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Sick to death of "Find Madeleine McCann" media coverage

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
A child is kidnapped every 3 hours. The press don't care. Nobody cares.

But when a "beautiful", white, "perfect little angel" girl with two middle-class parents on 6-figure salaries, goes missing, there's an intense media storm, with the whole nation gripped with one individual, front page news stories for a fortnight, being spammed with "Find Madeleine" Facebook group invites, petititions, sponsored events and more, every bloody day.

If it was a black kid who'd gone missing the media wouldn't care less. If it was a child of chavvy parents who'd gone missing people would blame the parents for being irresponsible.

Don't mean to be heartless like, of course it's bad, but the media frenzy is just out of proportion.

http://lse.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2415731548
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If it was a black kid who'd gone missing the media wouldn't care less.

    Don't be silly.

    Check P&D forum, there is already a debate.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well the bigger the media coverage the greater the chance of finding her. I don't think her parents salaries or class have anything to do with the media coverage really.

    Think about if it was your child, no amount of media coverage would be enough.

    :thumb:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Too right it is. The media coverage is very unedifying. I don't like these murials of flowers that are going up either. It all seems very public and degrades the important job of trying to find this girl.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Calvin wrote: »
    Well the bigger the media coverage the greater the chance of finding her. I don't think her parents salaries or class have anything to do with the media coverage really.
    Well you're wrong, you just need to look at previous incidences where children have gone missing / been kidnapped and never returned - happens every week in the UK. You won't know about it cos it barely makes the column inches of a local rag. But no the whole nation is touched with this one story, why? And how is urging the whole of Britain to "find Madeleine" that effective when she's in Portugal?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well you're wrong, you just need to look at previous incidences where children have gone missing / been kidnapped and never returned - happens every week in the UK. You won't know about it cos it barely makes the column inches of a local rag. But no the whole nation is touched with this one story, why? And how is urging the whole of Britain to "find Madeleine" that effective when she's in Portugal?

    Yes I realize there are other children who go missing. However the press have picked up on this story because it makes a good story (harsh, but thats life)

    You dont know she is in Portugal still, she could be anywhere, so the more people that are aware the better. What do you suggest the media should just stop reporting it, even though there is clearly a demand for the story ?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There's pictures of her up at work and everything - in all honesty I've probably walked past about 50 or more parents with small kids in town today and I wouldn't even have caught her eye or if I had I wouldn't have thought "Oh look, there's that missing four year old", and I guess most people are the same.

    There's a demand for the story, but it's going to have to stop at some stage if she isn't found. It doesn't mean anybody's forgotten about her or that it isn't as important that she's found anymore, but it's simply down to the supply and demand of the media in this country. If The Sun or The Times put a full front pager of Madeline every day for the next year and a half they wouldn't sell half the amount of papers they do at the moment because - harshly or otherwise - people would get bored.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It is over-reported but I'm not "sick to death" of it. Of course children go missing every day but at least this case helps highlight the problem and may help other kids in the future. I'm not sure of your agenda. What is it?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yerascrote wrote: »
    I'm not sure of your agenda. What is it?

    "Look at me, I'm controversial"?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bri-namite wrote: »
    If The Sun or The Times put a full front pager of Madeline every day for the next year and a half they wouldn't sell half the amount of papers they do at the moment because - harshly or otherwise - people would get bored.
    Not necessarily, Daily Express keep still banging on about the Princess Diana conspiracy a decade on, it has been their front page story over 50 times now, and they say when they publish it their readership rate is above average!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yerascrote wrote: »
    at least this case helps highlight the problem and may help other kids in the future.
    Dear parents: Do not leave a young child all alone in an unlocked hotel room whilst you go to a restaurant for 2 hours. :rolleyes:
    Yerascrote wrote: »
    I'm not sure of your agenda. What is it?
    There isn't one, just letting off steam in an "Anything Goes" forum. Just getting properly fed up with being endlessly spammed with chainmails with a description of what she looks like, "FIND MADELEINE" Facebook groups, and it clogging up so much of the papers when there's other stuff they should be covering instead.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There isn't one, just letting off steam in an "Anything Goes" forum. Just getting properly fed up with being endlessly spammed with chainmails with a description of what she looks like, "FIND MADELEINE" Facebook groups, and it clogging up so much of the papers when there's other stuff they should be covering instead.
    I've not had any of these emails. I'm still getting ones for breast enlargements.
    Not necessarily, Daily Express keep still banging on about the Princess Diana conspiracy a decade on, it has been their front page story over 50 times now, and they say when they publish it their readership rate is above average!
    Bearing in mind the Express sells about 12 copies per day, that is quite a feat.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru



    you are sick. if you don't want to read about stories of her then don't read them!!

    put yourself in her parents shoes and stop being such an idiot, seriously.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    you are sick. if you don't want to read about stories of her then don't read them!!

    put yourself in her parents shoes and stop being such an idiot, seriously.
    Clearly you don't get satire/parody, along with stuff like http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2399829416 it's funny precisely because of the shock effect.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    oh yes it's hilarious.

    are you obsessed with facebook, or what.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    are you obsessed with facebook, or what.
    Yes. I work for them. And the whole country will slowly be obsessed with the new revamp happening in 12hrs time...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I find quite a few things about the Madeline case odd, but the fact that the media have been following the case is not one of them.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Calvin wrote: »
    Well the bigger the media coverage the greater the chance of finding her. I don't think her parents salaries or class have anything to do with the media coverage really.

