Why Shannon Matthews And Madeleine McCann Are So Different:
ANORAK reader Marie Nicholas on why Shannon Matthews and Madeleine McCann are so different:
I am pleased that little Shannon was found alive, and hope the aftermath of her story will not weigh too heavily on her future. That said, I must say I never took the same interest in her story as in the MC’s story. It made me understand what fascinates me there.
I found the MC’s reaction to their loss extremely unusual and intriguing. Apart from the amount of money they collected, and their strange media campaign, which were already astonishing, to use Pat Brown’s language, a number of red flags were raised about their veracity, and by themselves. Yet, those red flags raise questions without bringing answers.
Apart from the bare facts : The children left alone at night, the little girl disappearing, no trace of a kidnapping, no trace of a murder, no ransom asked, which in itself is asking for answers, we have this other big fact : the PJ is suspecting the parents, due to some unknown evidence, and the parents claim the PJ are wrong, the child was abducted. Two contradictory statements, and no hope of getting more information before long. The longlasting struggle of influence between, on one side, the MCs-their family-their powerful friends-their PR-their lawyers-the media-Met3, and, on the other hand, the silent PJ, is catching, especially as we, the public, are taken to witness it via the media.
But most people, while being kept informed by the media, either don’t care about the case, or don’t make comments.
What makes us Anorakians share our feelings and thoughts by hundreds every day, I still don’t know for sure. On Anorak’s forums, I search information which is different from the media information, as it is shared for free, by people who aren’t journalists, and who doubt the press. I also enjoy the mixing of opinions and reactions, and the fact that we, posters, are all on an equal level. I enjoy the debate, I enjoy the company. And the mystery keeps me at bait; the fact that it is a real one makes it all the more interesting. It is exciting for the mind.
What worries me is that, by getting caught the way I am, I am playing the part which the media expect from me. And I resent the fact that the media thrive on a deformed image of reality, by selecting one story, among thousands, and seasoning it with hot pepper to make it more palatable.
Posted: 15th, March 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (31) | TrackBack | Permalink
