Scenting blood in the Madeleine McCann story
The Mirror pulled off a deft sleight of hand in its front page coverage of the Madeleine McCann story.
Portuguese police called Kate and Gerry McCann back in but refused point-blank to tell them why. Both now fear that today they will be named as SUSPECTS
Which seems measured enough, except that SUSPECTS was printed in massive type above pictures of Kate and Gerry McCann.
The Sun’s front page was different here, but in the UK it went with the straightforward: “DID YOU SEDATE MADDIE?”, although its editorial blames the “plodding” Portugese police, and maintains a sense of calculated sympathy by asking: “Hasn’t she suffered enough?”
This case has been a big one for the media over the summer - as much because it is considered to have a been partly repsonsible for the unusually strong sales over the summer. It may be about to wind up again in the most disturbing way, and given the double-edged approach of morning’s headlines we will get another reminder that there is one thing the media loves more than a hunting for a missing girl - a witch hunt.
4:01 pm
Looking back on it, the treatment of the seemingly innocent Robert Murat was pretty sickening. It’s not just the tabloids who are guilty of nauseatingly sentimental coverage of this story either.
The change in tone, from the picture being used on websites to footage on news bulletins is subtle, yet still notable. Did you hear Gerry McCann’s sister on Liveline Shane?
Comment by Brock Landers