wigan pie man posted:
i'd like to think theres some substance to any article written in a local paper.
If you read what they write much if it is very carefully phrased. They never say things like "Cooper will sign on the 18th Oct 2007" but instead say things like "it is rumoured Cooper is a target of Wigan RL" or some such phrase.
Many people seize on such articles as an indication the club will be signing the player because as you say you would like to think there is some substance too it and people want to hear it.
The trouble is if the WEP articles had any real substance we'd have signed half a dozen players for next season already. So far it is no better than this forum and is simply all speculation.
In that all they say is "Wigan are linked with Cooper". The don't say by whom and don't qualify it.
The could have said "Cooper is being linked with Wigan RL by members of the wigan-warriors.com forum" for all the difference it would make to the credibility of their broadcast.
It is the same careful choice of language that simply is not definitive or backed up in any way.
When/if Wigan do sign a player there is a good chance the WEP will be saying "As reported X weeks ago Wigan have confirmed the signing of ...."
The trouble is the WEP has linked the club with so many players it is bound to get one "right" sooner or later. The scatter gun approach.
But as I said if you listen or read carefully they are simply not presenting any hard facts, merely speculation.
Its a bit like the boy who cried Wolf. If you tell fibs often enough then no one believes you when you tell the truth. In the WEP's case they have incorrectly linked so many players with Wigan recently I have no reason to believe they are right with this one.
No credibility as a source of such info unless you consider the rumour the news itself rather than what the rumour is about.
Dave