    Think about if it was your child, no amount of media coverage would be enough.

    :thumb:

    :yes:

    I admit, I'm starting to get bored of the coverage. However, I understand why there's been so much of it. Wasn't it the same when Sarah payne was murdered as well?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Mist wrote: »
    I find quite a few things about the Madeline case odd, but the fact that the media have been following the case is not one of them.

    :yes:

    And how the media have reacted? Thats just what they do.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Nah, I'm fed up of it too. I may be deemed insensitive but I don't really care. There's no way in hell that the parents' professions, earnings and social class don't factor in... if the mother was a single mum from a council estate then she would be being raked over the coals and maybe pitied. Along with the stories that'd probably accompany it. There wouldn't be this furore and the focal point of the story would damn sure be NEGLECT, especially as time wore on. I couldn't get behind condemning anyone publicly for this chain of events, but it does stick in my craw that the media have gone to town on this while other news remains largely unreported.

    I find the whole thing a bit ghoulish and morbid and... inappropriate. Shrines to the child, "vigils for Maddie", Joe Bloggs on the street on Sky News telling us how utterly traumatised he is, Kay Burley delighting in telling us how much weight Madeleine's mother has lost. Everyone wants in on it, and I think that's enough already.

    Reportage of the story as and when new events occur is... normal. That's what those in the business of reporting news are supposed to do. One vague "fact" followed by half an hour of inane waffle about how she was an "angel" (bad taste) and conjecture about things they are clueless about. That isn't journalism, well not to any standard anyway. Oh, and the important job of organise minutes' silences at football matches and the like. Unbelievable. There isn't a person in the country who isn't aware of the situation, and while that's grand for the family I think it's a disservice to other news which slips under the radar. Honour killing of pregnant 16 year old, anyone? Multiple stabbings? Nah, not interested, I'd rather put a poster up in the back of my Renault Clio window so I can feel suitably distressed at all times and display my caring, concerned side to all my fellow Tesco shoppers. If there is no new development then it ISN'T the top story. Oh, and while she may not be in Portugal anymore (though that's definitely my feeling) she probably isn't in Bognor Regis McDonalds either. Our local pub has posters up, but amazingly enough she wasn't there restocking the pork scratchings or cleaning the john.

    This is just a newspaper editor’s wet dream, little blonde daughter of doctors gets kidnapped by (what they hope will be) Johnny Foreigner. Why is it relevant how "beautiful" she is? What if she was an ugly wee thing with a hare-lip. Tough luck neglectful parents, find your own hideous child. All this hand-wringing is typical.

    That's without even mentioning the likes of David Beckham pleading for her return. Even paedophilic, child-abducting, people-trading criminals love football, right? So if David Beckham decides she should be returned safe and well then who is anyone else to argue...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The greater teh coverage the greter the chances of her turning up DEAD I think. But I don't really c are, too many thing sin my own life to start worrying about some randoms' child that they left without supervision!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote: »
    Nah, I'm fed up of it too. I may be deemed insensitive but I don't really care. There's no way in hell that the parents' professions, earnings and social class don't factor in... if the mother was a single mum from a council estate then she would be being raked over the coals and maybe pitied. Along with the stories that'd probably accompany it. There wouldn't be this furore and the focal point of the story would damn sure be NEGLECT, especially as time wore on. I couldn't get behind condemning anyone publicly for this chain of events, but it does stick in my craw that the media have gone to town on this while other news remains largely unreported.

    I find the whole thing a bit ghoulish and morbid and... inappropriate. Shrines to the child, "vigils for Maddie", Joe Bloggs on the street on Sky News telling us how utterly traumatised he is, Kay Burley delighting in telling us how much weight Madeleine's mother has lost. Everyone wants in on it, and I think that's enough already.

    Reportage of the story as and when new events occur is... normal. That's what those in the business of reporting news are supposed to do. One vague "fact" followed by half an hour of inane waffle about how she was an "angel" (bad taste) and conjecture about things they are clueless about. That isn't journalism, well not to any standard anyway. Oh, and the important job of organise minutes' silences at football matches and the like. Unbelievable. There isn't a person in the country who isn't aware of the situation, and while that's grand for the family I think it's a disservice to other news which slips under the radar. Honour killing of pregnant 16 year old, anyone? Multiple stabbings? Nah, not interested, I'd rather put a poster up in the back of my Renault Clio window so I can feel suitably distressed at all times and display my caring, concerned side to all my fellow Tesco shoppers. If there is no new development then it ISN'T the top story. Oh, and while she may not be in Portugal anymore (though that's definitely my feeling) she probably isn't in Bognor Regis McDonalds either. Our local pub has posters up, but amazingly enough she wasn't there restocking the pork scratchings or cleaning the john.

