Madeleine McCann: The Tabloid Dog Pack, Kate McCann’s Diary And Shannon Matthews
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann, Gerry McCann and Robert Murat
PRESS GAZETTE: “Furious lawyer attacks tabloids’ ‘pack-dog’ mentality over stories”
Read all about it in the Star, Sun, Mirror etc.
Louis Charalambous represented Robert Murat in his libel action against eleven tabloid newspapers. Two other claimants in the same case, Sergey Malinka and Michaela Walczuch, were awarded apologies and a “substantial six-figure settlement”.
Charalambous tells the Press Gazette:
“Having to capitulate, apologise and pay up is not the end of it. The trust in those titles ebbs away among their combined readership of 15 million. In particular, readers of The Sun, Mirror, Express and Star were told lie after lie about my clients. It brings into question how much more of their paper’s news coverage they can rely on…
“There was a pack-dog mentality here and my clients and their families were the prey. The children of Robert and Michaela, little girls, one not much older than Madeleine, were hounded and had to go in and out of their homes with coats over their heads.
“I’d like to invite the editors of the worst of these titles to have tea and cake with them and explain why they let their journalists and photographers harass them. They are now recovering but the effects are long-lasting.”
Tea with lawyers? Take care. Bring a tape recorder and a copy of the invitation. Leave wallet at home. But what about the story, the single-thread story? What about our Maddy?
“Journalistically this was a story without legs: child goes missing, no idea of her fate and foreign coppers not leaking to their trusted hacks in the time-honoured way. Reporters then developed lines of the story and ‘creatively’ adopted the rubbish coming out of the Portuguese tabloid press.”
Case closed. What what about Murat?
Max Clifford, no longer representing Murat, says:
“If you think that the McCanns got £500,000 from one newspaper group, he went after 11 newspapers – and they were far more vicious to him than they were to the McCanns.”
Maybe Murat wasn’t after the money, just closure? Maybe the papers got of lightly?
“If you want people to believe you are innocent you can forget about it. He and his family are going to have to live with this for the rest of their lives.”
So says a professional PR not in the least bit bitter about being dropped by Murat.
THE SUN: “Kate’s Maddie diaries leaked”
EXCERPTS from Kate McCann’s diary covering the first agonising weeks after daughter Maddie vanished have emerged.
Did you see them? In case you didn’t, here they are:
They show that the desperate mum left messages asking PM Gordon Brown to “increase political pressure” to aid the search. After he phoned 40-year-old Kate and husband Gerry, she noted that Mr Brown was “nice and supportive” — but that she “felt a bit emotional after”.
DAILY MIRROR: “Kate and Gerry McCann: Portuguese cops’ hunt for Maddie ‘pathetic’”
Portuguese police knocked on just 443 doors in the failed hunt for missing Madeleine McCann.
That a lot?
There are 7,000 homes in Praia da Luz…
No door unknocked…
In stark contrast, British police probing the disappearance of Shannon Matthews earlier this year knocked on 5,000 doors and searched 2,000 houses. Nine-year-old Shannon was found in 24 days, whereas Portuguese police have stopped looking for Madeleine after 14 months.
But the police door knocking wasn’t what found Shannon Matthews. The rozzers responded to a tip off from a neighbour of one Paul Donovan.
Also, Shannon Matthews’ mother, Karen Matthews, is under arrest for her alleged part in her daughters’ disappearance. Kate McCann is innocent. So what do the two matters have in common? Or is this Tabloid Bingo?
A friend of the McCanns said: “The 443 doors would barely cover 500 yards from the apartment where Madeleine was taken. That is shocking and unacceptable.”
Is it?
Posted: 28th, July 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, Tabloids Comments (325) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
July 29th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
jo Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 7:57 am
I must say I have not read it
WARNING
May contain high level of libel
http://www.theherald.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2411609.mostviewed.do_you_want_to
_________
You haven’t read it, Jo? May I make a helpful suggestion - you and all the others of your ilk should read it daily - morning, noon and night!
July 29th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
coco Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 6:34 am
VQ! VQ! VQ! I know what you mean! I got the willies when I read that! Straight out of a Hollywood movie!
I know which Dolly’s gonna use that line!
DuncanR ——- Gonna have to discuss that one with JO! The thing is - if the real thing are good enough for the Oprah show - and I can make the dolls life-like with soundy-likey voices - the US will love them!
They like my kinda humour over there. I think it’s just that Cheryl doesn’t like me because I’m not well!
___________
You character, of course I like you, Coco, I sit over here in fits of laughter reading what you write at times!
