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How does Simon Cowell keep hold of the press? |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
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How does Simon Cowell keep hold of the press?
There is obviously a lot of manipulation that goes on within the show itself, to achieve their desired outcome, but what I am curious about is how do Simon Cowell and the producers keep the press on side and party to the manipulation?
I am not talking about possibly orchestrated simple leaks to the press to help create sensationalism and interest in the show. What I am talking about is the more subtle press manipulation. Here are just some examples: 1. There was an alleged incident involving One Direction and Wagner, regarding Wagner being taken by surprise and rugby tackled by one of them and then apparently trying to head butt his protagonist. Why did the press report this story one way round, basically along the lines "Wagner head buts a member of One Direction" ? Why did none of the papers report it under the headline say "Boyband launch shock attack" ? The detail about Wagner being taken by surprise tended to be buried away in the story where many readers might not see it or take notice of it. 2. After each show there would often be reviews in the papers about the show, but these reviews tended to favour whoever the judges themselves appeared to favour that show. If say Katie or Cher had been heavily praised by the judges, even though another act may have put in an equally good or better performance that week, the press would lead their review by talking about the favoured act and featuring a main picture of the favoured act. 3. When the producers decided that Wagner had served his purpose and it was time to get him out, well that week there was an increase in the negative press about him. One particularly shocking example of this bias was that a story alleging Wagner was being investigated with regards to benefit claims had originally been reported in the press over a week beforehand but was then repeated more prominently on Saturday, the actual day the show is broadcast. 4. There are a lot of people, often when in a hurry, that will quickly skim through the headlines in the press. Sometimes these people will also read the first few sentences but not the whole article. So their perception of things is heavily influenced by headlines. And it seems to me that a higher percentage of these headlines throughout the duration of the Xfactor tend to follow the same agenda as it appears that the shows producers are following, more than would be normally considered neutral opinion. So my main question is how does Simon Cowell and the producers keep a hold on the press? I have a few theories of my own. Maybe if the press toes the party line then they are promised to be fed 'interesting' leaks about the show. Possibly stories about the Xfactor generate an increase in readership and so it then suits the papers to take part in this sort of deal. Maybe the whole Xfactor dominance of the TV every year and all the lucrative deals that go with it regarding advertising and such has a big influence on the press. Advertisers may try and use both the show itself and other media such as newspapers and magazines in order to sell their wares. And these advertisers, and other sidelines from the show, all want to keep in the good books of Cowell and the producers because it is good for business. Therefore the advertisers can exert influence of their own on the press. Maybe the media is quite happy for the Xfactor to manipulate proceedings and get away with keeping a big part of the general public mainly enthralled and easily led. The press doesn't want to disagree too much with the agenda of the Xfactor, or draw too much attention to the manipulation that goes on, because they themselves are guilty of also trying to manipulate the public with regards to other issues such as political ones or current affairs. Personally I suspect it is a combination of my theories above, and possibly other reasons also. What do other people think about this? Do you have any theories of your own? |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Dec 2005
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They get some leaked stories, exclusive interviews and such like. But one of the reasons it works is that they have quite a lot of freedom. What the shows cares about more is just that the press are writing about it.
DS is so carried away with conspiracy theories that it forgets tabloid papers are quite capable of writing crap without any direction from Simon Cowell. The general reaction on here is that when the papers write something bad about Wagner, it's a lie made up by Simon Cowell to get him out of the competition. But when the papers write something bad about Katie or Cher, that's just the truth coming out. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 707
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Great post and spot on too gemima.
I think all your theories are plausible. It's likely both the show and the press simply just use one another. Lots of money to be made there but it's now getting ridiculous to see so many front pages of magazines/tabloids plastered with XFactor drivel. When it suits the judges they will tell us not to believe everything we read (favouring Katie and Cher) and when it doesn't they will have an unnecessary and very unprofessional pop at a contestant (Cheryl to Wagner). The media is a powerful tool so it wouldn't surprise me if $imon & co have some sort of ownership in the tabloids or magazine industry as well as in tv The XFactor may have started off as a singing contest/entertainment show but it has fast become part of the money making industry, taking over not only the charts but media and advertising too. Fine, but the manipulation they use to get there is wrong imo. Most of the public have cottoned on some time ago but we still keep watching
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#4 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
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Quote:
They get some leaked stories, exclusive interviews and such like. But one of the reasons it works is that they have quite a lot of freedom.
IMO it seems though that they don't use this freedom to write many stories that are in complete disagreement with the agenda of the show. Quote:
What the shows cares about more is just that the press are writing about it.
I am well aware of that. I just find it suspicious that all too often the press goes along with the same manipulation that the shgow itself does. Quote:
DS is so carried away with conspiracy theories that it forgets tabloid papers are quite capable of writing crap without any direction from Simon Cowell.
Oh yes tabloid papers most definitely write a lot of crap. My point is though that when it comes to the Xfactor the tabloid papers do not seem to write crap that wildly disagrees with whatever crap Cowell is probably hoping they write. Quote:
The general reaction on here is that when the papers write something bad about Wagner, it's a lie made up by Simon Cowell to get him out of the competition. But when the papers write something bad about Katie or Cher, that's just the truth coming out.
I don't think you fully understood my original post. I do not support the theory that the papers only write bad stuff about Wagner and what they write about others is the truth. I am talking more about how they appear to twist things round or present particular stories, sometimes in subtle ways, to follow whatever is the agenda that the shows producers want them to follow. For example if the show has favoured Cher's performance one week then the reviews will also gush over it and feature both her name and picture in the main headline of the review. |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
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I dearly love Wagner and no one else...but the idea Simon has a hold on the papers is crazy.
