Lamenting the demise of real journalism

I just joined a group on Facebook, which is called “Enough with the Madeleine McCann Groups!” I feel I need to justify having joined this group, so here goes. Forgive the length!

The McCann parents may have been negligent leaving their three kids unattended but their subsequent suffering is out of proportion to their bad judgement, so let’s leave them alone. It’s right that they should be investigated as suspects though; simply being articulate and apparently nice people doesn’t mean the normal rules of police investigations should be suspended. Some of the more stupid media in the UK seem to be morally outraged that these “lovely people” are themselves being investigated. Bullshit, the facts are that children who are murdered are normally murdered by their closest relatives.

It seems to me that the McCanns are about the most level headed people in this whole affair and they deserve great credit for that. They’ve spoken against the press hounding of Robert Murat. The way the media (Sky in particular) subjected him to slur and trial by media is a pure disgrace. He’s probably a weirdo, but he’s entitled to be presumed innocent like the rest of us. Reporters who fill endless air time with irresponsible guff like “the police don’t yet have enough evidence to arrest Mr Murat” need to reflect on the fact that having no evidence tends to suggest innocence. His life is ruined.

My beef is how the media have turned one family’s suffering into a sick soap opera. For sure, this is a parent’s nightmare but how many other parents have experienced similar nightmares in the last 100 days? (Clue: a lot). They’ve had no publicity. The hysteria we’re seeing is probably worse than when Princess Diana died. It’s as if you don’t have a poster saying “Find Maddy” in your window, you’re almost presumed to be a latent a child killer. It’s the rule of the mob over reason and it’s just wrong.

This is a huge tragedy for the family, but reality is that it doesn’t affect the rest of us. News media ought to be more responsible and not air stories that sell disproportionate, exaggerated fear. Fear gets viewers and sells newspapers but all stories aren’t news. Even the BBC gave into this sort of pressure, which shows how much the BBC’s standards have been dumbed down.

I understand there’s zero forensic evidence of any forced entry to the flat. Isn’t it just more likely that she woke up (perhaps from a nightmare, as kids do) and let herself out onto the street? Sure, she was then abducted from the road, but it’s a “better” story to sell the fear that somebody’s going to break into your home and take your kids. After sufficient repetition, this has become a virtual truth, even in the absence of any evidence to support that theory. Folks, it’s a theory, not the truth.

This is the sort of pitifully poor “news” coverage that pollutes the airwaves of the USA. We in Britain used to have higher standards. I joined the Facebook group solely because I want those standards back. If you think that makes me a sicko, I’m afraid you need to grow up. I would be truly delighted if she is found unharmed, but I resolutely will not be putting a poster up in my window. It’s time that the McCanns tried to move on, no matter how hard it might be for them. The rest of us should have done that 99 days ago.