Madeleine McCann: Prayers, Bones And Media
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
Remember, everyone, to play Anorak Bingo you must mention Madeleine McCann, Shannon Matthews and – here’s the tie-breaker – Scarlett Keeling. Eyes down…
DAILY MAIL: Amanda Platell
There cannot be a person in the country who didn’t feel a surge of delight on learning that little Shannon Matthews has been found alive and well.
We can think of one.
All the more so in these days when good news has become such a rare commodity. Yet even as we celebrate, we should spare a thought for Gerry and Kate McCann, for whom Shannon’s discovery, wonderful as it is, will be a fresh reminder of their own terrible loss. The return of one lost girl is a marvel. The return of two . . . now that’s a miracle worth praying for.
Was it the power of prayer that got Shannon Matthews found? If so, who gets the reward?
Tick. Tick.
THE INDEPENDENT: “Deborah Orr: Wonderful news that carries a message for the media”
It isn’t often that the papers have some really wonderful news to report. But it really is wonderful that Shannon Matthews has been found alive.
Amanda Platell agrees.
This amazing news also carries a lesson for the media, about the way it turns horrible crimes into great stories, and what an unpleasant, self-regarding business this can be.
There were suggestions that Shannon’s disappearance was not getting the coverage afforded to another lost child, Madeleine McCann, because the latter was a middle-class child and the former a child from a more modest and chaotic background. There is some truth in this argument, of course.
You can read about it all over the media.
But the underlying assumption is that all the publicity around the McCann case is something desirable and useful, while the more meagre reporting about the Matthew case is undesirable and useless. If children really could be reunited with their parents because of the magical power of speculative column inches, though, then Madeleine, not Shannon, would have been returned to her family by now. The very idea that the hypocritical furore around Madeleine is something to be aspired to, a benchmark of any positive kind, is quite wrong and ought to be challenged.
The McCanns should not be the media’s benchmark for missing children. We’ve heard that before…
True, the “debate” helped to keep Shannon’s abduction in the public domain, just as the “debate” around Made-leine continues to keep her case in the public domain.
A debate. On what? What was being debated?
It might be argued that there would have been no great endeavour to find Shannon had the press not made the supposedly modest fuss it did.
MEdia.
I believe this isn’t the case. The local media has a vast part to play, but the national and international press, apart from reporting facts about the investigation, can offer little but intrusive “colour”. The reality is that the vast majority of the “stories” written about the McCann case have been prurient and sensational pieces of cynical propaganda, serving no practical purpose at all except for the selling of newspapers.
Indeed. Read all about selling papers in the Independent.
Tick. Tick.
IRISH INDEPENDENT: “Divers recover bag of small bones in search for Maddy”
DIVERS searching an Algarve reservoir for Madeleine McCann yesterday found a plastic bag containing small bones. Police experts were last night examining the gruesome find made by a frogman working for a Portuguese lawyer.
Gerry and Kate McCann were informed immediately by a private detective who was observing the search. Madeira-based lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia says he was tipped off by underworld contacts that Madeleine was murdered and her body thrown into the reservoir last May.The search turned up the bones in the murky waters of the Barragem do Arabe reservoir yesterday at 3.30pm.
Mr Correia said last night: “We found two bags one of which contains some small bones. We don’t know if they are human bones or not at this stage. If they are human bones, they look like they come from a child’s fingers.”
Tick. And a half tick for speculation.
THIS IS LONDON: “Bag of small bones found in reservoir where lawyer claims Madeleine McCann’s body was dumped”
Says Clarence Mitchell: “We have not been informed of anything by the police to indicate that this find is significant. There is nothing to indicate at this stage that they are human bones and they could easily be from an animal. There is nothing at the moment to indicate that this find has anything to do with Madeleine. We continue to believe she is alive.”
THE SUN: “Shannon: 24 days of tears”
IN the end, the prayers were answered – as yesterday the tears of anguish over missing Shannon Matthews turned to sobs of relief.
Prayers. What of the tip off? The police work?
TIMELINE:
Sunday, February 24: CHURCHGOERS pray for Shannon’s safe return. Madeleine McCann’s parents send a message of support.