    This is just a newspaper editor’s wet dream, little blonde daughter of doctors gets kidnapped by (what they hope will be) Johnny Foreigner. Why is it relevant how "beautiful" she is? What if she was an ugly wee thing with a hare-lip. Tough luck neglectful parents, find your own hideous child. All this hand-wringing is typical.

    That's without even mentioning the likes of David Beckham pleading for her return. Even paedophilic, child-abducting, people-trading criminals love football, right? So if David Beckham decides she should be returned safe and well then who is anyone else to argue...

    Briggi, youve just perfectly summed up how I feel about the whole thing.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote: »
    Nah, I'm fed up of it too. I may be deemed insensitive but I don't really care. There's no way in hell that the parents' professions, earnings and social class don't factor in... if the mother was a single mum from a council estate then she would be being raked over the coals and maybe pitied. Along with the stories that'd probably accompany it. There wouldn't be this furore and the focal point of the story would damn sure be NEGLECT, especially as time wore on. I couldn't get behind condemning anyone publicly for this chain of events, but it does stick in my craw that the media have gone to town on this while other news remains largely unreported.

    I find the whole thing a bit ghoulish and morbid and... inappropriate. Shrines to the child, "vigils for Maddie", Joe Bloggs on the street on Sky News telling us how utterly traumatised he is, Kay Burley delighting in telling us how much weight Madeleine's mother has lost. Everyone wants in on it, and I think that's enough already.

    Reportage of the story as and when new events occur is... normal. That's what those in the business of reporting news are supposed to do. One vague "fact" followed by half an hour of inane waffle about how she was an "angel" (bad taste) and conjecture about things they are clueless about. That isn't journalism, well not to any standard anyway. Oh, and the important job of organise minutes' silences at football matches and the like. Unbelievable. There isn't a person in the country who isn't aware of the situation, and while that's grand for the family I think it's a disservice to other news which slips under the radar. Honour killing of pregnant 16 year old, anyone? Multiple stabbings? Nah, not interested, I'd rather put a poster up in the back of my Renault Clio window so I can feel suitably distressed at all times and display my caring, concerned side to all my fellow Tesco shoppers. If there is no new development then it ISN'T the top story. Oh, and while she may not be in Portugal anymore (though that's definitely my feeling) she probably isn't in Bognor Regis McDonalds either. Our local pub has posters up, but amazingly enough she wasn't there restocking the pork scratchings or cleaning the john.

    This is just a newspaper editor’s wet dream, little blonde daughter of doctors gets kidnapped by (what they hope will be) Johnny Foreigner. Why is it relevant how "beautiful" she is? What if she was an ugly wee thing with a hare-lip. Tough luck neglectful parents, find your own hideous child. All this hand-wringing is typical.

    That's without even mentioning the likes of David Beckham pleading for her return. Even paedophilic, child-abducting, people-trading criminals love football, right? So if David Beckham decides she should be returned safe and well then who is anyone else to argue...

    What she said.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I saw a poster appealing for information in the window of the pub today. In Wolverhampton. :confused:

    I feel sorry for the family and don't blame them for wanting to keep it on the agenda as much as possible. And it's a slow time in the news at the moment, so the papers/TV stations are probably pleased to have an on-going story to fill columns/airtime.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    As much as I sincerely hope that this little girl is found, I think the media coverage has become extreme. It won't help find her. And ffs, parents who think it's acceptable to leave their young children all alone while they go and enjoy a nice meal don't deserve children.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Dobbin wrote: »
    And ffs, parents who think it's acceptable to leave their young children all alone while they go and enjoy a nice meal don't deserve children.

    Indeed. A fact that seems to of been conveniently forgotten about.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    RubberSkin wrote: »
    Indeed. A fact that seems to of been conveniently forgotten about.

    I don't think it's been forgotten about. But what is the point of bringing it up at the moment while the girl is still missing?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    because so many people feel so damn sorry for the parents that actively PUT their tiny daughter in a dangerous situation.
    The whole thing was completely avoidable.
    talking about it or not talking about it isnt going to make any difference to that poor girl who may be going through hell right now if shes still alive, just because her damn parents didnt look after her.
    Its not a mere mis-judgement.
    EVERYONE knows you dont go out partying and leave your kids at home alone.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Oh, I don't know. They weren't really out partying, were they? Just went for a meal. I'm not saying it's right, it just seems beside the point at the moment. I'm sure they are beating themselves up over it.

    Something like this can happen to any parent, remember the little girl who was snatched from her bath?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Feels to me that its the 'people-trading' angle that's keeping it so much in the news at the moment - I just imagine lots of news paper editors rubbing their hands and desperate to find a way to use the phrase 'white slave trade' - it sold enough papers in Victorian days.
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