Recording Misleading Media Stories

[Jayelles]

This case has been rife with misleading media headlines followed by puff pieces which don't back up the headlines.

Here is a shameful (and anonymous) example from today's Daily Mail:-

Headline - "British police: Madeleine WAS killed in holiday apartment"

The article then goes on to waffle about how British sniffer dogs were brought in and how they alerted in the apartment etc, etc (stuff which has already been reported ad nauseam).

Then comes the bit which attempts to substantiate the headline (my highlighting):-

It is now thought that officers in Leicestershire have also come round to believing the same theory.

The article then goes on to describe the source of this information as being a "source close to the Portuguese police" and how ""If it wasn't for the involvement of the British police, the McCanns probably would not have been made suspects. "

At no point in the article was there any quote or statement from the British police to say that they are working on the belief that Maddie died in the apartment!

Shame on the Daily Mail!


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...e_id=1770&ct=5

ETA - it seems that the source for this Daily Mail story is a newspaper called the "Correio da Manha"

http://forums.mirror.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=19533

Needless to say, the anti-McCann posters at this bottom of the market tabloid newspaper forum have taken this as gospel truth. Not one person seems to have read that the source for the article is one "close to the Portuguese police".

[Jayelles]

Well it didn't take long for this one to be denied!

Portuguese police were at the centre of a new dirty tricks row today following reports claiming British detectives believed Madeleine McCann DID die in her holiday apartment.

The report suggested officers in Leicestershire were now convinced the four-year-old would not be found alive.

According to the London Evening Standard, British detectives had now come to share the view of the Portuguese police after sniffer dogs detected 'the scent of death' in the Algarve holiday apartment from which she vanished on May 3.


It quoted a legal source close to the Portuguese police saying that evidence gathered by officers in Britain led to Gerry and Kate McCann being named as suspects.


But lawyers acting for the McCanns today issued a strong denial, insisting British detectives had not made such a claim.

Leicestershire police also issued a statement stating that, since Madeleine's disappearance, British police had offered 'advice and support to the Portuguese investigation."

It added: "A wide range of specialist capabilities have been available for them to use as and when requested. Leicestershire Constabulary have been careful not to offer an opinion as to what has happened to Madeleine as it is not party to all the evidence as it is not our investigation."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...e_id=1770&ct=5

Alas, the original headline (as opposed to the small print within the story) has already circulated the forums.

[andU]

Originally Posted by Jayelles

Well it didn't take long for this one to be denied!



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...e_id=1770&ct=5

Alas, the original headline (as opposed to the small print within the story) has already circulated the forums.

I didn't believe it.

[Jayelles]

Originally Posted by andU

I didn't believe it.

Note that the original story was completely pulled and replaced by the later story. The link in my original post goes to the new story.

Dirty tricks indeed.

[Jayelles]

Yesterday's news stories were so conflicting ("Dna puts McCanns in the clear" versus "Fresh DNA links to parents") that the Sun is hedging its bets today:-

Scientists reportedly discover new DNA evidence possibly linking McCanns

Just about sums it up eh? I think this headline symbolises the investigation beautifully.

[Pelicanette]

Abyssmally poor police work followed by sensational and inaccurate reporting...I feel so sorry for the McCanns. How can they have faith in a police force that clearly has no direction, no integrity and no common sense, much less police skills. As for the cruelty of the media and some posters on sites such as the Mirror discussion board, I hope the McCanns sue, sue, sue when this is all over.

[Jayelles]

Originally Posted by Pelicanette

Abyssmally poor police work followed by sensational and inaccurate reporting...I feel so sorry for the McCanns. How can they have faith in a police force that clearly has no direction, no integrity and no common sense, much less police skills. As for the cruelty of the media and some posters on sites such as the Mirror discussion board, I hope the McCanns sue, sue, sue when this is all over.

That forum is pretty bad isn't it? I registered an account there, but some of the threads are so ridiculous that I can't even bring myself to dignify them with a contribution! In fact - I can't even get annoyed at them because they are so ridiculous. I guess I have this idea that anyone reading them will also think they are completely ridiculous and that therefore, they probably won't do too much harm - other than to the posters themselves.

