
Madeleine McCann: Clarence Mitchell For Hire, Richard Desmond And The Guardian Repeats
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
DAILY TELEGRAPH: “McCann’s spokesman Clarence Mitchell ponders PR move
As Kate and Gerry McCann return from their first family holiday since their daughter Madeleine disappeared 14 months ago, their spokesman Clarence Mitchell is in talks to join a PR agency where he plans to help other parents who have lost children to deal with the media.
Such is the news of the McCann case that the internet traffic-hungry Telegraph is looking at Clarence Mitchell’s career options. An interviwer might ask him what good has come of all the PR and media handling, and point out that not every missing child is the the blonde, photgenic progency of middle-class doctors and thus not deemed to be as newsworthy.
Says Mitchell, the McCanns’ spokesman:
“I’m happy to help anyone in the eye of a media storm, but I need to put myself on a firm financial footing. I should stress, however, that there’s absolutely no question of me abandoning Kate and Gerry McCann.”
Working for the McCanns is a job, and it pays. But when will it end?
THE GUARDIAN: “Fakery fallout hits TV sector”
Deception rows caused several top television figures to slide down the top 100. It’s the MediaGuardian 100, an arbitrary league table of TV shows and staff.
The newspaper sector accounts for three of the top 10 fallers - two editors and a proprietor. Richard Desmond is the second biggest faller, down 20 places to 55, after his newspapers had to make unprecedented front-page apologies and pay £550,000 in damages to the family of Madeleine McCann.
And the Guardian loves to write about Desmond:
55. Richard Desmond
In March, Richard Desmond’s Express Newspapers titles ran unprecedented apologies and paid £550,000 in damages over stories they had run about the family of Madeleine McCann….
It was another blow to the credibility of the papers, credibility that has suffered ever since Desmond bought them in 2000…
Under-resourced and undermined by the McCann apology, Desmond’s newspaper group also saw the first 24-hour national newspaper strike for 18 years in a dispute about pay and outsourcing.
Desmond is Fleet Street’s least-loved proprietor, but as the Observer’s Peter Preston memorably put it: “No one likes him, though (in common with Millwall FC) he doesn’t seem to care.”
No.78 is Peter Wright, editor of the Mail on Sunday.
If Wright is occasionally a controversial figure, then he gained extra credibility this year when he joined the Press Complaints Commission after the Daily Express editor, Peter Hill, stepped down in the wake of Express Newspapers’ £550,000 damages payout to the family of Madeleine McCann.
James Murdoch takes the top spot from his father as other City players suffer a tough year
Richard Desmond, the owner of Express Newspapers, has also had a mixed year, paying out £550,000 in damages to Gerry and Kate McCann for a string of inaccurate articles about their daughter Madeleine’s disappearance, and taking the unprecedented step of publishing front-page apologies in all four Express and Star national titles.
Is the Guardian obsessed with Richard Desmond?
Posted: 14th, July 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann Comments (620) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments





July 14th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
249
Clive Says:
July 14th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Are we being deliberately obtuse-tomorrow is my birthday and the lady in my life has promised me a particularly good time to celebrate the event.
After all, I will be 14.
what’s that ? a quarter of bon bons and a blow job?
July 14th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Nosey
I got a new camera and I was taking photos on my sons birthday and he was in it.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
matt
I dont know!
July 14th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
whats this about the photo??
July 14th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
254…brandon flours
What does he do on the other 355 days ?
July 14th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
nosey
He wanders in my hall, looking in on us, but just as you get the feeling someones there and look, you see a shadow turn and retreat.
About 10 times a year.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Clive, where have you put your manners dear boy?
Didn’t mommy teach you to thank the nice people when they wish you a Happy Birthday.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
250…Noseycow
I think he meant to type…41
July 14th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
248
Noseycow Says:
come on come on - gorry details please
__________________
Noooo, I’m a fwaidykat when it comes to things like that
July 14th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Clive
Well I hope that you have a very happy 14th birthday,
a big birthday hug from this 21 year old.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Are we being deliberately obtuse-tomorrow is my birthday and the lady in my life has promised me a particularly good time to celebrate the event.
After all, I will be 14.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Brandon
am fascinated - tell me more…
who is he, how often does he appear, were you scared.. any one else seen him…
come on come on - gorry details please
July 14th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Clive did you pinch gerrys wallet too?
July 14th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
matt
a ride on his bike..
July 14th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
julie
a non believer are we ?
I didnt believe in them either until……. I saw him in the door way.
The photo didnt help either.
but i decided to treat him like a mouse so alls okay !
July 14th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
235…Clive
Wot’s he promised you ?
July 14th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Clive
PMSL
Where did that come from???
July 14th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
237
brandon flours Says:
July 14th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I have a ghost
_________________
Gee, and I thought I could collect strange pets
July 14th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
a promise that it is your birthday?
July 14th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
235…Clive
I should hope not.
You have a reputation to maintain.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Happy Birthday for tomorrow.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Clive. I’m so glad to see you remembered to take your medication this morning.
SEE ….. it’s really not painful to have a sense of humour every now and then
Oh, and a lovely birthday for you tomorrow
July 14th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I have a ghost
July 14th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Happy birthday Clive
xx
July 14th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Sorry guys - feeling a bit frivolous today as it is my birthday tomorrow and I/m on a promise.
It won’t happen again
July 14th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Melanie
Why what were you doin’ with yours?
July 14th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
“You arent supposed to sit on it
use your other hand”
Have I come in at the wrong part of this conversation???
July 14th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
you’re a funny guy Clive funny guy
July 14th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I did hide his season ticket though !
July 14th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
226
Clive Says:
July 14th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I did not steal Lone’s bike
good job n’all…