July 29th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
M and A said,
No, no one said they were, but if you are defending peoples finer feelings why not the antis as well? the word Mccannland was developed as a direct reply to Anorakland which was submitted by someone as an insult. Sauce for the goose? as well as the gander
Ok we shall start again, when we say stop we mean stop, not debate , stop. Especially over identities.
—————————————————————————————-
As I said, I didn’t know that it was wrong to try and guess who the new mod was. Had I been even given a hint earlier I wouldn’t have persued it. I didn’t see JJ’s remark until I had posted the second last comment.
I don’t have a problem with defending the feelings of so called antis. I don’t see them as monsters, just people whose views are different to mine and I respect that. In the real world, lets face it what makes an evening interesting is a good lively debate among friends. We don’t throw eggs at each other on the way home.
At any rate we have both said our piece and I resect your decision as moderator as I am sure you respect my right to defend myself.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Just saw this, Hope my response is not too late.
“M and A said
“Elena, challenges regarding who people are, not their views. When we intervene we expect the offender to stop
Incidentally Anoraklanders are frequently made to feel unwelcome, particularly when called windylickers.”
—————————————————————————————–
My challenge was to do with a definition.
Yes, I did ask a number of times if a certain person was the new mod, but in my defence I did not get a straight answer and I did not know I wasn’t supposed to ask.I do now and I am sorry for asking .However, at the time I asked the mod on duty if I was barking up the wrong tree and I asked the individual to tell me to mind my own beeswax on the mod issue if I was annoying her. To my mind if Iwas out of line, that was the time to say “Elena stop, this isn’t allowed.”
Yes my second last post came after M&A intervention, but that was only because I had not pushed the refresh button prior to posting my comment which was mainly to do with a definition and a defence against an unfair accusation by the other poster.I did not see the M&A comment.I would not have posted had I done so. . Again there was no disrespect intended and Iam sorry if that was the way it came across.
My last post was a defence . Again, since it addressed the mod on duty and not the poster in question I did not think it would be disallowed.
However what I really object to are the inferences that I attack or bully. I don’t. I may be tenacious in issues when I feel I am right but I also will be the first to hold up my hands and say okay you win, if another argument is more plausible. but I am not a bully, I don’t attack.I have never disparaged another poster’s stance or view with ad hominem remarks. I have never inferred that a poster was stupid,ignorant , awkward,neglectful suffering from bouts of hysteria and etc. because of their views. To my mind these are attacks and using them is bullying.
These are just my views.I am not a moderator and I understand that I do not have the last word . However I do like to clear the air. Please do not see this as a criticism in general. I am referring to specifics here and there is no disrespect intended.
Incidently the last two terms are not mine.
M and A
No, no one said they were, but if you are defending peoples finer feelings why not the antis as well? the word Mccannland was developed as a direct reply to Anorakland which was submitted by someone as an insult. Sauce for the goose? as well as the gander
Ok we shall start again, when we say stop we mean stop, not debate , stop. Especially over identities.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:16 am
NEW THREAD
That one one fishy,wasnt it?
July 29th, 2008 at 8:15 am
brandon
Jo on its way
******
One of these days,I”ll turn up at your front door ya will see! I”ll come with some fags for your 2 yrs old as well.Booze for Mm & Dad ,a supply of dry sardines and fresh stuffed prawns and obviously,a whole range of Coco”s dollies
Matt
I am impatient to have my patience tested.
***
Be patient
July 29th, 2008 at 8:13 am
new thread
July 29th, 2008 at 8:12 am
brandon flours Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Mucho gracias !!
Perfecto.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Turn up the bass
July 29th, 2008 at 8:11 am
jo Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I am impatient to have my patience tested.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:10 am
My 5 year old drinks a bottle of wine every night, dont judge me, binge drinking is common nowadays amongst the youth, why she sees her neighbours kids drinking outside and they are 15 and 17, we have all done it !
July 29th, 2008 at 8:09 am
I wonder if she knows anyone who leaves their 3, all under 4 y’s, children
alone night after night in a foreign holiday apartment, who leave the door
“unlocked”, allegedly, and proceed to a Tapas bar well over a hundred
yards away to make merry for hours.
Bet she does.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Here you go pops
July 29th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I often let my 2 year old light my cigarettes, dont judge me I know of an 8 year old altar server who lights candles!
July 29th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Matt. Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 8:03 am
jo Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Another medical connection
******
Old university lost friends
How is your patience today?Top level?
July 29th, 2008 at 8:05 am
brandon flours Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Morning, brandon.
Much too early for eating for me.
A nice cuppa would be enough.