Tick. Tick.
THE GUARDIAN: “What women want”
Following last year’s Booker win, Anne Enright is finally enjoying wider recognition - despite her work’s reputation for being gloomy and obsessed with sex and death
She became the target of ire in the tabloids when they picked up an article she wrote in the London Review of Books dissecting her reaction to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. The piece was full of ambivalence, describing her suspicions of Gerry and Kate McCann but in the end condemning her own voyeurism. She refuses to say whether the fracas upset her, but seems sensibly resigned, agreeing that events proved how she was naive to think her nuances would be understood in the grotesque guessing game that the story had become: “I was misread and I hoped that would become apparent, but there’s no point in me stomping around and fighting with shadows.”
Posted: 15th, March 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, Tabloids Comments (621) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
March 15th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
117
SteveT Says:
‘I find it hard to understand how a priest can not divulge information that could move things forward. If it ever comes out that the priest had important information that he didn’t divulge, the damage to the church will be far worse.’
- Because this is the oath of a Catholic priest, regardless of perceived ‘damage’
March 15th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
191
DCB
March 15th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
203 dcb
were you being fescitious (sorry bout spelling!)
March 15th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
202
WTF
+++++
Only under your breath
March 15th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
201 dcb
am i allowed to say anything?
March 15th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Just saw Shannon’s mum on TV - what a smashing smile she gave
March 15th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
198
DCB Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
“196 - Châtelaine - See link in 191
****
Thank you, DCB. Being a cautious person I do not check links which I do not recognise. However, thank you for the transcript, which was a fine example of misinformation, indeed.
Zo, now I’m off.
March 15th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Well, dear “all”, there are chicken and dogs to be attended and dinner cooked…. Will try and check in later to see if there’s exciting or enlightening news.
Take care
March 15th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
196
Châtelaine
+++++
See link in 191
March 15th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
194
val
+++++
Karen Matthews didn’t have elocution lessons and came over perfectly fine in her interviews.
March 15th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
192
DCB Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
“The divers, who yesterday searched a lake which was only 20 minutes far from the place where Maddie MacCann was last seen, in Portugal, found a plastic bag full of small bones which could be the relics of the child.[...]”
****
OMG, serious misinformation indeed. Where was this article published?
March 15th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
194
val Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
190 Chatelaine
If Jon Corner Directs the Documentary that apparently may be produced, I would
have thought Kate & Gerry would need Elecution lessons first!!!!!!!
****
What makes you think that it might be him to direct “the” documentary. All I’ve seen so far is that there are talks about a documentary about missing persons [children?] in which the McC’s might be featured too. Correct me, if I’m wrong.
March 15th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
190 Chatelaine
If Jon Corner Directs the Documentary that apparently may be produced, I would
have thought Kate & Gerry would need Elecution lessons first!!!!!!!
March 15th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
“….At the beginning, the girl’s parents did not believe Correia because they thought he only wanted publicity.”
How dare they say this - why on earth would anyone just want publicity
March 15th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
“The divers, who yesterday searched a lake which was only 20 minutes far from the place where Maddie MacCann was last seen, in Portugal, found a plastic bag full of small bones which could be the relics of the child.
They assumed that here Maddie went missing.
The girl’s parents, Gerry and Kate McCann were immediately informed on the discovery by a private detective who carried out an investigation, the Daily Mail reports.
Madeline was probably killed and thrown in a lake only 48 hours after she was kidnapped.
- We don’t know at this stage if they are human bones. If they are, they look like they come from a child’s fingers. They are too small for an adult. I can’t tell you how many we found, because we didn’t count them. As soon as we made the find, we handed them over to the Portuguese authorities and the private detectives working for the McCanns – said attorney Marcos Arango Correia.
This is the second time that divers have searched the lake, and Correia, who financed them, has already spent hundreds of pounds. Until now, apart from the bones, they found a rope and a white cotton sock.
Correia announced the decision to investigate in the area when he found out from the criminals that Madeleine was raped, killed and thrown in the lake.
At the beginning, the girl’s parents did not believe Correia because they thought he only wanted publicity.”
