
Rothfield hasn't learned anything - Souths story on front page Friday.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
What annoys me most about Kent is that he used to be an excellent writer, and when he sticks to the footy, he's got a good brain. He's also articulate. Rugby League needs more of 'Good Kents', but sadly, he's mostly 'Bad Kent' these days. It's a shame, he knows his stuff, but his ego is out of control.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
That ref crackdown/crisis was actually my exact tipping point. That's when I'd had enough and couldn't stomach a lot of those guys - especially Buzz - anymore.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Hey Neil. I never applauded him for not taking onboard criticism; I credited him for being prepared to write/say unpopular things. I stand by the notion that its brave to express a view you know you're going to take criticism for, but I also think you should be more aware of why it might be unpopular in the first place (or after). They are seperate points, for mine.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
That's part of the problem - I don't think it would! Buzz admits that he never attends press conferences. He just throws stones from the sidelines, using his contacts. The only way to negate his power is to take it away from him: not paying any attention to his negative stuff.
At work
Roar Rookie
I think the NRL should take a leaf out of the AFL’s media policy, which is to blacklist journos who continually spread a negative message about the league. I wouldn’t go full AFL as they have too much power in Vic, but the NRL could learn a thing or too. That would silence Buzz, Kent, Crawley, etc if their ‘access’ to the game was reduced.
At work
Roar Rookie
Forty Twenty - Of course though, traveling through Facebook comments will show the worst of the worst.
At work
Roar Rookie
No doubt gents that Kent is just as bad or worse than Buzz. Nobody really take buzz seriously anymore, but Kent actually believes what he thinks is right and everyone else is wrong. He thrives on negativity and activity drives it, even when something isn’t a negative! I would rather see Kent off the screens and radio before Buzz retires, he is the worst.
Neil
Guest
Agree with the sentiment of this. But how do you applaud him for not taking on board criticism of his reporting but then go on to bag him for it. There is no credit to given for having a thick skin by refusing criticism, say, of a report about a conspiracy theory why your team lost, digging up stuff irrelevant to the game etc. Unless he has changed in recent years, the game would be better off without him, what does he add to the discussion of the game? I too dont read him and cant stand him on Foxtel. Heck the world would be better off without the Telegraph from what I can gather.
Marc aquilina
Guest
Mate I have done this for the last 5 years. Stopped buying any news Ltd paper and cancelled subscription to fox. I’ve been blocked by the old drunk so no issues there. I’ll go further that the greater RL commentator community is getting on my nerves with there idiotic calling of the game and their obvious agendas ie Gould. Perfect example is the referring crackdown, “the fans” were continually referred to as not liking it, every snap poll and every fan I heard and spoke too were all for it. They wanted to see an end to to the wrestle and spoiling tactics of clubs like Storm, sharks and roosters, but the commentators kept on saying we the fans wanted the refs to stop.
Mike
Guest
Timely article Ryan. Buzz & his mates at the DT are most certainly bad for Rugby League. They seem to salivate like rabid dogs at any sniff of negativity around the game. You could easily picture them high fiving each other as the pics of the Bulldogs mad Monday came in. I'd truly like to know what their motive is. It sure isn't for the advancement of the game. The good news is they have lost the mob. Joe public has turned against them. For their own job security and the good of Rugby League they will have to change or move on. Time is up for Buzz and his mates. And ain't it grand!!!!!
Peter Galvin
Guest
The News Ltd style of journalism seeks to drive the agenda by inserting itself into the agenda and thereby drive the agenda. This is not only in rugby league but in politics as well. In the recent Dutton putsch against Turnbull the News Ltd media drove the Dutton agenda aggressively. In the Bulldogs mad Monday episode they not only drove the agenda but they created the agenda by spying on a private function in the hope of getting a story. Nothing the Bulldogs did was particularly awful. Did Turnbull really deserve the way the media turned on him and savaged him like a pack of raving loonies? This is the same News Ltd that hacked a dead teenagers phone in the hope of getting a story. The concentration of media ownership in Australia into fewer and fewer hands is at the root of the problem. The solution?
The Magic Man
Roar Rookie
I don't mind negativity if the delivery driver... in this case Buzz, offered an alternative solution, or was constructive about it. But Buzz is neither, and he seems to relish the fact that he's neither, often saying "that's not my job". He makes a good living out of a game he seems to enjoy kicking the hey zeus out of and burying any chance of a solution. Carnage sells papers, Stuart Diver in an avalanche spikes interest. Buzz is all about himself and his own interests. Buzz is about manufacturing carnage around the NRL, especially undermining goodwill around NRL administration, because that's how he manufactures his avalanche to suit his end. The fan boys that follow his rubbish and believe in his narrative of "keeping them honest" are suckers.