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
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July 14th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Brandon
He’ll have selective memory loss and never refer to ‘this episode’ again.
Along similar lines to the politicians who initially try to ’support’ their collegues who have just bee ‘outed’ ..
July 14th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Garth
Those badgers were so cute. I did see badgers didn’t I??? Not just shrooms?
July 14th, 2008 at 9:43 am
petermac
It will be interesting to see how he plays it….
a) I was duped
b) I was part of the sting
c) I was just doing my job
etc……
July 14th, 2008 at 9:41 am
36 BF
Truly brilliant ! I love the idea that he has “helped” them in the eye of the media storm. They created the storm round themselves, quite deliberately.
Though if he were to be taking advice, he would now begin the process of distancing himself from the McCs as fast and as far as he could. Otherwise he is going to look even more foolish than normal if/when any of the next possible stages takes place.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:39 am
well now that we’ve given the pink one more attention than he deserves..
has anyone read last nights thread??
July 14th, 2008 at 9:39 am
41
Noseycow
Look at this…I was looking for a link and found it there …
http://prisonersvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/Clarence%20Mitchell%20tipped%20off%20the%20McCanns%20to%20Portuguese%20police%20monitoring
I dont know if this is going to look good on his CV tho”
July 14th, 2008 at 9:39 am
‘ 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.’
Not just for ’stolen’ ones!!!???
July 14th, 2008 at 9:37 am
39
Noseycow
Oh…yessss
July 14th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo
NO - please remember he’s employed to keep the McC’s OUT of the media - PMSL
July 14th, 2008 at 9:36 am
BF
anything is good to keep the focus on them since they came back from “Vancouver” 
He is such a good man,isnt he?
I am sure we all feel relieved by his last….spin
July 14th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Brandon
Just more PR Spin IMO, positioning himself for when charges are brought
July 14th, 2008 at 9:34 am
and they taste nice - particulalry when cooked in garlic butter
July 14th, 2008 at 9:32 am
35
Garth
I believe we all eat mushrooms,dont we? Did you know they are kind of natural antibiotics?
July 14th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Good morning
“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.”
He’s got a lovely way with words!!!!
July 14th, 2008 at 9:26 am
I have mushrooms growing out of my screen. But i havent eaten any. Unlike some i would guess…….
July 14th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Not at all C&C
Good mornin’ ……. to all
July 14th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Well Garth, several on here talk of being treated like mushrooms….
July 14th, 2008 at 9:21 am
agw
I’m aware of the past. My sister is 31.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:21 am
27
Garth
….stuffed with magic?
July 14th, 2008 at 9:21 am
You don’t mean my Beatles autographs do you Garth? (good morning!)
July 14th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Just call sid……….. that’ll sort em out!
July 14th, 2008 at 9:20 am
GAAAArth!
Buenos dias
July 14th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Did someone mention stuffed mushrooms?
July 14th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Same old bollox, ooh to be a moderator eh?
http://www.badgerbadgerbadger.com
July 14th, 2008 at 9:14 am
AGW………. I have some of those postcards of Eddie C. Sadly the sig is only printed. AND AND I have the Beatles in my autograph book. (1963 saw them sign….. swoon swoon )
July 14th, 2008 at 9:07 am
23
agw
July 14th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Karen:
Steps? Curry? Singalong!
Watch and learn kiddo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LqsHL2PSiM
That’s my 2p’s worth
July 14th, 2008 at 8:57 am
This why clarrie wants to “help” other parents who have been neglectful of their children
The Saints are speaking on the 1st of may
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7376847.stm
July 14th, 2008 at 8:50 am
agw
I can bung you a half a take-away curry, 2p I found down the back of the sofa and a Steps dvd (you can sing along with the band!!!).
July 14th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Oh the joys of no more hangovers after giving up the booze three years ago! I could still partake of the volume after years of training but the three day hangovers were too much.
Ciggies five year ago…. I suppose the heroin and crack cocaine habit will have to go next…..