Madeleine McCann: The News Of The World’s Sorry Apology For Tabloid Reporting
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann
HAVING read “the heartbreaking TRUTH that destroys the lies of Portuguese police”, the oh-so-caring News of The World tells its readers:
“We today offer Kate our immediate and sincere apologies.”
No need, surely..?
The News of the World only published extracts from Kate McCann’s private diary because it cares. It wants to help. It has investigated the case of her daughter’s vanishing and found that the Portuguese police are bungling and to blame.
Yeah, those sicko coppers like Goncalo Amaral who seek to profit from the McCanns agony by publishing books. Not sure how much Amaral’s book costs, but the NOTW is under a pound.
Says the paper:
“We published the extracts in the belief held in good faith that we had Kate’s permission to do so.”
Did the caring NOTW ask Kate McCann to publish extracts from her diary, or just think she would agree to it?
The extracts also appeared in The Sun, the NOTW’s sister paper. How did the paper come by them? A police leak? How the papers hate those:
THE SUN: “McCann cops deny ‘smears’”
The Sun: “Leaks, smears … now plane lies”
How the caring tabloids hate those leaks from the Portuguese police:
Madeleine McCann: Liz Hunt Wonders, The Leaked File And The End
As the NOTW explains:
“It is now clear that our belief was misplaced, and that, in fact, Kate neither approved of nor knew the extracts were to be published.”
“Belief”. Yeah, not fact, just an educated hunch…
That apology in full:
Last week we published extracts from Kate McCann’s diaries and explained in the article that we were doing so to “nail the lies” about Kate created by selective leaking from the diaries by Portuguese police.
No, not to make easy headlines, to keep the story alive and sell more newspapers (surely to keep Our Maddie in the public eye? - Ed).
We published the extracts in the belief held in good faith that we had Kate’s permission to do so. It is now clear that our belief was misplaced, and that in fact Kate neither approved of nor knew that the extracts were to be published.
Misplaced. Not wrong…
Upon learning of our error we immediately removed the extracts from our website and we today offer Kate our immediate and sincere apologies. We have agreed to make a donation to be used in the search for Madeleine. The News of the World remains wholly supportive of the McCanns and their continuing campaign to find their daughter.
Make a donation, or be sued, perhaps…
Posted: 22nd, September 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids Comments (353) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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September 22nd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
This weekend’s Saturday Night Live featured an extended skit, intended to demonstrate how out of touch the NY Times is with the country beyond the NYC-DC corridor, and insinuating an incestuous relationship between Sarah Palin’s husband and daughter. It reminded me very much of this thread.
“In the sketch, New York Times reporters are sitting around an assignment meeting discussing what about Palin to investigate next. One reporter asks: ‘What about the husband? You know he’s doing those daughters. I mean, come on. It’s Alaska.’
Guest host James Franco, who played the assignment editor, sets up the joke of proving a negative, saying, ‘He very well could be. Admittedly, there is no evidence of that, but on the other hand, there is no convincing evidence to the contrary. And these are just some of the lingering questions about Governor Palin.’
After three of the reporters agree to go to Alaska, one sues for sexual discrimination after being called ’sweetie’ by a school board member, one is killed by a polar bear and a final reporter wins a Pulitzer for ‘unproven, yet un-disproven incest in the Palin family’ and then is killed by a polar bear driving a ’snow machine.’
The final shot in the rambling joke is an image of a New York Times page, featuring headlines: ‘While No Direct Evidence of Incest in Palin Family Emerges, Counter Evidence Remains Agonizingly Elusive’ and ‘In a Small Alaska Town, Doubts Still Linger.’” (from Fox News on-line)
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Hi Sam …. sam Says:
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:14 pm
‘it does coco, but it’s not something easily missed either, there are distinct features none of which madeleine had, she looks perfectly normal on pictures.’
………………………………………………………..
I have not seen a pic of M looking normal or natural yet unfortunately.
The photos I have seen seem contrived - which I know happens wirh some children some of the time! - I have a Nephew who is a pain in the arse when asked if he will have his photo taken!
M seems to be trying to please the taker of photos in all the pics that I have seen yet. Even the ones where Granny Healy is holding her up to blow out the candles on the cake.
I don’t like the crimped-hair pics or the dressy-up ones and the ones where she is eating something are distateful to me.
Given that M allegedly loved pinky and fairy-like things - I am quite perturbed by her dishevelled and unkempt tom-boy appearance in some of the pics.
I was a bit of a tom-boy when very young but my parents always made sure my face was scrubbed and rosy and that my hair shone like it had been polished with the mahogany cloth! I don’t see this in M’s appearance.
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:19 pm
val, would be interesting if they do. one thing that’s always bothered me is how the mccanns tried to make out the portugese police were bumbling and worse and always neglecting to mention that there was a lot of british police input too.
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:16 pm
gf, they could’ve paid for purchases with cash.
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:14 pm
it does coco, but it’s not something easily missed either, there are distinct features none of which madeleine had, she looks perfectly normal on pictures.
