Journalists cosy relationships

From yesterday's Observer Peter Preston writes on some of the coverage of Cricket's World Cup.Whilst most journalists have been concentrating on the events on the 12th Floor of the Pegasus hotel,the story of Flintoff and the pedalo has been quietly forgotten.

Preston asks in the light of previous misdemeanors

"Why ever wasn't something done before the erstwhile hero trod water in the middle of a boozy West Indian night?"

Answer:

"Perhaps because the cosy inner circle of travelling journalists and retired England stars didn't exactly fulfil the most basic requirement their audience demands: that is, breaking a totally valid news story."

Preston continues to make the point that

" the original, very awkward question remains. Consider Hussain, David Gower, Mike Atherton, Derek Pringle, Beefy Botham and the whole caravan of cricketing exes. Take the reporters from every national who ride along with them wherever they go. The big names of yesteryear have clout and access. The reporters at their elbows have time to dig and break stories. Why, then, was the problem of 'drinking Oz dry' kept so quiet? Why did nobody rock a very unsteady pedalo?"

Perhaps the relationship was too cosy.Compare this coverage to football.Would it have gone unreported if Flintoff had played for the National Football team?

Peter Wilby picks up the same theme in Media Guardian this morning.

"The episode raises other questions. After Flintoff's binge, we learned it wasn't the first time. He and others were fined in South Africa for similar offences two years ago. The team management issued warnings during this winter's tour of Australia. Why hadn't we heard this before? We must conclude that cricket reporters accompanying the tour either didn't know or chose not to investigate or report the events."

But beware Freddie

"The creation of a hero, whose hubris exposes character flaws which lead to his downfall, is a hallowed dramatic device, well known to the ancient Greeks. Modern journalists use it to perfection. "