ToffeeLinks 13/11/2012: The Sad State of Journalism

For the sake of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and website hits, newspapers and websites have been driven to write stories based on little or even no fact nowadays. Websites write ridiculous titles to articles in order to entice potential readers into the article when it's really just a recycled piece or even just speculation.

This tends to occur at an alarming rate in general but is abused even more during very slow news days. A lot of times, the falsified facts or stretched truths are there right in front of our eyes. We see them, but nothing is done. What can be done? The only thing that can be done, is to stop reading those publications. Clicking the link pretty much gives these websites the go-ahead that what they are doing is alright. We need to stop this nonsense and just blacklist websites that.

Well, I'm going to try to take a stand at least on ToffeeLinks. Today, one website is now on my blacklist. Though not as egregious as I have pointed out in the previously, this following article got me annoyed nonetheless. They are a tabloid, so the mediocre content can't be so surprising.

Regardless, Daily Mail, you have been blacklisted from ToffeeLinks (Except for this last time):

Marouane Fellaini reveals Everton quit plans as Chelsea bid looms | Mail Online
"Marouane Fellaini has dropped the biggest hint yet that he will be quitting Goodison Park with Chelsea poised to make a £30million move in January."

-- This is literally more than a week month old quote that everyone is now trying to play up. You can understand why many sports stars get so angry with some of the stories written in print (or electronically) and some of the questions asked during interviews/press meetings. This story was published today. No facts other than that misrepresented quote.

In case you haven't noticed from the above rant, today was a slow news day. On to the other links:

Everton FC: Leon Osman hopes to make his England debut – six years after David Moyes tipped him for the top - Liverpool Echo
"In August 2006, after a wonderful performance at White Hart Lane inspired a 10-man Everton FC to victory over Spurs, David Moyes urged England boss Steve McClaren to have a closer look at the form of young midfielder Leon Osman, who was enjoying a storming start to a Premier League season."

Everton FC: Under-21s lose 2-1 to Blackburn - Liverpool Echo
"Everton Under-21s welcomed promising left-back Luke Garbutt back from injury and had Sylvain Distin and Thomas Hitzlsperger as over-age players against Blackburn at Finch Farm yesterday."

Ian Snodin: Time for Everton FC to kick the habit of conceding first in games - Liverpool Echo
"I'm sure David Moyes and the Everton players will be desperately trying to kick the habit of conceding first almost every time they play."