A question of life or death for Rangers.

I would imagine that by now the spat between James Traynor and Chick Young on BBC Scotland which happened live on air last week-end has probably went viral on Planet Fitba.

http://www.scotzine.com/2011/04/radio-scotland-descends-into-civil-war/

As in life it is ambiguity causes most of the misunderstandings in journalism and the nod of the head delivered by Rangers’ Chairman Alistair Johnston to an imprecise question left the way open for confusion.

The USA based businessman was apparently asked by STV, in a press conference for the broadcast media, if he thought that the club “could go bust?”

Mr.Johnston, we are told, nodded in answer to the question.

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/240551-rangers-debt-rises-to-29m/

What precisely does “bust” mean in this context?

What was Alistair Johnston nodding in agreement to?

I have written here consistently that should RFC lose the tax case against HMRC then I see no alternative but to go into Administration.

Does that mean “go bust?”

Of course Administration can, in some rare circumstances, be a route into liquidation.

Planet Third Lanark.

So what did Alistair Johnston nod his head to?

What was he asked?

It pains me slightly to agree with James Traynor, but the lack of clarity in the question and the failure to seek clarification does render the “scoop” rather inert.

Had the “A” word been used in the question about the prognosis for the club if HMRC win then that would have been a story for sure.

Had the chairman in expanding on his answer also conjectured with the “L” word then that would have been a real story lead.

In the end the RFC chairman was asked an ambiguous question couched using an imprecise word.

Ok he nodded, but was he nodding to?

This confusion was the author of confusion and this was played out; live on air, between Traynor and Young.

Sorry to bring precision into this, but that is what journalism is meant to be about.

People may dislike Mr.Traynor’s abrasive style, but his critique of Chick Young’s “story” is spot on. There is no way I would have went back to an editor with such an important scoop based on the nod of a head.

Having nodded and then spoken about the difficulties that the club would face in paying the tax bill Alistair Johnston should have been asked if his nod of the head meant that he foresaw Administration or Administration which would lead to Liquidation.

The former is a racing cert should the club lose the case against HMRC, but the latter scenario is not impossible.