A fellow media member's perspective on Ariel Helwani

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sflcmma0212

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I know this story has taken on a life of it's own, and as we found out Monday night, it looks like cooler heads have prevailed between Ariel Helwani and the UFC. However, before we put the issue to bed, I wanted to get the perspective of a well known name in the MMA Journalism world, who writes for a major media outlet. Damon Martin, the senior writer for Fox Sports covering the UFC, has avoided discussing this, until now. And as he states, this will be the ONLY time he will address this situation. It starts at 22:15, as he discusses his feelings on the situation as a journalist, from the UFC's perspective, from a media member's perspective, his MMA media ban from 2005-2008ish, and in my opinion, one of the best points Damon made, if we were banging the drum to get Ariel Helwani reinstated, why isn't everyone doing it for the Loretta Hunt's, the Josh Gross's and the other media members who have faced similar situations? Interesting stuff!

 
Like we "UFC shills" have been saying, both of them just did what they have to. Ariel did his job. UFC did what it had the right to -- revoke his credentials.

And that's really it. Neither has any kind of moral high ground.

Ariel's a freaking pussy for whining about it and a bitch for getting the media to bully the UFC. UFC has the right to deny whoever it wants access to the press area and nobody, not Ariel, not the media, has the right to bully the UFC into providing it.
 
Because Ariel is a more public figure on Fox that people know and many have become his fan. I like that he is well spoken, not a hot head and knowledgeable. Gross and Hunt, nobody knows them... if they were on Fox then we would probably be saying stuff about them too. Ariel just is more well known.
 
No cliffs??

some of us are at work TS...
 
Mochan said:
Like we "UFC shills" have been saying, both of them just did what they have to. Ariel did his job. UFC did what it had the right to -- revoke his credentials.

And that's really it. Neither has any kind of moral high ground.

Ariel's a freaking pussy for whining about it and a bitch for getting the media to bully the UFC. UFC has the right to deny whoever it wants access to the press area and nobody, not Ariel, not the media, has the right to bully the UFC into providing it.
Click to expand...
I'm half with you. The UFC has every right to revoke Ariel's credentials, and I'm on their side on this, really.

At the same, the media has every right to call the the UFC out for what they see as unfair treatment.

The UFC had every right to either cave or not cave to the pressure, and they chose to cave.
 
FedorRoks said:
Summary?
Click to expand...

Basically he said:

I was banned 2005-2008 so I know the feeling. It sucked but I went there as a fan to cover events, had to stake out hotels to get interviews, I didn't bitch about it.
Ariel did what he had to, and he did the right thing, and he's a reporter and that's his job.
Ariel has had a bad history with the UFC and he pushed it too far, this is the straw that broke the camel's back.
UFC is a private company, it has the right to ban whoever the hell it wants. There is nothing in the constitution that says you have to credential all reporters knocking at your door.
I don't know if there's a mole, but if there is that's not Ariel's fault, or anyone's fault, that's how business and reporting is. Some people here stuff and can't keep it to themselves.
Ariel protected his sources, I applaud him. 1.5million percent.
He only got his way because he has 370k followers and that managed to blow up the situation to critical mass.
The UFC probably bent to public pressure, which is why he got reinstated so fast.
I'm okay with Ariel getting reinstated, but if we're going to stand up for him why aren't we standing up for Loretta Hunt and the other people who got banned? I don't understand what's so special about Ariel.


Did the best I could from memory, some of the wording is mine but most of it is his. The spirit and idea of what he said I can guarantee is there.
 
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Breaking said:
I'm half with you. The UFC has every right to revoke Ariel's credentials, and I'm on their side on this, really.

At the same, the media has every right to call the the UFC out for what they see as unfair treatment.

The UFC had every right to either cave or not cave to the pressure, and they chose to cave.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, they can call out anyone for what they perceive as unfair treatment. However, it feels so much like bullying to me.

I also don't think it's unfair treatment, which is why I feel it's bullying on the part of the media. It may have been a little severe, but again Ariel has been making himself a pain in the ass to the UFC for a while.
 
Mochan said:
Basically he said:

I was banned 2005-2008 so I know the feeling. It sucked but I went there as a fan to cover events, I didn't bitch about it.
Ariel did what he had to, and he did the right thing, and he's a reporter and that's his job.
Ariel has had a bad history with the UFC and he pushed it too far, this is the straw that broke the camel's back.
UFC is a private company, it has the right to ban whoever the hell it wants. There is nothing in the constitution that says you have to credential all reporters knocking at your door.
I don't know if there's a mole, but if there is that's not Ariel's fault, or anyone's fault, that's how business and reporting is. Some people here stuff and can't keep it to themselves.
Ariel protected his sources, I applaud him.
He only got his way because he has 370k followers and that managed to blow up the situation to critical mass.
The UFC probably bent to public pressure, which is why he got reinstated so fast.
I'm okay with Ariel getting reinstated, but if we're going to stand up for him why aren't we standing up for Loretta Hunt and the other people who got banned? I don't understand what's so special about Ariel.
Click to expand...

Thanks I was just in the middle of doing that. Appreciate you helping out. I promise I will get better with the cliffs and being more specific.
 
Mochan said:
Like we "UFC shills" have been saying, both of them just did what they have to. Ariel did his job. UFC did what it had the right to -- revoke his credentials.

And that's really it. Neither has any kind of moral high ground.

Ariel's a freaking pussy for whining about it and a bitch for getting the media to bully the UFC. UFC has the right to deny whoever it wants access to the press area and nobody, not Ariel, not the media, has the right to bully the UFC into providing it.
Click to expand...
Having the "right" to do something doesn't make it the right thing to do.
 
"But admitting that he was paid by the organization he covered—admitting, in effect, to being a cog in UFC’s vast PR machinery, while working for Vox’s MMA Fighting as a nominally independent journalist—wasn’t all. Helwani spoke proudly of how UFC president Dana White once gave him explicit permission to pursue scoops (as if he needed White’s permission to do what was supposed to be his job) and also said that he would ask UFC fighters if they approved of certain questions before interviews, giving them veto power over having to discuss anything difficult."

http://deadspin.com/blackballed-mma-reporter-admits-he-was-ufcs-paid-shill-1780851837
Great article on Helwani
 
"if we were banging the drum to get Ariel Helwani reinstated, why isn't everyone doing it for the Loretta Hunt's, the Josh Gross's and the other media members who have faced similar situations?"

none of the journalists mentioned cried about their situations....They dealt with it.
 
It amazes me that people are still defending Ariel after Rogan said that the UFC actually warned Ariel that people could get fired if he leaked stuff again and still did it.
 
If anyone is interested in more of this, check out "the mma insiders podcast" episode 90

never had listened to them before. it was an extremely pleasant surprise. excellent show they did on this topic. will start listening to them from now on.

would recommend
 
machidafan99 said:
"But admitting that he was paid by the organization he covered—admitting, in effect, to being a cog in UFC’s vast PR machinery, while working for Vox’s MMA Fighting as a nominally independent journalist—wasn’t all. Helwani spoke proudly of how UFC president Dana White once gave him explicit permission to pursue scoops (as if he needed White’s permission to do what was supposed to be his job) and also said that he would ask UFC fighters if they approved of certain questions before interviews, giving them veto power over having to discuss anything difficult."

http://deadspin.com/blackballed-mma-reporter-admits-he-was-ufcs-paid-shill-1780851837
Great article on Helwani
Click to expand...


Pretty much agree 100%. Props to the first guy I see on media actually calling out Helwhiner for the punk he is.
 
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