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
- pete on In Photos: Susan Boyle Sings Rockefeller Center Plaza In New York City
- eggman on Daily Mail Scuppers BBC’s Wrong Shipping Forecast
- agw on Daily Mail Scuppers BBC’s Wrong Shipping Forecast
- Bat E Bird on I’m A Celebrity: Samantha Fox Is Shrinking As ‘Lesbian’ Lover Katie Price Quits
- Bat E Bird on In Photos: Susan Boyle Sings Rockefeller Center Plaza In New York City
March 15th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
443
val
Its just my computer.I was able to save it now and probaly later will be able to open it
March 15th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
444
jo Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
“[...] potspone the interviews again on DEMAND of the mcFunnyBunny
****
that is McFunnyBunny …
March 15th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
441
Denzylle
It is not a convenient time at all but I wonder if the PJ is going to take into account the whole chocolate-bunny-easter season to potspone the interviews again on DEMAND of the mcFunnyBunny
March 15th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
427 jo
You can if you delete this page, type in the thread I gave and press the arrow to go.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
430
Maria
Sure all very convenient
March 15th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
420
Yeah, probably.
What with Semana Santa and Easter.
Perhaps the McCs might protest at being interviewed during Holy Week?
But then, their interviews aren’t due this week, anyway, are they? It’s the others first, then the Dos Santa. (Jo, please correct if wrong!).
And I know that’s (supposed to be) Spanish, not Portuguese.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
437
jo Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
431
Châtelaine
This is the only info at the moment
There are gory details but I am not keen on talking about it
There is an absolute certainty she was not abused
Thank god for that or who/what ever saved her from this sufffering”
******
I’m not keen on gory details neither. And agree that, however miserable her life has ended, at least it wasn’t even more miserable. I sincerely hope the guilty one will be brought to justice.
The more often perpetrators are found out and sentenced, it will hopefully send the message that wrong-doing will be punished. And it might, just might stop one or the other from doing it.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
417 Denzylle
I just posted to Jo and suggest you look at Page493/4/5 makes interesting reading.
If true, the McCann”s cannot refuse to answer questions and could be made to go back to Portugal. There is an eight month time limit before the PJ would have to either
divulge the evidence or lift their status. Were”nt the MccAnns charged early
September, in which case their eight months is up next month.
March 15th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
re
the religion
Smoke and mirrors
Have a nice evening
March 15th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
431
Châtelaine
This is the only info at the moment
There are gory details but I am not keen on talking about it
There is an absolute certainty she was not abused
Thank god for that or who/what ever saved her from this sufffering
March 15th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Gandolf, last year’s news, but shows what can happen when a minister gets personally involved.
>>>>>>>>>gone
March 15th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Does it really matter all that much re media publicity when the police and other authorities do such a good job over and above when searching for missing children. Not a great deal publicity and money fund was in place re Shannon’s case, but she has been found!
March 15th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
425
Firestar
Absolutely
The church has an awful long standing involment in regard of the state of the world
March 15th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
424
Gandolf
yeah
Whatever
IMHO
Alledgy
S****
March 15th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
jo
: (
just what i thought
March 15th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
422
jo Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
“419 - can’t say no
Both autopsies reveal ML has been murdered and thrown in the water”
****
Poor girl.
Is there any indication as to when this happened after her disappearance? I understood that there was no other abuse. She was suffocated and disposed off… Yes? Horrible! Hesitant to ask, but does this indicate a kind of “revenge”?
March 15th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
403 jo
Are you sure you have differentiated between what it was reported that GM said and what he actually did say?
Even according to reports, he said that, when he saw the bedroom door slightly ajar, which he thought they had left closed, he wondered if Madeleine had got up for some reason (toilet etc.). But the implication was obviously that she had then gone back to bed…..before he arrived for the check at around 9.00 o’clock. He was just speculating as to why a door which he remembered as being shut was now slightly open. We’ve all had that sort of experience. He must have seen Madeleine in bed, otherwise he would presumably have looked to see where she was. He’s hardly likely to have seen the door ajar, realised that Madeleine missing……but then calmly gone back to eat without looking for her!!
Seems fairly simple to me. I mean, the story may not be true. Gerry or Kate may already have killed Madeleine or mysteriously decided to cover up her accidental death and bury her secretly themselves. Maybe he didn’t see Madeleine because he’d already killed her or helped Kate to dispose of the body. But, if they are innocent, as an account, it hangs together perfectly well. No inconsistencies at all so far!
March 15th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
426
can’t say no
Dont talk
March 15th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
and good evening.
March 15th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Val
Cant open nor save the link
March 15th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
422
jo
Yep
That’s what i heard
I feel sorry for the parents ,they seem to suspect but are afraid to talk
Hope i’m wrong
March 15th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
132
Jolie Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
My understanding of the Catholic Church is that the priest is never allowed to divulge what is said in confession. The sacrament would be useless if the penitent knew that the priest might tell others what is said in the confessional. Many people would not take the risk of confessing all their sins, if they thought the authorities would be brought into it as a result.
———————-
then perhaps if the priests were made to divulge confessions of illegal acts, the sinners who wouldn’t confess would have to not pass go and go directly to hell.
where’s the problem with that?
also, in my opinion, in a secular country the pope and any of his evidence-witholding minions should be dragged to court in chains and beaten viciously if necessary until they spill the beans on what these ungodly members of their faith are actually getting up to, not keeping secrets on behalf of paedophiles and child murderers hiding within their organisation, be it as employees or followers.
March 15th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
The simple conclusion is that if they the PJ have all these witness statements and other evidence, it looks like the Prosecutor has been right all along, they aint got a case.
March 15th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
403 jo
thttp://messageboards.sky.com/ThreadView.aspx?ThreadId=9320&page=493 Portugese poster on Sky who claims to know a Lawyer in the Parliament posted
under PM. It is quite interesting, so is another post by him/her on page 494
I tried to paste but it kept going haywire.
March 15th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
419
can’t say no
Both autopsies reveal ML has been murdered and thrown in the water
March 15th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
418
can’t say no Says:
March 15th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
“[...] the Police knows where they were”
*****
Of course, they do
And they must have checked all passenger lists too, so know when some people [Mitchell, Wollfall, etc.] were there…
March 15th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
417
Denzylle
Yes
There is an other 2 weeks to go methinks
March 15th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
416
jo
Any news from M.L. ?
I gotta go
March 15th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
416
jo
My only point is
Too many people were there
Tickets from Restaurants , ….
the Police knows where they were
March 15th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
CSN
412
I believe the PJ has a whole bunch of witnesses and evidence that we have hardly begun to touch upon. All ammunition for the forthcoming interviews.
Fun, fun, fun (as Ade, or the Beach Boys might say).