Maddy Mccann And 24-hour Rolling News

[VinnieK]

There are very important debates about why people have been willing to provide such publicity, exposure and support - it links into Diana-ification if you ask me - but those are separate from the parent's attempt to get their child back.

 

It's simply the age old principle of publicity through association writ large. The Pope, the press, and all other organizations that in usual circumstances ignore the vast majority of missing child/abduction cases all benefit from associating themselves with this one particular case (due to its qualities and the momentum its gathered since it was first reported).

 

The McCanns have admirably been able to keep the media interested. They've shown themselves to be very media savvy

 

I don't believe that they are media savvy, and in fact this could prove dangerous to the search for their daughter. It is horrible to say it, but they're on the brink of overexposure, and people are already beginning to tire of the grand gestures. I confess that their audience with the pope struck me as more bizarre than touching or poignant - I still hope their daughter is found, as of course everyone does, and I still have sympathy for them, but it has to be said that a part of me felt a slight, knee jerk resentfulness at what I instinctively felt to be a blatant punlicity stunt. Yes the stunt in question can be justified by the seriousness of the cause, and yes most of us probably would take similar action if we were in the same situation and had the same opportunities, but the fact is that all publicity stunts, no matter how worthy, face the risk of backfiring and only alienating people by appearing to badger them when they've already pledged their support in one way or another.

 

One of the ways this manifests has already featured in this discussion - by forcing the public's attention on one single cause, or repeatedly forcing that cause into the public attention, other similar causes become gradually more notable by their absence and a certain amount of unfairnes is felt because of this. You say that anyone in the same circumstances would do the same, and it may be true that they would want to, but would they have the opportunity to do so? Plenty of parents looking for their children don't and haven't in the past. That's not to say that all criticism of the parents is justified, but it is in a sense understandable as a manifestation of the alienation and apparent "unfairness" such overexposure to a single cause can give rise to, and given that the parents take such an active part in this (and I stress that I'm not passing moral judgement on them for doing so) it is natural that some of the consequential resentment is targeted at them (otherwise it would probably largely be restricted to criticism of the media's conduct). If anything the constant media exposure runs the risk of increasing the rate at which fatigue sets in amongst the populace upon whom they must rely to aid in the search of their daughter.

[Amadeus]

Maddie’s blood 'found in flat

 

Traces of Madeleine McCann's blood have been discovered in the flat where she was last seen, according to Portuguese police sources today. It's been reported that attempts were made to wipe away any signs of the blood.

 

There's now a growing belief among the police in Portugal that the four-year-old girl may not be found alive.

 

The newspaper Jornal De Noticias reported: 'This evidence locates Madeleine's death inside the apartment, but the investigators are still not certain it was murder, despite the fact that somebody did try to erase the blood traces.

 

'The theory most favoured by detectives to explain Maddy's death – now taken as almost certain – is that it involved an accident.

 

'The investigators are convinced that the blood belongs to Madeleine, but they are still holding back the detailed results of the tests until their suspicions are confirmed.'

[Minxie]

I know that they have brought in special sniffer dogs from the UK, but I'm amazed that it has taken 3 months to find these 'blood spots' (I know they may not be Madeline's and let's hope they are not). Also the last i read was that they were doing DNA tests on a straw in Belgium that a suspected Madeline used to drink with, and that these could 'take a few days' - I don't know much about DNA testing but how long does it take to do. I would have thought that they could have rushed the tests through to be certain.

 

When reading about these 'sightings' I did wonder about something. The woman in the cafe who went to call police said that when she got back to her seat they had gone, and the couple who thought they saw her in Belgium called her name and the child turned around - why did these people not approach them or follow them instead of reporting it later? The lady in the cafe may not have had a mobile and could have been on her own, so she might not have had a choice, but if you saw a couple and a child who I thought was the missing girl would you approach them and try to detain or talk to them? If they waited and agreed to let you look closer at the child they would probably have nothing to worry about but at least it would be ruled out - but if they tried to run away then you could tryand grab the child or at least follow them. Would it be better to approach them and try to 'help' the child or would it be best to just report it later when they have moved on?

