ZIMBABWE Football Association will be expected to reconsider their communication strategy after the confrontation between player Tino Kadewere and a journalist on the eve of the clash against Rwanda.
The clash, analysts say, was unnecessary and at best a distraction ahead of the Warriors’ 1-0 defeat to Rwanda.
Questions have been raised as to whether the association can be able to be stricter if they are involved by CAF or any other body in media accreditation.
Controversial as it sounds in terms of press freedom, national teams may in future need to be covered by media cleared to do so in line with national interests.
It is generally agreed media may not confront coverage of national teams in the same way they cover clubs.
Coverage of clubs is expected to “focus on local rivalries, player transfers, and club-specific narratives, while national team coverage emphasises patriotism, national identity, public diplomacy, and the potential for political commentary”.
In addition, clubs the world over have also been shifting in terms of how they deal with media.
The Guardian recently highlighted how Premier League side Newcastle banned a journalist.
“It was the middle of the afternoon when Luke Edwards, the Telegraph’s north-east football correspondent, got a call from a Newcastle United press officer.
“They were “screaming and shouting” and demanding an apology. His crime, it transpired, was reporting that the club’s dressing room was in disarray. His punishment was a ban from St James’ Park until the following season.”
Football suffers in the process, and such decisions are largely unpopular and a huge PR risk.
But for the national team, some may in the future find themselves excluded to help the team for focus and promote national interests.
