Sympathy For The Devil

Following the alleged accusations the Express made against the McCann family, the national newspaper is being rumbled in its decision to take sides when it comes to the question of innocence. This investigation concludes a three-part study of the power of the media in affecting popular opinion.

Without hesitation the reporters’ job is to discuss anything that may be in the public interest. There is an apt-preconception that the media is simply a widespread game of Chinese whispers, especially when it comes to Tabloid newspapers. When I question readers of these publications on why they do, the response is usually in favour of entertainment rather than knowledge or awareness. Fair comment. The problem with this comes with the audience. It begins when the readers of The Sun or The Mirror blend fact and fiction. This usually stems from the amount of soaps and numerous law enforcement programs (such as Trial and Retribution, Rebus) they absorb; which forces the viewer to expect a plot twist and often suspect the parents or lovers in a story the revolves around a murder. So why did we not see a plot twist when it came to Madeleine McCann’s disappearance? If we were watching Midsummer Murders we would have guessed that three episodes ago.

What comes most surprising is what has appeared in the wake of this. Knowing full well that the public crave sensationalism, the McCann’s were splashed as easy cash-in headlines when they were announced as suspects last September. Now, it seems, the Daily Express has been forced to apologise after printing over one hundred articles about the case and several which highlights that the McCanns have something to hide. This is no prime-time whodunit; it’s a serious matter and surely the Express aren’t to be blamed for fulfilling their obligation in serving the public interest. Remembering the tired slogan, “the public wants what the public gets”; isn’t it a question of how far we as the media are willing to go to satisfy this thirst? The one truly interesting fact comes from the source of all three media bating articles. It is easy to name names than it is to answer the questions yourself. (This is why I’m leaving out the title of the publication, because I’m not in the habit of finishing what I started.) Trust me, it’s time to encourage real journalism rather than pointing the finger, which has successfully become common practice in the newsroom. Time to do some real work from now on.