The media scrum on media scrums

This morning Barney Choudhary reported for the Today programme from the McCann's home village of Rothley in Leicestershire.

His story? The extraordinary number of journalists that have descended on Rothley. Like, er, him for instance.

His interview subject? A man who has come to Rothley from Belgium to make a TV documentary about... the extraordinary number of journalists that have descended on Rothley.

You couldn't make it up.

Comments

[Candadai Tirumalai]

This multiplicity of mirrors phenomenon started in high culture first: a man (or narrator) writing a novel about being engaged in the process of writing one, for instance; or an "avant garde" producer-director making a film about making one. It was bound to trickle down.

[Dave Foulkes]

The BBC is the most arrogant, hypocritical and self-serving organisation on planet Earth. It’s most blatant and irritating self-delusion, is its perverse and constantly repeated claim that it is an impartial and independent media organisation. Tripe! It is an old fashioned state broadcaster, entirely funded by a hypothecated and regressive tax on the ownership of receiving equipment. You pay what its sponsors the government dictate and you receive whatever laughably dismal output it can offer after the organisation itself has finished gorging on its guaranteed income. If it ever had a day it is long, long gone.

[bothcats]

The McCanns created the media circus after their daughter disappeared. No-one at the time was interested in the fact they had left 3 children under 4 alone for 4 consecutive nights. Now the media circus has developed a life of its own, and becomes the story. You couldn't make it up.

[sean kingswell]

I totaly have to agree with Dave foulkes & Bothcats thank god theres some people in this world who make sense

[parimal]

Hi,
Finally u said something of good sence.I am portugues and live in lisbon.But i have some question for u ppl living in england.CAN U PLS ANSWER ME HOW U PPL HAVE SOLVED THESE CASES??Sally Clarke +Metropolitan Police's shot by mistake the Brazilian of Jean Charles de Menezes in 2005+17-month-old Tahla from being tortured to death by her own father +Jonbenet Ramsay case+case of Fred and Rosemary West +Stefan Kushko+ the Conlans + Carl Bridgwater case +case of Sarah Flooks I CAN GIVE U A HUGE LIST BUT WHY???WHY U PPL JUDGE PORTUGAL FOR THIS?U R RIGHT OUR POLICE HAVE NO EXPERIANCE BUT WE DONT HAVE CASES OF MURDER LIKE U PPL.U PPL MUST THINK THIS IS A FOOTBALL GAME BETWEEN PORTUGAL X ENGLAND BUT DONT 4GET MADDIE IS NOT A BALL.AND TO FINISH THIS COMMENT ONLY 1 THING PLS DONT COME TO PORTUGAL COZ WE LIVE IN PEACE WHEN U PPL R NOT HERE.FINALLY WHAT DID UR GOVERMENT DO TO IRAQUE???IS IT A SOLVED ISSUE??? GOD BLESS U ALL.

[Andy]

It is not true to say that the McCanns created the media circus; they stoked it and used it, certainly, but are you really trying to say, Bothcats, that there would have been no media scrum if they had played things differently?

[catalan]

I can say only: Poor parents! Dirty World!

[herbert harris]

It's hard to imagine that McCanns would have been able to pull off such a crime. Notion that they hid the body & disposed off after 25 days is far fetched. They have to be professional criminals to do that.
If they found maddy's hair in the car, the police should investigate who had rented the same car before.
The killer might be from the same town who might have rented the car.
This case is getting interesting & recquires Sherlock Homes.

[Andrew Milner]

Couple of points, unrelated, plus conjecture:
- You don't establish your own innocence by pointing out the (greater) guilt of others. So to call attention to the demonstrable shortcomings and failures of the British police service is essentially irrelevant, and in no way exonerates the Portuguese police in their handling of the McCann case.
- Portuguese police hypothesis; Mrs. McCann returns to room to check on children. Finds Madeline unconscious/dead. Surely as a doctor her first instinct would be to use her medical knowledge in an attempt to resuscitate the child, rather than conceal the body. And conceal where, in a few minutes in a strange hotel?
With no body, this is still a missing person case and the police are clutching at straws. Witness their attempt to negotiate with Mrs. McCann. Trust the police least when they offer to do you a favour. They are not your friends.

For many people the notion that the police or far worse, government are the "bad guys" is at least one step too far. The mainstream media backs Authority to the hilt, and label those that question the authorised version, "conspiracy nuts" or deviants. And the majority go along with this in a state of denial, for to do otherwise would mean they have no firm place to stand.
But if upper class British parents (both doctors) can be "fitted up", what hope is there for anyone?

