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Millers Banter: Unofficial Rotherham United Fans Forum / Message Board → Football / Sport / RUFC Related → Paul Davis: A journalist's reply
 

Topic: Paul Davis: A journalist's reply

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Paul Davis - Millers writer for The Star
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Paul Davis: A journalist's reply
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Fellow Millers,

I note that journalists posting on this site has sparked some debate. Here's my response.

I was asked to start posting on this site and am very happy to continue to do so as long as that's what the majority of members want.

It's a good forum, with some very reasoned debate at at times, and while I'm posting I often take the time to check out what's being said. It informs me about supporters' thinking and that helps me in my coverage of the club.

I have no idea who Exetermiller is, for instance, but his views are always well thought out and worth a read. There are others like him. Fans like Ian are very supportive, and that is always really appreciated. Now and again - happily, quite rarely - I'm the target of criticism, and I don't mind that if it's presented in the right manner and justified. I'm certainly not too big to learn from someone else's point of view.

I'll never forget one fan's response on one of the Facebook groups to my match report from Watford last season. One word. "W*nk". It's still my favourite ever review.

None of my posts are automated, by the way - I'm on here virtually every day.

I post genuinely to provide a service. I get amazing access to staff and players at the club and want to share that with you. Against that, I don't hide the fact that it's part of every journalist's job these days to drive as much traffic to their website as possible. That's just how it is. Some big Millers stories - the departure of Steve Evans, for example - can generate as many as 30,000 views. 200 from this site is a really good number, so the hits aren't my prime motive for being on here.

Yesterday, even I'd accept, there were probably too many posts from and The Star and The Advertiser. But it was a major day in the club's history, with the appointment of a new manager, and there was an awful lot of information to impart. Generally, I limit it to one post in the morning and maybe a second if a story breaks later in the day.

I hope this offers some kind of insight. I'll keep posting until I'm advised otherwise and knock BradtheMiller off my Christmas card list!

One final thing. I don't recycle or steal quotes from anybody. Not ever. If they're in my story, it's because they were told directly to me or I was at the press conference when they were said.

Cheers, folks.

UTM.

 

 



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ian
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Thanks Paul.

A very reasoned reply and hopefully informative for Brad , et al....however, the quote about Exeter is farcical and I demand a retraction.

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derbymiller
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your articles are very welcome

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Unifier
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I too am happy to read your articles Paul, as well as those of our advertiser reporter, Joe. Perhaps therein lies the rub for Bradthemiller, in that news items tend to be duplicated by the two of you, and also sometimes broken by one of the forum members, which can lead to multiple threads on the same theme.

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Towdlad
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I enjoy the write ups which are put out very quickly which I like as I'm always trawling through to find more Millers news. I even visit the 'dark side' when there is little being said elsewhere.
All I would say is there does seem to be some repetition of facts used to fill out the text, whether this is used to fill a set number of column inches, I dont know, but please continue with the posts.

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Exetermiller
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No explanation required Paul as far as I'm concerned and I'm sure many will echo that sentiment. For what its worth, I setup the site on the back of an aggressive advertising campaign on another well known forum that was also suffering unchecked personal attacks on fellow members and comments towards people connected with the club that bordered on warranting litigation. I wanted to create a place where we aren't plastered with often inappropriate adverts that affects functionality & usability and also a place where everyone values the notion of 'netiquette'. While I have received the odd donation from 1 or 2 very kind members, this site continues to be self funded. While it isn't excessively expensive its a small price to pay what is largely a hobby and despite our cosy members number the site is extensively viewed, and contributions from yourself as links to your site are more than welcome. We all understand you have better things to do than copy & paste entire articles into all your external sources, and rightly you do have a remit to drive traffic to your site (in doing so you also inadvertently give us better standing with Google et al).

As a final point, I've not had to ban, nor even warn any of our members in 18 months of daily 'banter', that in itself is testament to the integrity of all our members & makes my job a whole lot easier!

Brad is just voicing his opinions which is fine, they aren't shared by the majority nay even anyone else - but neither was my opinion of giving Neil Redfearn more time - and look how that turned out!

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BradtheMiller
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The ability to voice an opinion, however controversial & unpopular, is the reason I like this site so much, ask TTB.
Mr Davis, first of all thank you for your reply to my concerns about journalists posting on the site, every respect due to you Sir.
I unreservedly apologise to both yourself AND Mr Cawthorn for any upset caused by the comments as initially I did not realise that you were in fact invited to contribute by the site admin.
Of course it is my decision how I access club news & I have no right to try & influence other site users, again apologies.

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gazmadmiller
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BradtheMiller wrote:

The ability to voice an opinion, however controversial & unpopular, is the reason I like this site so much, ask TTB.
Mr Davis, first of all thank you for your reply to my concerns about journalists posting on the site, every respect due to you Sir.
I unreservedly apologise to both yourself AND Mr Cawthorn for any upset caused by the comments as initially I did not realise that you were in fact invited to contribute by the site admin.
Of course it is my decision how I access club news & I have no right to try & influence other site users, again apologies.

 Well done Brad, there are many (on other sites may I add) that would not post a reply like above but go into full on attack dog mode. Just shows the standard of poster on this site and is the reason I look/post on here as apposed to afore mentioned other site

 

Paul, keep em coming, get more info from this site with yours n Joe's posts than from the official site or the disgraceful premiership only reporting that is the BBC or SKY



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Joe Cawthorn
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I would like to echo Paul's sentiments, and thank you for your kind words. From my point of view, I am not the Millers reporter for the Advertiser. My colleague, David Beddows, is. Although I cover for Dave when he is not in and cover a lot of the online work such as videos, it is not my primary role. The reason I post on this forum is simply because I like giving the opportunity for debate, conversation and opinion and I hope we as a newspaper can do that, certainly where the Millers are concerned. What all journalists try and do is create that and give people insights they may not get otherwise, it is our role and our duty. The reason we all love football is because of the opinions it creates. It can bring people together and make a community and since my time posting in this forum, that view has been reinforced ten fold. As a sports desk, we read your comments. After all, the joy of forums is the ease of interaction and as Paul rightly says, we aren't automatically posting, we come on this site and do it specifically. We take all feedback seriously and if the day comes when people don't want me to post on here anymore, then I will stand aside. I hope it never comes to that and I hope we can continue to provide you with articles that get you talking, and create opinions on a club that means so much to so many people. Here's to the new season. UTM.

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ian
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Well done to all of us. Incredibly gracious Brad. May I add that Ex is the only originating and sustaining source of this wonderful service. I am but an interested and passionate contributer for all the reasons Joe has just outlined and others have poster too regarding the ease of sharing without censor on here. Well done once again to Ex for having the vision to provide a third millers Forum to enjoy.

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Trevor Likely
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Well done Paul and well done Joe for taking your initiatives. I am one of a surprisingly large number of "out of town" supporters (Exetermiller??). I'm a Rotherham lad living in Whitley Bay with three season tickets at NYS and find your articles particularly illuminating compared with the blinkered dross emanating from the Tyneside press - the Evening Chronicle thinks the Toon are going to walk the Championship, not having realised they are in a queue of poorly run former Premier League clubs with more money than football talent. Like many, I'm one of the silent majority who don't contribute often but who are avid readers of your contributions.

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Paul Davis - Millers writer for The Star
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The responses on this thread are heartwarming. BradtheMiller, no need to apologise, but it's a big man who can say sorry. Respect.

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Millmoormagic
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Don't really see why anyone should justify themselves to anyone, but hey ho, nowt as strange as folk as they say!!!

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Heman
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W*nk. 😳

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