Soccer Star Gareth Bale Pens Powerful Message On Negative Journalism

March 26, 2022

Gareth Bale has had enough of the media writing slanderous articles on athletes.

The Welsh footballer and Real Madrid star says journalists need to be held accountable.

Gareth Bale / Credit: facebook.com/Bale

Bale's message comes after the Spanish newspaper Marca launched an attack on him, labeling him a "parasite" and accusing him of draining Real Madrid's money despite him helping the club win 14 trophies during his stint.

This is what Bale, 32, wrote:

"The Daily Mail shining a light on this piece of slanderous, derogatory and speculative journalism by Marca.

At a time where people are taking their own lives because of the callousness and relentlessness of the media, I want to know, who is holding these journalists and the news outlets that allow them to write articles like this, accountable?

Fortunately I have developed a thick skin during my time in the public spotlight, but that doesn't mean articles like these don't cause damage and upset personally and professionally to those at the receiving end of these malicious stories.

I have witnessed the toll the media can take on peoples mental and physical health.

pic.twitter.com/6xKUl49MlH

— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) March 25, 2022

The media expect superhuman performances from professional athletes, and will be the first to celebrate with them when they deliver, yet instead of commiserating with them when they show an ounce of human error, they are torn to shreds instead, encouraging anger and disappointment in their fans.

The everyday pressures on athletes is immense, and It's as clear as day, how negative media attention could easily send an already stressed athlete, or anybody in the public eye, over the edge.

I hope that by the time our children are of an age where they are able to ingest news, that journalism ethics and standards will have been enforced more stringently.

So I want to use my platform to encourage change in the way we publicly talk about, and criticise people, simply for the most part, not meeting the often unrealistic expectations that are projected onto them.

We all know who the real Parasite is!"