[A doc]

Don't forget, the media (and the local police) had lots of theories in the Bob Woolmer case. Until common sense prevailed.

[Rogerio Fala]

The ethnocentric and prejudiced nature of a large share of the british population is coming to light with this case. As are the susceptibilities of the Portguese people.
The righteous tabloid culture of the UK is a deep ocean of misinformation that the citizens of the UK seem to love (and so The Sun sells more than any other paper). Yes, 'Zé de Portugal' feels unjustely judged by the 'UK Joe Bloggs', and with good reason. Interestingly enough, the two countries seem to thrive on the culture of hollow opinion, and are therefore getting what they deserve. The vulture-like media coverage sells because people buy it! Spend your time with more important things and stop paying so much attention to a case that only serves us to forget that there are situations we can actually do something about and the media will not make millions from this. This case pays wages of journalists because we buy the papers avidly. Yet, this one belongs to the police. Life is not Corrie, we should not behave like it is. If the media were to spend the same amount of time informing us about important things, maybe then - just maybe - well informed citizens could be active citizens. Is everyone blind to this, or am I so wrong??

[Andrew Norrie]

A journalist commenting on journalists reporting on journalists...the irony...you couldn't make it up!

[smar]

I've seen terrible people capable of extraordinary kindness and extremely polite and well-spoken people capable of the most atrocious acts. In cases like this, the parents should always be prime suspects until evidence points otherwise. The first obligation of the police is to defend the rights of little Maddie (the victim), not to be worried about insulting the parents feelings. It's probably easier for many of us to think that the Portuguese police, with the full cooperation of British authorities and labs, are trying to frame the parents, than to think we were defrauded by the McCanns all this time.

[jmacc]

As a parent myself I have my own thoughts of that said night and what I myself might have chosen to do. However what I also would like to mention is this with children they can have accidents all the time cuts grazes bruises. Could it not be conceivable that the blood found at the apartment may have been from a unrelated incident that had happened to Madeleine and not from this suspicion that they hold against her parents. With this theme in mind surely if they still have little Maddie's belongings and the children are still playing with her toys these items must be contamintaed with her DNA, there must have been many items that still have her hair on. Could these items not have made it into the boot of the car. I just hope that while although the time and man hours seems to be spent trying to prove that her parents are to blame. That they are still spending most of their time searching every other Avenue to find Maddie that they can. With regards to Parimal's comments asking us "ppl" not to come to portugal as you want to live in peace, i would like to say that there is a very strong majority of others throughout the world who all feel the same however it is not always right to generalise.

[gerry]

upper class British parents (both doctors) said Andrew Milner.
They are not upper class. Maybe they've become middle class by profession but their origins are both working class.

I have great news: The alliens took Maddie!

I bet with in UK many people will believe that! And it sels a lot!

[andrebonito]

Craze situation ppl all went crazies and little Maddie still missing. British tabloids born to defend common ppl from almighty upper class and aristocrats fell down to darkness. Portuguese tabloid counter attacking against parents suspected murders also based upon the fact that they didnt dropped one only tear in public about Maddie poor situation and the Portugueses people in rage against the cruel Britons known to the world to be arrogants pirates and home to Jack the Ripper. Shame on so called western and peaceful civilization, you better read your great JB Ballard

[ken]

To believe the portuguese police are trying to frame the mcCanns to get a quick result is utter nonsense. They are simply doing the job in their own ways and means. Who knows, perhaps the british authorities may learn something out of all this.

[isabel]

i'm isabel, and i'm from portugal...many things have been said about this case, i just can't believe how blind people can be just because this situation happen in other country. it's unbelieveble to think that the portuguese police made it all up just to find a solution for this. i don't know what happent that night but one thing i know, 1 plus 1 is 2, the clues are there and madeleine must be dead.

