Madeleine McCann: What Shannon Matthews Is Worth, Asda And PR
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann and Shannon Matthews
THE SUN: “£20k reward in Shannon hunt”
THE Sun yesterday offered a £20,000 reward to find missing “little princess” Shannon Matthews.
Good on the paper. But does a reward help? Has it helped Madeleine Mccann? And why £20,000 when Madeleine McCann garnered so much more? Is a reward index linked to the missing child’s age? Or is it because Shannon’s parents are not middle-class - not doctors - and smaller amounts mean more to them?
We also printed posters urging our vast army of readers to help in the hunt for the nine-year-old schoolgirl. And last night her anguished mum Karen, 32, said: “I’m so grateful for all you are doing. It’s a fantastic gesture and means so much to us. We just hope it brings her back.”
Then, hugging Shannon’s stepdad Craig Meehan, 22, she added: “Our message to people is never give up . . . because we won’t until we find her.”
THE TIMES: “Poor little Shannon Matthews. Too poor for us to care that she is lost?”
“Her family may seem feckless. Neighbours can’t afford to run a PR campaign. How the public spotlight faded on missing girl.”
Shannon..?
Sarah Payne, smiling in her school uniform; Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, in their Manchester United shirts; Madeleine McCann, staring inquisitively with her distinctive bleeding iris . . .The names and faces of these girls who have disappeared are etched into the public’s collective memory.
Camera crews camped out in their home towns for weeks or months. Donations totalled thousands — even millions — of pounds. Members of the public, many of them strangers, came in their hundreds to offer help and prayers for their safe return.
Yet the trauma and mystery surrounding the disappearance of one nine-year-old girl almost two weeks ago appeared to drift from public consciousness within days…
She’s not Madeleine McCann. No doctors. No logo. No Maddy Catty. No watching the parents. The media treatment is no fault of the McCanns. But are we bored of missing children stories. Have the press caught Maddy fatigue?
Contrast the media-savvy McCann campaign with the brave efforts of Petra Jamieson, 30, a friend of Shannon’s mother, who managed to persuade her local branch of Asda to donate 24 white T-shirts on which the girl’s photograph had been printed.
What happened to Shannon Matthews? Who can we blame? The parents?
A deprived background, a dysfunctional family and a down-on-its-luck Yorkshire mill town: none of this is Shannon Matthews’s fault, yet it seems that she is paying the price.
No holiday scene. No excuse for hacks to go to hotter climes. Yorkshire in winter. Grey. Grim.
GLASGOW DAILY RECORD: “Mother’s Day Wish”
THE distraught mum of missing schoolgirl Shannon Matthews last night cried: “All I want for Mother’s Day is my princess back.”
DAILY MIRROR: “ALL I WANT FOR MOTHER’S DAY IS MY PRINCESS BACK”
Shannon Matthews’ desperate mother last night movingly declared: “All I want for Mother’s Day is my princess back.”As police continued searching thousands of homes for the missing nine-year-old schoolgirl, mum Karen, 32, said: “It is a special family day and we would all spend it together.
“Shannon would usually buy me a present or make me something at school.”
Stepfather Craig Meehan, 22, added: “It is going to be a heartbreaking Mother’s Day.”
LIVERPOOL ECHO: “Where’s media cry for poor Shannon?”
HOW disturbing that 10 days after Shannon Matthews disappeared, we still know so little about her. Her favourite band? The school she attends? The name of her best friend? All details that should be on our lips but aren’t.
But we do know her favourite song.
Somehow the vanishing of this little girl with her pony tail and fringe has failed to capture the media’s imagination; a story regularly consigned to the inside pages.
Why? Why do some cases attract saturation coverage and others don’t? I suspect it’s down to image, which stands for everything, and the skill now needed to work the notoriously fickle media.
Madeleine McCann’s parents have been criticised for employing a professional PR and for playing the media game, providing photo opportunities and press calls. But it’s paid dividends. The world now knows their daughter’s name and what she looks like.
Shannon’s mum can be no less distraught than Kate, but whether she has the support or the finance to get a media campaign on the road is doubtful.
But at the end of the day there is a little girl out alone in a harsh, cold world. And we should all be working together to get her home.
What part does the media play in finding a missing child? Don’t we have the police to search for Shannon and crack the case?
THE OBSERVER (Blog): “Speaker gets new spin doctor”
A Whitehall spin doctor who was a spokeswoman for Madeleine McCann’s parents has been hired to help the Commons Speaker, Michael Martin, deal with the media, it was announced today.
