It is no hidden secret that the media will always attempt to sway readers opinions. They will manipulate a given situation and shape it into the rhetoric that they want.
This is clearly evident in the case of Raheem Sterling, England and Manchester City standout. A constant figure of media attacks, Sterling has certainly received a raw ordeal from the press. At just 25, it is rare to see Sterling out of media headlines. Yes, some of the stories are valid, painting him in a negative light after his bust-up with England teammate, Joe Gomez. The presumption is that if this was any player that got dropped for a clash with a teammate, they would receive negative media coverage.
Recently as we know, Manchester United captain and England centre back Harry Maguire has got into a spot of bother whilst on holiday in Greece. Having been arrested, it was suggested that Maguire was aggressive towards Police following an altercation in a bar. Despite this, the media haven’t painted Maguire in a, particularly bad light. Merely, describing the situation, not passing judgement or suggesting a reason behind his behaviour, Maguire has been dealt with in a kind manner from the media.
Sterling and Maguire in the ‘The Sun’
The Sun newspaper has always had its critics. Understandably so, the coverage of Raheem Sterling, in particular, has been truly shocking. In 2016, having signed for Manchester City, one of the worlds richest clubs a year prior, the 20-year-old Sterling made media headlines. Sterling posted a picture of a sink that he had in a house which he had previously purchased. What The Sun failed to capture in the headline is that the house was purchased for Sterling’s mother who raised him.
This is a classic example of grabbing a headline, labelling him ‘Obscene Raheem’ and failing to pick out the positives from the situation.
The headline is there to entice readers into the article in full but fails to explain what the real situation is.
If we compare this to how Harry Maguire has been treated. Although there have been a few negative headlines, describing his ‘foul-mouthed rant’, at no point have The
Sun never brought his character into question. This piece shows just how differently the media have treated Harry Maguire in comparison to Raheem Sterling. Following his legitimate arrest, the media dubbed Maguire ‘football’s ultimate role model’. Yet, despite doing nothing but buying his mother a house, Raheem Sterling was dubbed ‘Obscene Raheem’.
Why is this the case? We can’t openly accuse The Sun and alike of being institutionally racist but this seems to be the case. If we look at other media outlets, the assumption of racism is magnified.
Daily Mail Differences
Similarly to ‘The Sun’ news outlet, the Daily Mail has also given Sterling an extremely hard time. Again using the 2016 example of Sterling posting pictures of the house purchased for his mother. Like The Sun, The Daily Mail jumped on this as an opportunity to attack Raheem Sterling and label him ‘England flop’.
Why do The Daily Mail have to state Raheem Sterling’s wage? It is truly irrelevant as to how much he earns in relation to how he chooses to spend his money.
Are footballers as a whole paid too much? Yes most probably, but we have to remember that they are professionals at the pinnacle of their sport. If Raheem Sterling wants to buy his mother a jewel-encrusted bathroom, let him. Do we really need to know? Absolutely not.
The positives of this piece in comparison The Sun’s article is at least they state that he is buying it for his mother. Apart from that, it’s a struggle to find anything of worth.
As you can see from this headline, the Daily Mail highlights how Harry Maguire’s arrest was a ‘HUGE’ shock. No mention of him ‘disgracing’ himself. Nor a mention of Maguire’s character being brought into question.
We have to consider what the headline would be if it were Sterling who was arrested. Would they say that it was a ‘HUGE’ shock? Would they say that he is ‘everything Manchester City wanted in a winger’? Obviously we cannot assume, but the presumption is that they likely wouldn’t and could use it as an opportunity to question his character.
Taboo Tattoo
Arguably the most frustrating post from The Sun has been when they published the headline ‘Raheem shoots himself in the foot’. This was in response to Sterling getting a gun tattooed on his calf, as can be seen in the picture used in the article. Many anti-gun campaigners caller for Sterling’s head following the tattoo, without reading into it whatsoever. Sterling claimed after receiving backlash for his tattoo that it has a ‘deeper meaning’ and has links to his late father who was shot dead when Sterling was two years of age.
The Independent ran an interesting article in May 2018 titled: "Let's be honest: we wouldn't draw a natural connection between Raheem Sterling's tattoo and gang violence if he was white". It’s well worth a read as an insight into the situation.
Ultimately, whether you agree that the media give Sterling a hard time or not is not to be debated. They do and the evidence is clear. What is to be debated, however, is whether they give him a hard time due to the colour of his skin or not. It is assumed that this is the case and former England and Arsenal star, Ian Wright has made it clear that he believes the media to be racist towards Raheem Sterling.
It’s a shame that the media cannot purely focus on the talent that Sterling possesses on the pitch instead of being obsessed with his off-pitch antics.
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