[Dawn Hare Hemel Hempstead Herts]

I am a registered childminder, mother and grandmother and I have stood firmly in the corner of the mc'canns since the 3rd of May. However, I have this nagging uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my tummy. The reason is this. Why were all the door including the back out of view door to their apartment shut but not LOCKED!! Why did one of the friends dining with them offer to do the 9.30 check on the mc'cann children, but says he entered the apartment but did not open the bedroom door, that he only listened at the bedroom door. Believe me if you are checking on sleeping children of these age's especially, then your visual check is far more important that an audio check. Why did he not open the bedroom door and do a correct check,I feel this is instinctive of responsible adults . No one but Kate and Gerry saw Madeleine from 6pm, they got to the meal at 8.30 that is 2 and a 1/2 hours that anything could have happened in. Also here in Briitain I have heard that the Mc'canns had meet Robert Murat on a holiday in Cornwall or Devon and actually new him, this I do not believe as rumours do happen as we all know.
I pray that we have not all got it wrong and actually been showing compassion to what we thought were innocent victims when all the time they were the ones who have taken Madeliene away from this world.
I cannot believe that the Portuguese Police with such a high profile case and all the eyes of the world watching, would have made this allegation without having checked and double checked all the statements and evidence they have collected, think about it everyone. There are many questions that do not add up. Dawn Hare Hertfordshire

One thing for sure

[Nicky Gibraltar]

Err...Parimal - I`m afraid that according to the police u now have a murder case, it`s a global thing, happens everywhere. As to the british police -yes there are occassions when they get it wrong sometimes drastically as in the Charles de Menezes case. But the system in the UK is such that questions were asked IMMEDIATELY as to what went wrong, what lessons can be learned and the press were all over it like bees on honey.

[MarkS]

It is more informative having journalists reporting on journalist interest in the McCanns than having journalists reporting on their car trip to Faro airport.

Fortunately, journalists reporting on Britney Spears's return to stage performance trumped the lot on Sky TV !

[Kaz]

With respect to Mr.& Mrs.McCann,If they had fulfilled their roles as parents we would not be right here,right now.

[Eddy]

I've been particularly amused by BBC news reporters commenting on the media coverage as if the BBC is some kind of authoritative impartial observer - the icing on the cake, though, was when they had a helicopter shot of the McCanns leaving the airport in the UK straight after a slightly critical voiceover about non-BBC reporters and cameramen following the McCanns in their car to the airport in Portugal!

[Angie]

'the clues are there and madeleine must be dead.'

Isabel how do you figure that out when next to nothing has been confirmed by the Portugese Police? The only clues you know are things that as yet are pure speculation and guess work by the media and gossip.

[cjp]

i am a mother and i've been watching Kate through the eyes of a mother and something wasn't right. when a mothers child is in a life and death situation they will go to any length to protect that child, even lifting cars to save their childs life.

she had the spotlight of the media and when it turned on her they ran back to UK. as a mother the last thing i would care about is the media or police if i was innocent. i would still be there looking for her. i know greiving mothers they wouldn't give up, they have super strengenth in these kind of situations.

even if i was critized i would have never left the place my child was last seen. i would have sent my husband home with the kids or asked the grandparents to take the kids and i would still be there looking for my lost child.

she never shed a tear or looked like a mother pleading in a motherly way. when i heard that they had become suspects it didn't really surprise me.

[Mike]

I am impressed, vividly, but not favourably, by the percentage of people who rate the Mcs as good parents.

Bearing in mind that the Mcs: -

Dumped their children with childcarers much of the day.
Bunked off out down the boozer most evenings.
Left their children without the protection of a locked door.
Not that far from what I've heard described as the Costa Del Crime.
In a world where anyone with a computer is pestered with invitations to perversion.

How do normal parents look after their children?

Even more horrifying to me: -

How do bad parents look after their children?

I feel sorry for the Mcs.
I am unwilling to believe they had a direct hand in their daughter's death.
I would like their daughter to turn up unscathed.
I am seriously concerned with the deal that many children get.

Especially if the Mcs were good rather than average parents.

[SUE]

It's unfair to cast suspicion on motives of the Portuguese police. They must have reasonable evidence to hypothesise about the parents. In the UK the family would automatically have been regarded as suspects initially, anyway - if the Portuguese police are "clutching at straws" they could have done that weeks ago.
I wonder how much of the nation's sympathy would have been extended if Madeleine's parents had been "Wayne and Waynetta".
We have read so many times about how "devoted" Gerry and Kate are to their children - in that case that must mean very many more of us are more than devoted - because I would NEVER have left very young children of that age asleep on their own in a strange country, and in an unlocked apartment, while I dined at a restaurant.

[funny videos]

i knew something wasnt right, great article

[real extreme videos]

sigh

[Thesis Proofreading]

Great info, i appreciate your way of writing and knowledge sharing