It's been interesting following some of the mentality though. Someone made a post today saying that she works at Gerry McCann's hospital and then made a few negative comments... no-one questioned this. Her negative comments were welcomed and I guess anything negative she said would have been welcomed and accepted as gospel truth.



I'd love for a psychologist to comment on some of the behaviour on forums. It would be fascinating.

[Jayelles]

McCanns Hit Out At 'Hurtful' Allegations
Updated: 18:08, Wednesday October 10, 2007

The parents of Madeleine McCann may take legal action against media outlets that claim the couple sedated their daughter on the night she disappeared.

The warning follows new allegations that have surfaced in the Portuguese press.

.....SNIP.....

Spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Contrary to renewed speculation in the Portuguese press, Gerry and Kate McCann wish to make it categorically clear that they have never, ever used sedatives on their children.

About time too! Things have gone beyond a joke.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...287885,00.html

I asked a lawyer friend today whether the McCanns couldn't seek intervention from the European courts about the way the Portuguese police are behaving and she said no - that the European court doesn't interfere with judicial process - only outcomes.

[Jayelles]

Martin Brunt fronted a SkyNews documentary about the McCann case on Christmas Eve. On the programme, he claimed that Portuguese police are hunting for a blue tennis bag allegedly used by Gerry McCann hours before Madeleine went missing. It stated that the bag was large enough to transport a child's body in.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...,00.html?f=rss

However, Gerry McCann flatly denied ever owning such a bag and the McCanns state that the only thing they returned home without was Madeleine.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1770

****************
OK - firstly, if the McCanns are innocent and if they DID have such a bag go missing - why deny it? After all, an abductor could just as easily have taken the bag as the McCanns could have used it to transport Madeleine's body. Reporting a missing bag to the police would support their claim that she had been taken.

Secondly - if Gerry McCann DID own such a distinctive bag, it would be very silly to deny it and draw attention to himself with such a lie. All it would take would be one person to produce a photo of him with the bag - one cctv film - a couple of credible independent witnesses and the McCanns would suddenly look extremely suspicious indeed. The bag shown in the reconstruction was a large holdall - not something you'd expect a typical holidaymaker to carry around with them in a hot climate.

I was surprised at Martin Brunt's stance on this because his previous documentary took several pops at people who spread misinformation about the case. He suggested that he wanted to cut through the misinformation. The McCanns denial about the bag came was made public BEFORE the documentary screened. Yet Martin Brunt stood by his story claiming allegedly claiming that his source for the story is ..... wait for it.... people who travelled to Praia da Luz AFTER Madeleine went missing ????????? (- so how would they know about a bag which had already gone missing? i.e. They couldn't possibly have been eyewitnesses to the bag's existence!)

(Something not right here....)

One thing I will say on this is that the luggage allowance for a package holiday isn't much and the charges for being over weight are pretty significant. A tennis bag like the one shown in the documentary would probably be too large to carry as hand luggage - but it could be taken as luggage and would probably collapse and fit into a suitcase. However, luggage space is of a premium when you've got three little children so how likely is Gerry McCann to take up 1/3 of a suitcase to store a large empty holdall - for what?

So - thirdly, the tennis courts were right there in front of his apartment! They are about 100m from the apartment's front door! He didn't need a large bag to carry his racquet and tennis cloths/shoes/towel from the apartment to the courts. He'd most likely get into his tennis clothes IN the apartment and either carry his racquet and ball in his hands to the court which is about 100m away OR he'd simply hire a racquet and balls from the hotel reception (which most people would do anyway) which is adjacent to the McCann apartment and en-route to the tennis court!

[Jayelles]

And here is another example of the misinformation which is abound in this case.

Someone posted this on the Yahoo site on a thread entitled "Why deny it?":-

....I have seen the picture with Gerry McCann carrying it. I aso feel the same as you Why deny it existed. l dont know what they will come up with next

The picture in question was a reconstruction shown on the Sky documentary. But suddenly we have people claming to have seen photographs of Gerry McCann carrying it whilst attacking the McCanns for "lying" about it.