[Lost Login]

The chances of it being Maddeline I think are very very remote. Even if she is alive would you really expect those who have abducted her to take her for a meal at a restaurant.

 

As for trying to look at or grab a child you had concerns about all I can say is as a parent you must be joking. If somebody tried to do either in the circumstances you outline I would be running a mile/treating you as potential abductors of my kids.

 

In this case all we can do is let the police do the job and lets try and ignore the sensationalist reporting from the UK press

 

When reading about these 'sightings' I did wonder about something. The woman in the cafe who went to call police said that when she got back to her seat they had gone, and the couple who thought they saw her in Belgium called her name and the child turned around - why did these people not approach them or follow them instead of reporting it later? The lady in the cafe may not have had a mobile and could have been on her own, so she might not have had a choice, but if you saw a couple and a child who I thought was the missing girl would you approach them and try to detain or talk to them? If they waited and agreed to let you look closer at the child they would probably have nothing to worry about but at least it would be ruled out - but if they tried to run away then you could tryand grab the child or at least follow them. Would it be better to approach them and try to 'help' the child or would it be best to just report it later when they have moved on?

[Minxie]

I wouldn't condone anybody just trying to snatch a child just because they looked like Madeline as that would be horrible and very stressful for parents and child if it wasn't her. However if you approached somebody who you thought was her and the people looked obviously suspicious - ie tried to grab her and run, would you then intervene in any way or follow them?

[ai_Droid]

I wouldn't condone anybody just trying to snatch a child just because they looked like Madeline as that would be horrible and very stressful for parents and child if it wasn't her. However if you approached somebody who you thought was her and the people looked obviously suspicious - ie tried to grab her and run, would you then intervene in any way or follow them?

 

Imagine if you had a child who looked a bit like Madeline (and many young kids do have a similar look), you'd be bothered/reported all the time!

[Minxie]

Imagine if you had a child who looked a bit like Madeline (and many young kids do have a similar look), you'd be bothered/reported all the time!

I know, but it seems such a shame to get her parent's hopes up and possibly waste police time and resources for all these 'possible' sightings of her around the world.

[feelslikeitshould]

Imagine if you had a child who looked a bit like Madeline (and many young kids do have a similar look), you'd be bothered/reported all the time!

I know, but it seems such a shame to get her parent's hopes up and possibly waste police time and resources for all these 'possible' sightings of her around the world.

 

The case only so high profile because it has been made so, obviously if your child went missing, you'd do everything in your power to earch for them and get them back. I'm sure someone else made the point that the parents have tried to use the media to their advantage but no-one can fully control them. Now every whiff they get of something remotely Maddie orientated, the press are on it like a fly to shit. I'm sure it's doing no-one any favours, reports of finding her blood (oh hang on, it might not be, who knows how long its been there), reporting that someone had details of where to find her grave, having someone say they 'definitely' saw her etc.

 

It's become some kind of macabre wild goose chase and I very much doubt her parents would not have had to hear/read so much about these theories in detail in a 'normal' missing child case. As much as I hate to say it, because it may sound callous, her parents have made a rod for their own backs by involving the press quite so much as they have.

[Lost Login]

Sorry not a huge lot of sympathy with the parents as the parents have chosen to invite it on themselves by their media campaign and posters everwhere. Off course it will result in a lot of false calls, both well meaning and malicous.

 

The police I have sympathy for as I can not see how this is helping them do there job as they must have been completely swamped. Again much of it probably well meaning but useless. It must make it extremely difficult and time consuming to weed out the chaff and spot anything that might be relevant and could well hinder the case

 

I know, but it seems such a shame to get her parent's hopes up and possibly waste police time and resources for all these 'possible' sightings of her around the world.

[%age]

I don't know much about this case except after today's news that the mother was now a suspect, a chap on Manx Radio this morning was gleefully saying how he had had a hunch and was looking forward to collecting his fivers off people. Funny really, because the same chap had more or less condemned the neighbour who was the first suspect a few months back. After the newspaper headline about him saying he was innocent the Manx Radio chap sneered "Yeah like the police have questioned you for sixteen hours and you think you're innocent". Perhaps our responsible local presenter had lost a few fivers onthat hunch and needs to reap a bit back.