Not Campbell?
Sheree Dodd is an experienced communications expert who worked for John Prescott at the time it was revealed he was having an affair with his diary secretary.
Just another job…
Madeleine McCann- The PR Storm
March 1st, 2008 at 7:28 am
I’m foist???
March 1st, 2008 at 7:28 am
Secoind
March 1st, 2008 at 7:30 am
Tony Bennett, may I kindly ask you to remove yourself from first position …. YOU PUSHED, it’s not fair, and I want my place back
(good to see you)!
March 1st, 2008 at 7:31 am
Aaaaaah thank you kindly dear Mr Anorak, I am now indeedy in foist poisition
Mr Bennett has once again left the building.-agw
March 1st, 2008 at 7:32 am
3rd is the new 1st
March 1st, 2008 at 7:33 am
I mean 5th is the new 1st
March 1st, 2008 at 7:33 am
Oh Bugger it!
March 1st, 2008 at 7:34 am
March 1st, 2008 at 7:35 am
It is not possible to take out insurance on the life of a young child for very good reason. Too much of a temptation to some parents.
Should there not be a similar ban on ‘fund raising’ or ‘reward’ offering - for the same good reason?
March 1st, 2008 at 7:36 am
#
4
Julie Says:
March 1st, 2008 at 7:31 am
Aaaaaah thank you kindly dear Mr Anorak, I am now indeedy in foist poisition
Mr Bennett has once again left the building.-agw
)
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Ooooh I see, ok so long for now then TB! (Hope you closed the door behind you
March 1st, 2008 at 7:36 am
Did he get caught in the revolving door again?
March 1st, 2008 at 7:37 am
Ok, enough gloating from moi for one morning (I’m supposed to be cleaning house BTW).
Regarding rewards being offered for the safe return of missing child. I have to say, I am totally AGAINST this practice …. it can lead to extremely dangerous situations!
March 1st, 2008 at 7:43 am
Long time lurker, first time poster - hi
12
I agree, is it unreasonable to think that offering rewards and fund raising could actually encourage child abduction?
March 1st, 2008 at 7:45 am
Aha! The Dawn is arisen!
Welcome Dawn - it’s not that bad once you stick a toe in the water!
March 1st, 2008 at 7:46 am
Hello there long time lurker, first time poster
Your thoughts are spot on IMO!
March 1st, 2008 at 7:48 am
The end is nigh, the sins of the world shall be visited upon the McCanns, QPR and Sunday drivers, but not necessarily in that order.
March 1st, 2008 at 7:50 am
Aha good morning Gandy! Please speak in tongues I can understand today
March 1st, 2008 at 7:55 am
Thanks for the welcome, I just know I’m going to get hooked now - lol
A couple of theories and observations I would like to share with you.
The first time I became suspicious of Gerry was during their trip to the shrine at Fatima (I’ve been trying to find a video) - a local woman holding a child presented the baby to Kate, who gave her a kiss, as the local woman turned away Gerry spun her back round - in front - of the camera to kiss the child. It struck me as *such* an odd thing to do, and not a normal reaction from a grieving father at all - it was all done for the benefit of the cameras.
Theory 1 concerns Gerry’s blog entry regarding the personal best time of 19 minutes to the top of the cliffs. I was giving this some though the other night, could it not be a veiled defence? i.e. ‘we couldn’t have dropped a childs body into the ocean as it would have taken 38 minutes at a run to do it, and our friends say we were in the bar’
Am I right in thinking that Eddie followed a scent trail to the beach?
Observation - how long have the police been suspicious of the care home in Jersey, and has this been careful timing regarding the use of the dogs to change public perception of the McCann case.
March 1st, 2008 at 7:57 am
18
Dawn Says:
March 1st, 2008 at 7:55 am
Thanks for the welcome, I just know I’m going to get hooked now - lol
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Be prepared for a total life-style change! Your home will never be cleaned, your kids will survive off packets of chips and your PC will never be switched off, apart from the fact that you will have to learn to survive on very little sleep
March 1st, 2008 at 7:58 am
Good morning……
………………….
Ginger-Nuts still hogging the headlines i see.
Shannon gets a mention but no ‘live’ reporters from her hometown.
Julie - i agree with you re rewards etc…..
I think it’s out of order however and could awaken some devious thoughts in the heads of evil-minded parents..
ie, ”arrange” to have your child “abducted” or go “missing” - send the
child to an auntie at the other end of the country - or abroad, set up a fund/reward, rake in millions, sell t-shirts posters ribbons campaigns etc.
