Madeleine McCann: What Shannon Matthews Is Worth, Asda And PR
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann and Shannon Matthews
THE SUN: “£20k reward in Shannon hunt”
THE Sun yesterday offered a £20,000 reward to find missing “little princess” Shannon Matthews.
Good on the paper. But does a reward help? Has it helped Madeleine Mccann? And why £20,000 when Madeleine McCann garnered so much more? Is a reward index linked to the missing child’s age? Or is it because Shannon’s parents are not middle-class - not doctors - and smaller amounts mean more to them?
We also printed posters urging our vast army of readers to help in the hunt for the nine-year-old schoolgirl. And last night her anguished mum Karen, 32, said: “I’m so grateful for all you are doing. It’s a fantastic gesture and means so much to us. We just hope it brings her back.”
Then, hugging Shannon’s stepdad Craig Meehan, 22, she added: “Our message to people is never give up . . . because we won’t until we find her.”
THE TIMES: “Poor little Shannon Matthews. Too poor for us to care that she is lost?”
“Her family may seem feckless. Neighbours can’t afford to run a PR campaign. How the public spotlight faded on missing girl.”
Shannon..?
Sarah Payne, smiling in her school uniform; Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, in their Manchester United shirts; Madeleine McCann, staring inquisitively with her distinctive bleeding iris . . .The names and faces of these girls who have disappeared are etched into the public’s collective memory.
Camera crews camped out in their home towns for weeks or months. Donations totalled thousands — even millions — of pounds. Members of the public, many of them strangers, came in their hundreds to offer help and prayers for their safe return.
Yet the trauma and mystery surrounding the disappearance of one nine-year-old girl almost two weeks ago appeared to drift from public consciousness within days…
She’s not Madeleine McCann. No doctors. No logo. No Maddy Catty. No watching the parents. The media treatment is no fault of the McCanns. But are we bored of missing children stories. Have the press caught Maddy fatigue?
Contrast the media-savvy McCann campaign with the brave efforts of Petra Jamieson, 30, a friend of Shannon’s mother, who managed to persuade her local branch of Asda to donate 24 white T-shirts on which the girl’s photograph had been printed.
What happened to Shannon Matthews? Who can we blame? The parents?
A deprived background, a dysfunctional family and a down-on-its-luck Yorkshire mill town: none of this is Shannon Matthews’s fault, yet it seems that she is paying the price.
No holiday scene. No excuse for hacks to go to hotter climes. Yorkshire in winter. Grey. Grim.
GLASGOW DAILY RECORD: “Mother’s Day Wish”
THE distraught mum of missing schoolgirl Shannon Matthews last night cried: “All I want for Mother’s Day is my princess back.”
DAILY MIRROR: “ALL I WANT FOR MOTHER’S DAY IS MY PRINCESS BACK”
Shannon Matthews’ desperate mother last night movingly declared: “All I want for Mother’s Day is my princess back.”As police continued searching thousands of homes for the missing nine-year-old schoolgirl, mum Karen, 32, said: “It is a special family day and we would all spend it together.
“Shannon would usually buy me a present or make me something at school.”
Stepfather Craig Meehan, 22, added: “It is going to be a heartbreaking Mother’s Day.”
LIVERPOOL ECHO: “Where’s media cry for poor Shannon?”
HOW disturbing that 10 days after Shannon Matthews disappeared, we still know so little about her. Her favourite band? The school she attends? The name of her best friend? All details that should be on our lips but aren’t.
But we do know her favourite song.
Somehow the vanishing of this little girl with her pony tail and fringe has failed to capture the media’s imagination; a story regularly consigned to the inside pages.
Why? Why do some cases attract saturation coverage and others don’t? I suspect it’s down to image, which stands for everything, and the skill now needed to work the notoriously fickle media.
Madeleine McCann’s parents have been criticised for employing a professional PR and for playing the media game, providing photo opportunities and press calls. But it’s paid dividends. The world now knows their daughter’s name and what she looks like.