 

If he's found to be innocent I will feel really sorry for that poor bastard. Seems that being "odd" is all you need to have the international media desend on you and destroy you totally and completely in 24 hours flat.

 

They need to be more responsible in their reporting and they have had to resort to these sort of tactics because the Portugese police have taken the right approach and told them bugger all so they have to make everything up to create new items when nothing is actually happening.

That pisses me off as well - whatever happened to "Innocent until proven guilty" ? The media are grossly irresponsible in cases like this - was it the Sun that has a big "Pervert" headline today? Naff all has been proven - the police are still investigating, yet the low-life tabloid media tear anyone apart who only comes close to possibly having been linked to it. No factual reporting or consideration for the consequences - just a never-ending need to satisfy the lust for more news in a desperate bid to get a bit more market share and a few more readers/viewers - not right at all.... Let the cops do their job, and once everything is known, they can still print big headlines.

 

Ah well, I suppose the case is still wide open.

[bluemonday]

The whole thing has been very strange from the start. Having said that the media have done their normal trick of playing up every scrap they can. The Portuguese police seem a bit keystone coppish to me.

[ai_Droid]

The whole thing has been very strange from the start. Having said that the media have done their normal trick of playing up every scrap they can. The Portuguese police seem a bit keystone coppish to me.

 

I think the british press have been behind a lot of that image. The british police have been involved in this too, yet they don't seem to get the same attention.

 

 

I read this:

 

"Mrs Fenn, 81, told the police that two nights before the incident she heard a little girl loudly crying, “Daddy, daddy” in the apartment.

She said the crying had lasted for some time, but stopped when the McCanns returned to the apartment after dinner."

 

If they did it, or not, there's no doubt they were bloody stupid and selfish to have left these kids alone.

[bluemonday]

there's no doubt they were bloody stupid and selfish to have left these kids alone.

Can't argue with that. Two supposedly intelligent, professionals...........

[Albert Tatlock]

I don't know much about this case except after today's news that the mother was now a suspect, a chap on Manx Radio this morning was gleefully saying how he had had a hunch and was looking forward to collecting his fivers off people. Funny really, because the same chap had more or less condemned the neighbour who was the first suspect a few months back. After the newspaper headline about him saying he was innocent the Manx Radio chap sneered "Yeah like the police have questioned you for sixteen hours and you think you're innocent". Perhaps our responsible local presenter had lost a few fivers onthat hunch and needs to reap a bit back.

Regardless of the outcome of these events, I hate the media with 'the facts' they come out with regarding inferring guilt before innocence. I think we should tighten up the law regarding this kind of reporting, raising the standards required of all reporters. What the hell does anyone on MR know? - when they are literally hundreds of miles away - and generally only get that information from British sensationalist rags? This whole affair has been a vitriolic free-for-all by the media.

 

Moreover, there seems to be an inherent element of journalism determined to make the news rather than report it - based more often on pseudo-science and innuendo rather than fact. IMO, journalists are the main problem in lowering standards in the UK and in dumbing down millions, because politicians have jumped through their hoops for too many years, sensationalist crimes are reported in a way that seems statistically likely to happen to everyone else, health reports are chosen at random and given sensationalist and significant headlines panicking thousands - whilst journalists leave everyday matters (like the murder of one child at home by a parent every week in the UK) largely unreported. Free speech is all very well, but when it it is simply someones opinion aimed at villifying others, based on statistically unlikely events - then that is not free speech it is irresponsibility. If a court case is likely or immininent, this kind of reporting undermines the chances of people who should be tried by their peers - not by journalists.

 

Journalists need to get together and produce a new code of ethics - and if they don't we should legislate for one.

[bluemonday]

Good points. Problem being that non sensational and may I suggest fact based reporting doesn't sell papers or bang up viewing figures. Ethical journalists? Maybe the Daily Wail should think about that one. Picks up second hand news and throws venom to my mind.

MR - a joke. A good smack in the mouth might cure that - and that goes for some of our so called government who seem to think they are above reproach when they open their mouths before engaging brain and cause offence................