Child returns safe and sound, JMO.
I don’t know about Shannon poor child. I hope she is safe. Did i read somewhere that her schoolbag was found?
March 1st, 2008 at 8:02 am
Hi there irish girl
Latest I can find on Shannon (no mention of school bag though) :
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/SEARCH-FOR-SHANNON-Specialist-dogs.3832444.jp
I must say these specialist dogs are making quite an impact lately! Not good for Mc PR though!
March 1st, 2008 at 8:07 am
Julie, I must add VJ26 turbocharger to the list, £560 for a bolt on, what a rip off.
Not a lot happening, had a look about on 3A, lots of posh types and I think the whole board was designed by Stevie Wonder, that apart not a lot happening.
See reporter has been putting the cat among the pigeons again, and I am totally losing the plot about who is who, who said what, did Murat have it away with KM, what colour is a number plate and is the world flat.
I switch off, when the board starts discussing taxman is coming, company formations and government nuclear conspiracies, how about sticking to Madeleine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lni71T91dU
March 1st, 2008 at 8:08 am
agw - why did Tony Bennett leave?
agw has just popped out for his morning coffee, you might have to wait for an answer!
Administrator:It has been a long wait, an entire professional communicator’s life, to say this: No Comment. -agw
March 1st, 2008 at 8:13 am
Gandy, ultra-brilliant video
Sounds like you’re having some fun lately !
Well, if there’s posh types on 3A, I won’t mosey on over there, as I’ll be turfed out on my butt for just opening my mouth there
March 1st, 2008 at 8:20 am
Julie,
There are not posh types on 3A’s - it is incredibly informative.
I don’t feel I belong there as I am more a lurker but there are some very worthwhile threads there.
March 1st, 2008 at 8:22 am
19 Julie
Good morning Julie et al
This is the first time I”ve posted this early!!!!!!!
You live in S.A. if I remember correctly and wouldn”t have seen a T.V. programme this week about two 10 yr old girls literally abducted in 1999 on their
way to School. The Guy was a known pedophile and kept them in his flat for
three days, but miraculously they lived to tell the tale because the Police knocked
on his door with regard to another complaint against him.
We talk about kids growing up too soon today,but what kind of World are we
creating for them?
Poor little Shannon probably did”nt have much of a life, for her Mother to bring
into the World 7 children from 5 different Fathers, is completely irresponsible.
The longer Shannon is missing the more unlikely her safe return, but her
disappearance does highlight the difference between the reaction to her and
Madeleine and the old maxim, “It”s not what you know, it”s who you know”.
March 1st, 2008 at 8:26 am
23 Hannasus
Iv”e e-mailed you quite a lot of jokes and videos but they keep being returned
by the Mail Administrator…………..using up your GB allowance again
Hope you and your family are well.
March 1st, 2008 at 8:30 am
Hi there Val,
Yes you do remember correctly!
No I didn’t see the TV programme but I did google these two girls when you lot were talking about them earlier in the week. They are two very fortunate young ladies to have been found in this manner, and so quickly. Chances are the sicko that had them would not have kept them alive for much longer. I think that the odds on an abducted child being found by pure luck are pretty phenomenal. I’m afraid my hope that Shannon will be found alive is fading pretty fast, she’s been gone for too long now. I’m praying I’m going to be proved wrong!
March 1st, 2008 at 8:30 am
well folks the scunthorpe pony express has missed out on this one, it appears
poor old REPORTER.
the dailly telegraph (that reckless rag) is reporting the re-interview story…
Madeleine McCann parents face new interview
By Tom Chivers
Last Updated: 2:18am GMT 01/03/2008
Portuguese police investigating the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann are planning to fly to Britain once more to interview her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, and their friends…
A spokesman for the McCanns said: “They’ve nothing to hide.”
The Home Office said: “We have received a legal assistance request from the Portuguese.”
http://tinyurl.com/3ex697
ahem - is it possible that anorak missed this as well?
i can’t see this one above
March 1st, 2008 at 8:34 am
Julie, my old Dad always said, “this aint no rehearsal son” and that is the way I like to live, Rockandroll your way to the final party.
A busted leg is curtailing the rockin bit at the moment, but not the rollin.
Lets hope some official statement is made very soon, as to what is happening with Madeleines case, and if there isn’t I really will start to wonder why.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHEiZy53r6k&feature=related