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:12 pm
gf, i don’t know about the pj’s, if they were amelies or madeleines, my point is basically they would have both been able to wear some items. to suggest madleines legs are or were about six inches longer than amelies is to my mind a bit far fetched as are the words ‘greatly oversized’ , i doubt there was more than two clothes size differences between the two, look on the last known photo of the two by the poolside, there’s not much size difference between the girls, while amelie is sitting a bit more forward their shoulders are almost at the same height. i think that last photo shows perfectly well that a top from amelie could’ve fitted madeleine.
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Grand Finale says: ‘especially if they were purchased a year before, surely there would be a purchase record ?
………………………………………………………….
The only trouble is - that if they didn’t pay for them in cash - we will never know - coz the UK judges did not think it was right and proper to divulge such information as credit card details to the PJ!!!
How unco-operative has the UK been throughout this travesty?
Whereas the average drug-dealer, sex-shop owner etc. has all their history laid out for the police within a few days!
So drugs and sex would appear to be far more heinous than abductions, disappearances, possible manslaughters and homicides etc!
What a fabulous and wonderful place the Uk has turned out to be!
I am fucking emigrating!
The PJ must be absolutely hopping mad!
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:01 pm
It’s a medical thing - it’s rare - like the mark in M’s eye - but it happens.
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:00 pm
sam Says:
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
bf, i think madeleine had to go missing with her pj’s on. if she was abducted then she would have wearing them, if not it makes sense to make it look like she she had been abducted, which means pj’s too.
but look on the maccnfiles site under latest news, you can see a red tshirt which belongs to sean and it looks about the same size as the pj top kate and gerry are holding up. also you will notice that sean and amelie aren’t that small/short, seans head comes up to his dads hips.
******************
GM is a step in front of Seann on a downward slope in that photo, I used specific points ie an example is the distance between the pupils or between the tips of the ears used as a ratio between different photos, the photo’s were then resized to match the correct distance. The Pyjama bottoms lie half way down Maddies calf measured from the waist in this way, whereas they are exactly where the heal meets the floor on Amie’.
Anyway if they were Amies’ greatly oversized PJ’s then the close friends and family will know, however if they had not seen Amie’ in these PJ’s before 3rd May then don’t you think they should maybe have been asking the question ? especially if they were purchased a year before, surely there would be a purchase record ?
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:52 pm
coco, why would she have turners syndrome ?
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Grand Finale says: ‘A lot of spin has gone on since May 2007 trying to give the impression Maddie was the same height as Amie’ IMO’
……………………………………………….
Hi Guys! Just a quickie to remind us that M may have had Turner’s - which meand she was under-sized for her age.
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
bf, i think madeleine had to go missing with her pj’s on. if she was abducted then she would have wearing them, if not it makes sense to make it look like she she had been abducted, which means pj’s too.
but look on the maccnfiles site under latest news, you can see a red tshirt which belongs to sean and it looks about the same size as the pj top kate and gerry are holding up. also you will notice that sean and amelie aren’t that small/short, seans head comes up to his dads hips.
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:16 pm
GF
When the McCanns went to the High Court to get the Files released it backfired big
time.
1. It has been proved beyond doubt the PJ chased up every supposed sighting.
2. I think it was the last straw for the PJ the McCanns claiming they had not done much
so the PJ decided to shelve the case and make the files public which team McCann
didn”t bargain for.
As regards these Agencies employed, not one has experience in finding missing
children which makes you wonder at the intelligence of all these rich benefactors
who are supposed to be astute businessmen. It all stinks and I wrote to Stuart Prior
suggesting the Fraud Squad should get involved on behalf of the people who
donated. Needless to say, I have not received a reply, even after me sending a
reminder!!!
I”m encouraged that they are considering placing the U.K. Police Files in the public
domain under the Freedom of Information Act after 3 organisations had made the
request………I presume the Press.
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:03 pm
gf, i also add in a bit of personal experience with the clothes sizes, my two girls are 20 months apart, the twins are 21 months younger than madeleine and madeleine was small for her age. i could at one time swop clothes between my girls.
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:48 pm
sam Says:
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:23 pm
gf, i distinctly remember reading they were amelies pj’s and i don’t think there was much size difference between amelie and madeleine, maybe one or two dress sizes is all. so you could buy clothes a bit large for amelie and they would fit madeleine.
********************
I distinctly remember reading a lot that proved to be cobblers! Do the other clothes they have brought look 2 sizes too big ? so why should the twins PJ’s ?
Would you put those PJ’s on a six month old ? because they were probably purchased the previous year ?
I can’t help but wonder if these were Maddies PJ’s the one’s KM gave Amie’ to wear, the pair Uncle John was telling us about ?
A lot of spin has gone on since May 2007 trying to give the impression Maddie was the same height as Amie’ IMO
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Grand Finale
How do you think the NOTW got hold of the comments in Kate”s Diary? When the
case was shelved Kate would have been given her Diary back, so who “leaked” the
contents? Why the McCanns or CM of course to keep the case alive…….. I just hope
they havn”t got the gall to make another appeal for donations from the public, although
I suspect the public are fed up with the whole thing by now.
