So now I’m in the dog house for sending a request out to the Faroese media, that they should clear any interview with us the team around Pál, rather than find him on Facebook or where ever, exploiting that he doesn’t like to say no. A request that tabloid news portal Vágaportalurin chose to put online.
(me and a rouge, private journalist setting up our radio studio at the European Junior Championships in Belgrade 2008, where Pál won 3 gold medals)
I probably made a mistake calling out our national TV and radio for doing this again earlier this week, despite of many a hard talk with them, and instructions from only last week. And probably added insult to injury by mentioning that they are always welcome to make the interviews with him here in the mix zone in Shanghai.
Anyways, I got told off in a couple of emails from I guess the journalist who made the interview, and see that they mention Pál in as few words as possible. Last news on www.kringvarp.fo is that he set a Nordic record in the prelims, while the mentioned tabloid site writes under the title “No Faroese medal at the World Championships”, that Pál was only number 5 in the world.
The Faroese National Broadcasting Corporation chose not to broadcast the 800 meter final yesterday. Privately run Rás 2 had a radio broadcast, which people then listened to alongside Eurosport or internet stream or whatever. Other than that, it was up to my brother Bartal to cover me back on www.svimjing.com, in case people wanted to know more than just that he lost. He did well, unpaid and all.
Walking through a mine field here, risking to be eternally banned from Faroese media, I seek solace in the fact that even though Pál’s accomplishments the last few days have been buried below local football news on our most trafficked sport portal www.sportal.fo, the news about the Nordic record is still the most read. They would like us to rather know that for instance HB was better than Glasgow Rangers, by loosing with less or whatever, but people still seek out the real news.
I cannot count how many times I been told that I shouldn’t start an open discussion with the National Faroese Broadcasting Corporation. By friends, victims and even journalists. So I back off, sit down and try to count the number of people that must be directly, physically involved in these World championships, ending up with a number that is easily bigger than the 48.000 people that reside in the Faroes. Then I don’t feel so alone, even though they the Faroese reporters tell me that this is such a small sport.
I won’t fight the Faroese National Broadcasting Corporation, as long as Pál needs them mentioning him on occasions. But one day, hopefully after many a good day, I’ll have time to write my memoirs :-)