His favourite contestant, the one he HAD to promote because they told her to audition and because she had to be good to ensure the Gamu flames would die down... ...got wall to wall bad press. probably the worst press a contestant has ever had. Not just once or twice. But for the whole time. Unfortunately the press creates it's own narrative. Wagner was seen to be an 'oddball' and so they went after him. But Katie...about the only thing they didn't call her was a child molester! That in itself demonstrates that Cowell -though of course him and the production team influence the press- certaintly does control the media circus that XF creates. |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
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Quote:
I dearly love Wagner and no one else...but the idea Simon has a hold on the papers is crazy.
His favourite contestant, the one he HAD to promote because they told her to audition and because she had to be good to ensure the Gamu flames would die down... ...got wall to wall bad press. probably the worst press a contestant has ever had. Not just once or twice. But for the whole time. Unfortunately the press creates it's own narrative. Wagner was seen to be an 'oddball' and so they went after him. But Katie...about the only thing they didn't call her was a child molester! That in itself demonstrates that Cowell -though of course him and the production team influence the press- certaintly does control the media circus that XF creates. I was waiting for someone to mention Katie. What makes you assume that the bad press about Katie was not intentional? Maybe her part was to play 'the wicked witch' and generate publicity for the show. Maybe the judges kept saving her in the sing offs just so Katie could continue her role. Once she was safely guaranteed her place on the tour then she became expendable. |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: An English Village
Posts: 1,575
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How Does Simon Keep Hold of the Press?
In two words......Max Clifford
Cowell retains the services of this utter slimebag (I note that the indian gent whose wife was murdered on their honeymoon in Sth Africa has retained his services.....hhmmm) Clifford leaks stories when required, feeds titbits......but above all gets Cowell and the X factor on the tabloid front and inside pages. Quid pro quo, gullible public buy more papers, swelling the coffers of News International. Mirror Group et al at a stroke and Cowell gets more viewers, charges advertisers premium rates, more phone votes etc etc etc What a great money making scam.....Cowell can whip up hysteria around the show not seen since the days of Hitler and the third reich. Max Clifford is his Goebbels.......minister for propaganda He is simply using a tried and trusted formula. |
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#8 |
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Join Date: Dec 2005
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Quote:
IMO it seems though that they don't use this freedom to write many stories that are in complete disagreement with the agenda of the show.
Quote:
For example if the show has favoured Cher's performance one week then the reviews will also gush over it and feature both her name and picture in the main headline of the review.
That's just them reporting on the nights events. The report tends to be churned out within 30 minutes of the programme finishing so they just write a straight review of what happened. If Cher is well received by the judges, that's what they're going to write. It's not an opinion piece.PS: Max Clifford does PR for Simon Cowell in the same way that Hackford Jones do for Louis & Dannii and Supersonic do for Cheryl. X Factor PR (the daily cycle of nonsense stories) is in-house at Talkback Thames and Syco. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 707
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Quote:
In two words......Max Clifford
Cowell retains the services of this utter slimebag (I note that the indian gent whose wife was murdered on their honeymoon in Sth Africa has retained his services.....hhmmm) Clifford leaks stories when required, feeds titbits......but above all gets Cowell and the X factor on the tabloid front and inside pages. Quid pro quo, gullible public buy more papers, swelling the coffers of News International. Mirror Group et al at a stroke and Cowell gets more viewers, charges advertisers premium rates, more phone votes etc etc etc What a great money making scam.....Cowell can whip up hysteria around the show not seen since the days of Hitler and the third reich. Max Clifford is his Goebbels.......minister for propaganda He is simply using a tried and trusted formula. ![]() ![]()
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#10 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 295
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and to add to this Simons new Boss in the States is Rupert Murdoch!!
Clifford, Cowell & Murdoch - Thats it - The Axis of Evil Murdoch Cowell Clifford |
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#11 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,084
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Quote:
Simon and Max = British domination
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#12 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 698
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Quote:
I was waiting for someone to mention Katie.
What makes you assume that the bad press about Katie was not intentional? Maybe her part was to play 'the wicked witch' and generate publicity for the show. Maybe the judges kept saving her in the sing offs just so Katie could continue her role. Once she was safely guaranteed her place on the tour then she became expendable. I could say...well how do you know they didn't not include Gamu just for the publicity and so Katie would become the evil one etc etc. Anyone can allege conspiracy to a large degree...but logic usually defeats it. XF manipulates...but it doesn't and couldn't pick someone in such foresight like Katie...and at the same time know all the stories that would come out. They wanted Katie to be credible not hated. It just didn't work. |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
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Quote:
XF manipulates...but it doesn't and couldn't pick someone in such foresight like Katie...and at the same time know all the stories that would come out. They wanted Katie to be credible not hated. It just didn't work
IMO they wanted Katie to play the 'villain' this year, in much the same way that Rhydian and Danyl were cast as the 'villain' in previous years. They may not have envisaged the full extent of the public dislike that built up against Katie, but I think they were then able to use it to their advantage and generate extra publicity for the show. They may even have been secretly pleased about the stories that were dug up about her. Every good pantomime needs a villain. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,011
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Two words. Max Clifford.
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#15 |
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,431
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Quote:
and to add to this Simons new Boss in the States is Rupert Murdoch!!
Clifford, Cowell & Murdoch - Thats it - The Axis of Evil Murdoch Cowell Clifford It is fronted by former Polydor & Jive records publicist Sundraj Sreenivasan. Its music clientele includes Cheryl Cole; the remainder of Girls Aloud (bar Nadine Coyle); JLS; Eminem; Marilyn Manson; Scissor Sisters; Chipmunk; Labrinth; The Saturdays; Dame Shirley Bassey; Gwen Stefani & Nicole Schwerzinger. Sundraj Sreenivasan's first job in PR was working for MCA (Max Clifford Associates) before he moved on to have a highly successful career in Music PR. |
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