The McCanns - Guilty of misleading a nation, or innocent victims of a story-hungry media circus?
On Friday 7th September 2007, the same words escaped the lips of skeptical Britons up and down the country. For it was this day that both Gerry and Kate McCann were named formal suspects in the case of their missing daughter, Madeleine.
The words? "I knew it!"
The thing is - they didn't know it. Of course they didn't know it. Their formulated opinions and knee-jerk views only came about because of the portrayal in the media. Whilst the disappearance of the poor girl has stirred the hearts of millions, it has also brought about an almost equal number of people ready to question the behaviour and conduct of her parents.
Strangely enough, none of the major media outlets in the UK have dared jump on this bandwagon. The red-tops in particular; The Sun, The Mirror, The Daily Star and so on; are all guilty of well and truly bouncing onto the opposite bandwagon. Stating an over-riding need to find the girl, the tabloids have taken a further dip in dignity by offering headlines every day about the McCanns and their ordeal, and have boosted their sales in the process.
The story disappeared from the television's headlines for a while at least, but still the story was maintained in at least some of the British tabloids and broadsheets. The thing is, the written media has taken a line that, generally, suggests that they're in support of the McCanns. And not just half-heartedly - the "forthright" tabloids who were supposedly "the voice of the people" threw their entire support behind the family.
And as the news broke on the morning of the 8th of September that Gerry McCann too had been named an "aguido", the definition of someone who has not been arrested or charged but is formally more than a witness, it left a lot of questions to be answered.
I have to say that I'm not in the business of making unfounded judgements, and I'm not about to speculate on the guilt or innocence of the McCanns.
However, if the apparent suspicions turn out to be true, we are certain of one thing - this couple, aided by close friend and freelance PR woman Justine McGuinness, have not only pulled the wool over the country's eyes, they have pulled the wool over the entire media circus' eyes.
And that is the most worrying thing. We were in a position originally where the parents received widespread support from the public - everyone jumped to their defence, and their aid - and a word against the McCanns was like a Catholic uttering a word against God. It was nonsensical, of course, to suggest that they had anything to do with the little girl's disappearance.
The public was firmly on their side - their website received 65 million hits in two days, donations to a reward fund were flooding in, even celebrities backed the cause. Why? Because the McCanns had thrust themselves under the media spotlight. Call it desperation, call it a very clever cover-up, you might even call it a genuine wish to find their daughter, but they well and truly put themselves at the forefront of the British media. The frenzy began, and it hasn't abated yet. On June 13th I wrote a surprisingly well-received blog about the level of media coverage the McCanns had received in comparison to other families who lost their child abroad. Even back then I suggested it had become "somewhat disturbing", and I stand by that judgement still.
I'm not in the business of telling anyone I told them so when something happens in the news, and I refuse to pass judgement here, but if the case against the McCanns is shown to be true, cue an attempt by the written press to turn it to their advantage, slamming the devious couple, leading us all on to believe she might still be alive and to pledge our money, pulling the public together behind them in a sickening show of grief, etc.
But, while I am praying, even now, for the safe return of little Madeleine McCann, I cannot help but be amused by the thought of at least ten national newspapers having to take a hundred steps back to the start of their hideously overblown media campaigns that fully supported the little girl's parents.
Written in the hours after Gerry McCann was announced as a suspect by Portugese Officials. In the past tense for better readability in the future. This article makes no judgements about the decisions taken by either the Portugese Authorities or the McCann family, and has no intention of suggesting the McCanns are either innocent or guilty. Steps have been taken to make this document as sensitive as possible to the current situation. Supporters of the family that think this article is incorrect should be aware that this document is about the media frenzy surrounding Madeleine's disappearance ONLY.
Useful Links
"McCann Family Decline Comment"
- 13th June 2007, Article written on the Dave Worley Blog
"I have a terrible nagging doubt the McCanns might be involved."
- 8th September 2007, Article written by David Jones for the Daily Mail website
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