Karen Buckley case dominates media coverage in Scotland

The disappearance of Irish student Karen Buckley has prompted huge public interest in Scotland, and has dominated print and online media reports there over the last few days.

Media interest in the disappearance of the 24-year-old nurse's from Mourneabbey in North Cork began to grow on Monday, shortly after she was reported missing.

It was already beginning to dominate the news agenda by the time that police decided to hold a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

The appearance of Karen’s parents, John and Marian, and their heartfelt plea for information on their daughter’s whereabouts appeared to touch a chord and since Wednesday, the story has been the lead item for many TV, radio and print media.

Sky’s Scotland correspondent, James Matthews, told The Irish Times that the story appears to have resonated with people. On Thursday it was the lead news story on Sky News in the UK.

All local newspapers in Scotland have devoted huge coverage to the story, particularly since the Buckleys’ appeal and police confirmation that they had identified and spoken to the young man with whom Karen was last seen alive early on Sunday morning.

The Daily Record, The Herald, The Evening Times, The Scottish Daily Mail, The Scottish Sun and The Daily Star of Scotland, which all carried front page pieces on Wednesday, similarly had front page reports on her disappearance on Thursday.

The intense interest in the story means up to 50 reporters, photographers and cameramen have gathered at various locations associated with the developing story - including at the young man’s flat, the park where Karen’s hand bag was found and the farm where her remains were found.

“That poor wee girl - it’s terrible what happened to her,” was a frequent comment in conversations among Glaswegians with one man, Drew McCusker, typifying the feelings of many when he observed: “Your heart would go out to her poor parents - she could be anyone’s daughter.”