I was thinking about it today, and although I got sick to the back teeth of seeing Madeleine McCann on the cover of the Daily Express every day, the lack of press coverage missing Shannon Matthews is receving in comparison to McCann is appalling. Sky News even had a whole section on their site dedicated to Madeleine back in May, but Shannon Matthews only gets a brief mention every few days. Is it just a case of social class? I'm pretty certain it is, myself, especially as The Sun are the only paper to be apparently covering the stories in the same manner.

 

There's a good article from the Guardian's website on it... http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/greenslade/200...on_not_get.html

 

What are everyone's views on it?

I dunno maybe it was because Maddie was younger and she went missing when she was abroad? If a 16 year old went missing, I doubt there would be an excessive amount of coverage.

 

Shannon is still young though. I agree that there should be more media coverage for Shannon.

 

I've read alot of the comments on that article and some say it was because of class. But I don't think the media would care what class the child is from.

The press coverage has annoyed me too <_< I mean they've harped on about Prince Harry, for doing what he trained to do :rolleyes: just as any other solider does.

 

And yes it is social class, McCann's well educated, jobs as doctors, nice big family home, where as it seems the Matthews have a smaller house in a poorer area. It is a joke tbh.

maybe its cos shannons from a chav home... but the outcomes the same... they both aint drawing breath.

The difference is the McCans paid for the press coverage.

Its disgusting, and even though the press coverage helps, the main reason for papers or News Shows featuring the stories are for their own benefit. To Sell more papers and receive higher ratings.

 

 

 

The difference is simple really - The McCanns are well-off, middle class professionals, the Matthews' aren't... Ergo, the mass Meeeedjaaahhh dont give a fukk.... If it's a working class white, black or asian kid going missing, don't expect the press to care.... <_<

The difference is the McCans paid for the press coverage.

Pretty much what it boils down to really innit...?

 

I just knew that this would happen, it's what I talked about in the Maddie threads, a young kid from a poor, underpriveleged background going missing and the silence from the press is pretty deafening...

 

Good article from The Guardian though (as someone has already said), this paragraph pretty much sums it up for me...

 

So what's the reason for the differences? Here's my admittedly tentative view. Overarching everything is social class. Shannon comes from a council house in a deprived working class area of Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire. Her mother, Karen, has what one might call an unsympathetic domestic profile with seven children from five different fathers. In "respectable" working class eyes, she would be regarded as a member of the underclass and, by implication, the author of her own misfortunes.

 

There is a very nasty implication that the mainstream press are blaming the kid for apparent social "sins" of the mother, ergo, the lack of concern or coverage being shown... Frankly, I find it disgusting tbh, even if the mother's a chav, that hardly means we should not show the same concern for the child as has been shown to Maddie... Double standards if you ask me.... I really wish I'd been wrong in the things I said in the Maddie threads, but, depressingly it appears I am right..... :(

It's absolutley disgusting that this comes down to class. A missing child is a missing child no matter of age, jobs, class, ethnicity or anything. I feel very strongly about the stupid Maddie case where some mudering parents tried to make themselves look good by overloading the media :mellow:

Rant over ^_^

I was thinking about it today, and although I got sick to the back teeth of seeing Madeleine McCann on the cover of the Daily Express every day, the lack of press coverage missing Shannon Matthews is receving in comparison to McCann is appalling. Sky News even had a whole section on their site dedicated to Madeleine back in May, but Shannon Matthews only gets a brief mention every few days. Is it just a case of social class? I'm pretty certain it is, myself, especially as The Sun are the only paper to be apparently covering the stories in the same manner.

 

There's a good article from the Guardian's website on it... http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/greenslade/200...on_not_get.html

 

What are everyone's views on it?

 

I was just thinking the exact same thing!! I found it quite disgusting, and I believe it is down to their class. A cute 3 year old, who's parents are both doctors, goes missing and its like "OH MY GOD, THIS IS TERRIBLE." Whereas, an average 9 year old, who's parents are probably of lower/working class, goes missing and its like "Oh dear, this girl is missing... shame."

 

It isn't right.

I do sympathise though. No child should have to deal with this, whatever they are put through. And I'm including the ones that aren't read about in the media.

 

Its this kind of thing that puts me off wanting to be a journalist. :(

Its this kind of thing that puts me off wanting to be a journalist. :(

 

Don't be put off wanting to be a journalist Kate... The very point that you're making here suggests to me that you have misgivings about the mass media and how it operates, well, ironically, you are exactly the sort of person who should be a journalist..... If we had more like you, perhaps things wouldn't be so fukked up.... ;)

 

Pursue your dreams, just dont let the buggers out there try to derail you from pursuing the truth....

also the mccann's are media friendly they were savy they knew how to work the media and hired a publicist and got their family in the UK to do interviews, they courted the media and the media saw that they were willing to do photos and interviews so used their story to sell to the public all the while trying to raise awareness for their daughter.