Fuller breakfast by 9 am sharp.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Jo on its way
July 29th, 2008 at 8:04 am
‘I know parents who pride themselves on their devotion but who would send their youngest to the park in the charge of their 12-year-old. I know parents who have hired 14-year-old girls as babysitters. I know others who thought it was character-forming to let their eight-year-old get the bus home from school. I wouldn’t have done any of it, but I’m sure I did things those parents regarded as wrong.’
from jos post above
————————————————————-
What fucking part do these stupid people not get?
Its like comparing I let my 10 year old sleep with her boyfriend, dont blame me I know some parents who let their 16 year olds sleep with boys too !
I know of one mother who let her 14 year old have a slow dance and a snog!
Dont witch hunt me, we all make mistakes!
FFS
July 29th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Brandy! HI
Can I have a sardine on toast,please?
July 29th, 2008 at 8:03 am
jo Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Another medical connection.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:02 am
29/07/08
Kate McCann Tried Everything to Frame Murat
Kate’s notebooks - McCanns and friends against British-Portuguese
Kate McCann bet everything to blame Robert Murat for the disappearance of the daughter and with this objective in mind and the friends’ help, she was committed in gathering proofs and convincing the Judiciary Police of the involvement of the British-Portuguese.
)
(to be continued,says JO-ana
Ayeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
It smells like an other court case on the way!!! THIS is going to be very mooch fun,my friend!
Kate is a handful,isnt she? and very mooch in the spotlight all of a sudden
http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/
July 29th, 2008 at 8:00 am
morning daddy
Shall I cook your eggs and bacon and tea ? Or would you like tropicana and toast?
July 29th, 2008 at 7:57 am
I must say I have not read it
WARNING
May contain high level of libel
http://www.theherald.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2411609.mostviewed.do_you_want_to_see_every_parent_in_the_dock.php
July 29th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Holaaaaaa
I had the most real nightmare ever: attacked by red herrings
How is Sweet Duncan” today
July 29th, 2008 at 7:34 am
coco Says:
July 29th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Well…as the matter re better co-operation between EU partners was already
in progress from over a year before anything was known about the McCanns
or Madeleine, I, for one, found their attempt to make it their personal
bandwagon to be rather shallow and self-centred.
Even an Amber Alert system would not have been of any help re MM.
The spin they used to justify their self-interest “Every minute counts”,
was rather disingenuous, as they themselves delayed informing the Police.
July 29th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Hi Matt …….. I think that we knew this would happen didn’t we.
Still - it was a lovely long media-grabbing and high-profile way of diverting the attention away from all the sticky bits wasn’t it!?
I reckon it was anyway! But I am feeb;e-minded.
I think it’s because my Dad used to teach us conjury when we were children! lol.
I can never watch the obvious for wondering what’s really going on underneath! But then again - I’m a Scorpio!
Eternal detective leaving no stone unturned and no turn unstoned!
Because they have a become a class-act and a therefore a ‘turn’! lol
Legends in their own Twisted and Tweaked Tapas-Time-Line.
Where have I put that fucking cloth?!!!
July 29th, 2008 at 7:02 am
FFS Amaral is certainly rubbing up people the wrong way….. http://tinyurl.com/6m7flj
July 29th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Amber Alert for EU rejected.
“”The set up of an European Amber Alert System was rejected, yesterday, by
EU Justice Minister, during an informal meeting, in Cannes, France. “We shouldn’t send out a European alert when a child has been gone for just a few hours,” German Justice Minister told the Media. “The great majority of children return home after
two or three days.” However, the EU Justice Ministers agreed on the necessity of a closer cooperation between police forces and alert systems already used in EU countries.”"
http://gazetadigitalmadeleinecase.blogspot.com/2008/07/eu-ministers-reject-madeleine-alert.html
July 29th, 2008 at 6:57 am
So why is he not suing the fragrant one…….. http://tinyurl.com/6ovw2r
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Julie I know you are easily excited, but as I am a charitable person full of the milk of human kindness, I tolerate and sustain windylickers such as yourself, also distance learners like Chenny, having said that she should ask for her money back!!
July 29th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Alas! Methinks I have over-stepped the mark and am floundering all alone again.
July 29th, 2008 at 6:38 am
Cheryl! I am going for a lie-down now because I feel threatened and intimidated! Nay! I feel persecuted in a God-forsaken yet Saintly way!
I am begging you to use your influence with the FBI and CIA to get a Matt-Damon-typey-thingy bloke sent over asap.
I am going to take a bubble-bath and drink some wine in anticipation - of a big sleep!