****************
I think some very close supporters have seen the light at the end of the day, big fanfare about the USA’s best private detectives being taken on and then dismissed within a month of this announcement ! Oh and the files being made public!
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:28 pm
gf, i don’t know what the pink mark is. perhaps amelie had a scraped knee too. we don’t know as there are no photos around showing much bare legs or knees of the girls except the one of madeleine in the tennis courts, but still that’s side on and you can’t see her left leg.
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:23 pm
gf, i distinctly remember reading they were amelies pj’s and i don’t think there was much size difference between amelie and madeleine, maybe one or two dress sizes is all. so you could buy clothes a bit large for amelie and they would fit madeleine.
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Grand Finale
How do you think the NOTW got hold of the comments in Kate”s Diary? When the
case was shelved Kate would have been given her Diary back, so who “leaked” the
contents? Why the McCanns or CM of course to keep the case alive…….. I just hope
they havn”t got the gall to make another appeal for donations from the public, although
I suspect the public are fed up with the whole thing by now.
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:05 pm
sam Says:
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:47 pm
gf, i think the pj’s were a pair of amelies, they apparently had the same.
***************************
Sam Please see my post from 5.13 ie IMO they would have buried her, perfect size for a 4 year old though!
Please note the reddish stain on the left knee, graze from a slip on airplane steps maybe ?
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:03 pm
and on sunday the fith the dogs began the search of the apartments and car. the bringing in of the dogs was recommended by a british police officer and specialist (i’ve forgotten his name) who had been called in the assess the situation after all leads had ground to a halt. he was there for a week and then wrote a report where he conluded that madeleine was most likely dead and buried somewhere in or around pdl and his recommendation was to bring in the dogs eddie and keela to search for evidence and locate madeleines body.
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:58 pm
BF
I was always under the impression that the NOTW was generously offering the £1,500,000 reward for Madeleine”s safe return. However, if you scroll down the
apology article there”s a Related Links section and under donations this is the list:-
£
NOTW 250,000
Chmn West Ham 10,000
Ann Summers 100,000
Simon Cowell 50,000
JKRowling ? (not specified at her request, but substantial!)
Philip Green 250,000
Wayne Rooney 25,000
Eng.Crkt Team 20,000
Sir Tom Hunter 100,000 (who”s he?)
Sir Stelios ?
Matalan Chief ?
————-
I presume the ? donations made up to the £2500,000 but think it a bit much the NOTW making out they were offering the full amount.
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:55 pm
re the searching of the second villa, that took place on the 2nd of august, that day had been planned the trip to huelva but unfortunately gerry got taken ill, as he wrote in his blog, and the trip was cancelled. jon corner had arrived the day before for a filming session. on the evening of the 2nd the pj turned up and made a grand search of the place, taking even laundry from the washing machine according to jon corner. they then made the filming trip to huelva on the third, which wouldve marked the 3 rd month of madeleines disapereance too. jon corner returns to the uk the next day, probably as planned.
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:47 pm
gf, i think the pj’s were a pair of amelies, they apparently had the same.
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:45 pm
brandon flours Says:
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:31 pm
I see what you mean
******************
So when the PJ entered the second villa and took away all the clothes they could find.
Those pyjamas are supposed to belong to Amelie and therefore they should be there,
Eddie and Keela should have been presented with them then, but I haven’t seen them on the videos ?
Wonder why not ? Wonder if they were there ? they should have been.
Couple this with Amelie saying “Maddies Jammies” and the freind saying the unwashed pyjamas had been in the Renault ?
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
val Says:
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
BF
Paulo Sargento, the CP says “even the most sceptic have been confronted with such an amount of srange things in this case it is hard not to believe, a little bit, in a
conspiracy theory of some kind”
*******************
Not to mention a number of sound laws appearing to be simply swept aside !
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:31 pm
GF
I see what you mean
Val
Hes not wrong
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
BF
Paulo Sargento, the CP says “even the most sceptic have been confronted with such an amount of srange things in this case it is hard not to believe, a little bit, in a
conspiracy theory of some kind”
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:13 pm
brandon flours Says:
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
some are 3 quarter length like the victorian bathing suits.
but we know its bollox
**********************
I did me some accurate measuring last week, those pyjama bottoms they said belonged to Amelie would touch the floor BUT on Maddie they would be halfway between the knee and ankle…………..just as you describe.
I wonder if they were actually the pair Maddie was supposed to be wearing ?
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/06_01/crimewatch1PA_468×636.jpg
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I made a mistake in my translation. About in the middle, the line under “following with the investigation…”
read “the Polish couple”, and “not the Polish couples” (with an s) as I wrote. There is only one Polish couple.
The news about Duarte Levy are really interesting, thanks Brandon!, and the link to 24 Horas, if what they say is true, thanks Lurker! Maybe I am too pessimistic, it isn’t over ater all.
M&A
Artemis
I have edited it for you, Marie Nicholas.
Thank you for taking the trouble to translate it for us.