Shannon’s mum can be no less distraught than Kate, but whether she has the support or the finance to get a media campaign on the road is doubtful.
But at the end of the day there is a little girl out alone in a harsh, cold world. And we should all be working together to get her home.
What part does the media play in finding a missing child? Don’t we have the police to search for Shannon and crack the case?
THE OBSERVER (Blog): “Speaker gets new spin doctor”
A Whitehall spin doctor who was a spokeswoman for Madeleine McCann’s parents has been hired to help the Commons Speaker, Michael Martin, deal with the media, it was announced today.
Not Campbell?
Sheree Dodd is an experienced communications expert who worked for John Prescott at the time it was revealed he was having an affair with his diary secretary.
Just another job…
Madeleine McCann- The PR Storm
Posted: 1st, March 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids Comments (798) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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March 1st, 2008 at 6:50 pm
424/427Gandolf
Many thanks , I love that Scott McKenzie track, those were the days when
LSD didn”t mean pounds shillings and pence!!!!
You can have the rest of the night off, I”ll put some cash behind the Bar for you
to have a drink on me.
March 1st, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Gandy, you brought back fond memories of my first teenage year with Xanadu … I got goosebumps all over ….. (not then, NOW)
March 1st, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Duncan, READY-MADE ones? Even better, the more I can collect the more bucks I can rake in …. oh, this is gonna be a bargain and a half! As for the beer, I’ll probably join them, but they’ll be put on rations
March 1st, 2008 at 6:42 pm
The old roller skating is a bit dodgy with the busted leg, but I can look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6uChtN8YcU
March 1st, 2008 at 6:41 pm
436 julie
My parents never got on, no real violence, just could hear parents arguing alot at night time, was horrible to hear dads deep voice booming through the ceiling, i have had numerous relationship disasters, and when my parents finally dicorved when i was 17 i was releived!
March 1st, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Gandy, you do realise that we’re never going to be able to take any of your “serious” posts “seriously” now! You’ve kept us amused practically the entire day (ok, I know it’s coz you couldn’t keep your butt on the seat of your bike
), and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! What a pleasure 
March 1st, 2008 at 6:38 pm
432 - Julie Says:
+++++++++++++++++
Save you some bother. When you land in UK - I’ve got a couple of sprogs you’re welcome to ‘borrow’ to get you started on that state-sponsored single mother gravy train.
(Only drawback is that they’re both in their 30’s and require a lot of beer to get them thru the week!)
***********
er Duncan, isn’t someone reading this?
March 1st, 2008 at 6:36 pm
431
WTF Says:
March 1st, 2008 at 6:27 pm
evening all, what have i missed? Havnt had chance to read all the posts, but something about single parents? Used to be one, and my opinion is its better for children to grow up in a calm atmosphere than one in which the parents dont get on, therefore the childs perception of relationships is not good, so the pattern continues, in my very humble opinion
—————————————-
You are just so spot on WTF! I will rather have my boisterous, normal 5 year old who no longer sees his father, than the one who thought that punching and hitting out at everything that annoyed him was the right way to go!
March 1st, 2008 at 6:31 pm
425
Gandolf Says:
March 1st, 2008 at 6:14 pm
———————————-
Now THAT is scary
March 1st, 2008 at 6:30 pm
424
Gandolf Says:
March 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
—————————–
Thanks Gandy/Val …. have heard that one before …. really beautiful music. See I’m not primitive ALL the time
March 1st, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Little Johnny is taking a shower with his mother and says, “Mom, what are those things on your chest!?” Unsure of how to reply, she tells Johnny to ask his dad at breakfast tomorrow, quite certain the matter would be forgotten.
Johnny didn’t forget. The following morning he asked his father the same question. His father, always quick with the answers, says, “Why Johnny, those are balloons. When your mommy dies, we can blow them up and she’ll float to heaven.” Johnny thinks that’s neat and asks no more questions.