 

also the media is shallow and fickle they put a huge emphasis on the fact that madeline was "beautiful" and that somehow made the story more sad or tragic in their eyes and therefore in the public eyes. that her beauty was the reason the person abducted her....well thats was what i heard one of her relatives say at the time it happenes.

 

but looks or class shouldn't come into this at all, they are both children and shannon's story is just as worthy as madeline's which is just as worthy as all the abducted children that we hear about and don't hear about.

also the mccann's are media friendly they were savy they knew how to work the media and hired a publicist and got their family in the UK to do interviews, they courted the media and the media saw that they were willing to do photos and interviews so used their story to sell to the public all the while trying to raise awareness for their daughter.

 

also the media is shallow and fickle they put a huge emphasis on the fact that madeline was "beautiful" and that somehow made the story more sad or tragic in their eyes and therefore in the public eyes. that her beauty was the reason the person abducted her....well thats was what i heard one of her relatives say at the time it happenes.

 

but looks or class shouldn't come into this at all, they are both children and shannon's story is just as worthy as madeline's which is just as worthy as all the abducted children that we hear about and don't hear about.

 

Spot on Perfecto... It really angers me this issue does.. I've literally lost count of the amount of photos and posters of missing kids that I see on the Tubes and buses in London.. It's really fukkin' sad that somehow a sodding POSTER is all these particular kids seem worthy of.. Breaks my heart, it really does, and really pisses me off that the media just dont seem to care about the scores of kids aged 6-16 going missing EVERY DAY in this country, a lot of them more than likely being sold to pervs and sickos as sex slaves....

 

Oh, but of course, they tend to be from the "wrong side of the tracks" dont they....? <_<

Don't be put off wanting to be a journalist Kate... The very point that you're making here suggests to me that you have misgivings about the mass media and how it operates, well, ironically, you are exactly the sort of person who should be a journalist..... If we had more like you, perhaps things wouldn't be so fukked up.... ;)

 

Pursue your dreams, just dont let the buggers out there try to derail you from pursuing the truth....

 

 

:wub:

Spot on Perfecto... It really angers me this issue does.. I've literally lost count of the amount of photos and posters of missing kids that I see on the Tubes and buses in London.. It's really fukkin' sad that somehow a sodding POSTER is all these particular kids seem worthy of.. Breaks my heart, it really does, and really pisses me off that the media just dont seem to care about the scores of kids aged 6-16 going missing EVERY DAY in this country, a lot of them more than likely being sold to pervs and sickos as sex slaves....

 

Oh, but of course, they tend to be from the "wrong side of the tracks" dont they....? <_<

 

Lets protest!! :D

I'd like the government and other sh*t heads to deal with our views. We shall make a stand.

I'd like the government and other sh*t heads to deal with our views.

 

They probably couldn't deal with our views Kate... We'd probably be locked up as "terrorists" or "agitators" or summat.... :lol:

 

But, hey, it would be a hell of a way to go.... :lol:

 

They probably couldn't deal with our views Kate... We'd probably be locked up as "terrorists" or "agitators" or summat.... :lol:

 

But, hey, it would be a hell of a way to go.... :lol:

 

 

Bring it on. :arrr:

She has been found alive! :o

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yo...ire/7296756.stm

This is the from the BBC

 

Missing girl Shannon found alive

 

Shannon Matthews has been missing for three weeks

Missing West Yorkshire schoolgirl Shannon Matthews has been found alive, three weeks after going missing.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed the girl had been found concealed in the base of a divan bed in a house in Lidgate Gardens in Batley Carr.

 

Neighbours said police smashed their way in and emerged carrying Shannon who was last seen leaving Westmoor Junior School in Dewsbury on 19 February.

 

A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of abduction.

 

The young girl looked "quite calm" and officers confirmed that she was ok, the neighbours added.

 

 

 

Shannon's aunt Amanda Hyett said the schoolgirl's mother Karen Matthews had been driven away by police from the family home shortly before 1400 GMT.

 

Charlotte Thornton, a friend of Amanda Hyett, said: "I've just got a text message from Amanda. She's saying they've found her alive.

 

"I was one of the ones who went out and looked for her on the first night. I'm very happy they've found her."

 

Earlier this week mother-of-seven Mrs Matthews, 32, said she believed Shannon had been abducted.

 

More than 200 officers and 60 detectives have been involved in the search, which police said amounted to 10% of West Yorkshire Police's operational strength.

 

Officers have searched nearly 3,000 residential and commercial premises in the hunt for the schoolgirl.

 

The police's focus on the hunt for Shannon has always focused on the local community.

 

 

maybe its cos shannons from a chav home... but the outcomes the same... they both aint drawing breath.

 

What was that?