What is the betting that this will now grow legs and run through the Internet as a "fact"?

[Jayelles]

Here is the photo which someone is FALSELY claiming is Gerry McCann. Note the caption under the photo - Reconstruction

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...icle616714.ece

[Jayelles]

Even a broken clock is correct twice a day, so I guess that sooner or later this story might pan out:-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...e_id=1811&ct=5

Portuguese police are planning to visit Britain to seize Kate McCann's updated diary, it was claimed today.

I reckon this story has headlined 3, 4 or maybe even 5 times over the past few months.

[Lili007]

Hey

I spent the last half hour writing a "speech" in response. I'll distill it for you in one sentence, thoug it may be longer than usual.

Why did a mother and father who wanted children so badly that they sought medical help to conceive, leave their baby in a hotel room unattended, so they could have a party?

Which was more important? The child? Or the party?

JMO

[Lili007]

Originally Posted by Jayelles

Even a broken clock is correct twice a day, so I guess that sooner or later this story might pan out:-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...e_id=1811&ct=5



I reckon this story has headlined 3, 4 or maybe even 5 times over the past few months.

That doesn't make more credible, IMO. In fact, I'd say the opposite would win. Be that as it may.

The only thing I see, and keep seeing, is the face of an adorable little girl who was just learning to live. She wasn't a broken clock - she was a vibrant and beautiful girl.

Her parents chose to leave her so they could have an evening of ... whatever. I wonder how many fond memories they have of that. I would guess none, presuming they have a heart.

JMO

[Lili007]

Originally Posted by Jayelles

Even a broken clock is correct twice a day, so I guess that sooner or later this story might pan out:-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...e_id=1811&ct=5



I reckon this story has headlined 3, 4 or maybe even 5 times over the past few months.

Um.. if you like to put that on the table, Jay~? Was the clock set to kill at any of those times? Or merely abduct - a reminder thereof?

A clock doesn't kill - people do.

JMO

JMO

[Seashell]

Thanks lili
at least someone else apart from me also sees a lot of flaws that the parents are answereable for, i also part blame the parents for leaving those little kids alone for a fun night and yes i am and will stand by what i have written about it all, you can check out all my responses on my last posts.
And no i am not bashing the parents, i calls them what i sees them, NEGLIGENT.
Good luck!

[Jayelles]

Originally Posted by Lili007

That doesn't make more credible, IMO. In fact, I'd say the opposite would win. Be that as it may.

The only thing I see, and keep seeing, is the face of an adorable little girl who was just learning to live. She wasn't a broken clock - she was a vibrant and beautiful girl.
Her parents chose to leave her so they could have an evening of ... whatever. I wonder how many fond memories they have of that. I would guess none, presuming they have a heart.

JMO

Um... for those who seem to be missing the point, my comment about the broken clock being right twice a day was in reference to the tabloid newspaper which has reported 3/4/5 times in the past 4 months that the police are going to seize Kate McCanns' diary imminently. My point was that if the newspaper keeps reporting it, sooner or later it might actually be correct.

I'd like to see some decent reporting about this case instead of the constant barrage of rehashed tabloid speculation.

[Jayelles]

It's now 4 days since it was reported by the Portuguese media that the McCanns were going to be named as prime suspects "tomorrow". The same news story also claimed that a report by the Portuguese police was going to conclude that she died accidentally after her parents sedated her. Today the SAME newspaper is claiming that Madeleine's blood was found in the hire car and in the apartment (all this blood from a pinprick?). This is despite claims that the Birmingham lab which did the testing said that the samples they tested were so poor that they couldn't even say whether it was blood - let alone whether it was Madeleine McCann's blood!

[Lili007]

So, really, all we know is that Madeleine was left on her own in a house with the door open/unlocked, while they went partying. Those people are doctors, as well as parents, they're not ignorant, and they're not teenagers. At the very least, they left a toddler alone in an unsecured foreign residence while they went out partying. So who is responsible for that? Madeleine? Someone else?

JMO