March 15th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
How about this article for a bit of misreporting:
Maddie McCann’s Relics Found in a Lake in Portugal
Madeline was probably killed and thrown in a lake only 48 hours after she was kidnapped.
http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=132311
March 15th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
187
val Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
“183 Chatelaine - Might be wrong, but I thought that was in the Jon Corner film shown on Panorama, I know there”s a youtube video, I”ve seen it.”
****
You are right, Val. That’s part of the Corner material [shot in JUNE!], which was used in the Panorama transmission. Whenever I show this bit to people, who do not follow the case closely, like we do, they don’t believe their own eyes …
March 15th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
185
]
âde Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
183 Châtelaine
yep - she uses “you” rather than “i”
this is the link i was referring to:
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id59.html
****
Thank you, âde. Yes, I’ve read this a couple of times with a kind of “pleasure”. How people can give themselves away when they talk too much [when they prattle
March 15th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
184 Châtelaine
Thanks Châtelaine, I found “prattle”. My English is improving every day!!!
March 15th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
183 Chatelaine
Might be wrong, but I thought that was in the Jon Corner film shown on Panorama, I know there”s a youtube video, I”ve seen it.
March 15th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
183 Châtelaine
“…there is a lot of “you know” in the woosh clunk scene”.
There is, and when I read Ferdinand’s file about the analysis of suspects’s language, I realised there were a lot of them too in an example they gave (of an unreliable suspect!).
March 15th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
183 Châtelaine
yep - she uses “you” rather than “i”
this is the link i was referring to:
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id59.html
back to ’still game” on youtube
very funny scottish comedy series
March 15th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
180
Marie Nicholas Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
“109 Joe
[...] I found your post amusing too.( Though I looked for the word “praddle ” in my Harrap’s dictionnary, and couldn’t find it. But I guess the meaning). [...]”
*****
Praddle is indeed not to be found.
I did stumble upon “prattle”, though. Look it up, that must be it, the praddle of someone who doesn’t know how to spell it
March 15th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
178
âde Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
“[...] there’s a bit about her holy fragrance’s use of the third person in her statements and how odd they are [...]”
*****
I cannot find it immediately but do remember that there is a lot of “you know” in the woosh clunk scene.
March 15th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
ade
3 -1 woo hoo
Have to dish up Irish stew now. St Patricks is cancelled on monday due to it being holy week
will read it later x
March 15th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
174
can’t say no Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
173
Châtelaine
Almost 10 years since that article
Don’t be afraid for the Mccs ,they will never face trial
IMHO
******
The age of the article has no influence on the correctness of the principal.
Without having read it, my “life”-experience had already taught a couple of things. E.g. replying a simple question with too much information, as above. Or e.g. that unnecessarily lying about a small thing, means that there also lies about big things… etc.
BTW I am neither afraid of nor for the McC’s.
Yet it would be terrible, if in this case the truth would not be known and guilty people [there MUST be guilty people] escape justice.
March 15th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
109 Joe
“I find your post amusing. Most people on this board do have an opinion. Seems as if you like to praddle on about nothing, just to hear your own voice”.
I found your post amusing too.( Though I looked for the word “praddle ” in my Harrap’s dictionnary, and couldn’t find it. But I guess the meaning).
Seems as if you like replying to posts which talk about nothing, just to enjoy the pleasure of pointing how hollow they are.
March 15th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Just watching a programme on TV - classic case of child neglect if ever there was one.
Single mother, 3 kids, left alone in the house while she’s at work. Little girl (under 5?) left alone in the house while the mum rushes to school to fetch her middle boy who is thought to be drunk and is disrupting lessons.
Wonder what Ian would make of it?
Name of this shocking example of child neglect?
E.T.
March 15th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
173 Châtelaine
141 brandon flours
there’s a bit about her holy fragrance’s use of the third person in her statements and how odd they are :
http://www.mccannfiles.com/id16.html
can’t find the exact spot ;-(
March 15th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
♥ Duncan R ♥
Aaaawww Thank you that was really kind of you, I just managed to record it on
xxx
ITV2 +1 for tomorrow.