A few weeks later, Johnnys’ dad comes home from work a few hours early. Johnny runs out of the house crying hysterically, “Daddy! Daddy! Mommy’s dying!!” His father says, “Calm down son! Why do you think Mommy’s dying?” “Uncle Harry is blowing up Mommys’ balloons and she’s screaming, “Oh God, I’m coming!”
March 1st, 2008 at 6:27 pm
#
413
Dee Says:
March 1st, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Well i reckon Julie, that i must have done it wrong the first time, so… i think i can pop out at least another 4 sprogs before my 45 birthday, which should set me up in CSA hand outs for a few years to come! lol
————————————
Yeah Dee, I reckon I could pop out another 4 before my 45th as well, could set me up quite nicely for a while … only problem is I gotta find the money for the air-ticket to get over there first! Suitable donors shouldn’t be a problem, although Matt’s definitely last in line over his 5p offer
March 1st, 2008 at 6:27 pm
evening all, what have i missed? Havnt had chance to read all the posts, but something about single parents? Used to be one, and my opinion is its better for children to grow up in a calm atmosphere than one in which the parents dont get on, therefore the childs perception of relationships is not good, so the pattern continues, in my very humble opinion
March 1st, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Val - yes thats the one
March 1st, 2008 at 6:26 pm
417 Just_Me
If that”s the one with cuddlecat, yes.
March 1st, 2008 at 6:22 pm
397 Mods & Admin
A single Mum who works full time then has to juggle household chores, shopping,cooking, spending quality time with the children etc. If the Dad
works full time as well, in theory he is meant to help out with the chores, depends what kind of Dad he is though.
Personally, I don”t think women”s lib did anything for them, they have to
work today to help pay the Mortgage so they are constantly under pressure.
Unless of course you can afford a Nanny and Housekeeper.
**********
M and A
I was around in the late 60’s early 70’s and laws have changed to protect womens rights and property etc, that needed doing, but I have NEVER been able to see the benefit of a woman’s right to work, just means she has double the load. Most men are idle or unable to see what needs doing around the home in a daily domestic way, and its bloody hard work on its own. I do work, I enjoy it but I get paid help around the house when I need it.
But the point I was trying to make does it diminish the maternal role if she is single and working , or if she is married /stable relationship and working. Most women I know include their husband in the child category ie unrtrained and useless about the house. So from a personal point of view that completely scuppers the argument ‘I dont believe them ‘was putting forward. And I did ask if he had a personal vendetta against Shannon’s mother, but he declined to answer that, but future posts did reveal a lot about him. Clearly Shannons mother was in the wrong whatever she did, not a fair critique
March 1st, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Scott McKenzie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKWiwfOhI6U
M and A
Oh wow! thanks
March 1st, 2008 at 6:17 pm
tee hee hello Mrs D….
March 1st, 2008 at 6:14 pm
There you go lady’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs9PAxmG1GU&feature=related
March 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
There you go lady’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paHlDr7kXIo
March 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
bye dee
March 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
There you go lady’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paHlDr7kXIo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs9PAxmG1GU&feature=related
March 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I’ve got to go out, maybe catch you all later.
bye for now x
March 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
M & A - good point!
March 1st, 2008 at 6:10 pm
410
Julie
I bet he never was on the front line.No way.
He was send back to his council palace because he has become a danger for the rest of the stoopid soldiers.Makes me maaaaaaad
**********
m and A
at least he went, no mention of Bush or Blair sprogs….
March 1st, 2008 at 6:09 pm
396 Maria
Point taken, Maria. Thanks. Did you see my post 352?
March 1st, 2008 at 6:06 pm
408
just_me
jajajajaja the new taliban taste
Good fun like Ade would say
March 1st, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Val - have you seen my ‘things left on a high shelf’ pic?
March 1st, 2008 at 6:04 pm
405
pppy
Hi
Wouldnt like to be around when you are a bit angry
xxx
March 1st, 2008 at 6:03 pm
414 - yes