The note from BBC News exec Kevin Bakhurst on the coverage of the Madeleine McCann story was headed simply Too much from Portugal? Bakhurst’s professional answer is obviously no:
The coverage of Madeleine McCann continues to cause debate and discussion, particularly now in some of the newspapers. This is something of course that we spend a lot of time talking about within BBC News and it does pose us some dilemmas.
Firstly some facts: even now as we move into the third week since Madeleine’s disappearance, the story is still resulting in very high news audiences. This isn’t always the decisive measure but it does seem to represent a high level of interest from the audience. Secondly, the number of complaints to the audience log at the BBC over the amount of coverage are still at a low level: yesterday, there were ten complaints.
A very modern, defensive re-phrasing of a position laid down seventy years ago by William Randolph Hearst, when he wrote:
I believe that the people’s will should be obeyed. Moreover I believe that the majority decision is essentially right. Those who differ with it should study the situation themselves and find out wherein THEY are wrong.
How wrong we are…
3 responses to “Madeleine McCann: obeying the people’s will”
It is of the uttmost importance that the Madeleine McCann story remains hight profile news until some concrete conclusion to the whereabouts of this child is found. I have read that as many as 800 people have gone missing since Madeleines abduction. That is tragic. Every missing person is equally important and may they all be located.The Media has made Madeleine everyone’s child and everyone wants her to be found . If we can find Madeleine then there is hope that all stolen children can be found. This particular case has shed light on the horrendous crime of child abduction and child trafficing and maybe this case will be the case that will cause a peoples movement to stop and prevent child trafficing forever. So yes, it is the media’s responsability (and the people’s) to keep this high profile and I applaud them for doing so.But more importantly I applaud the parents and family of Madeleine.They have done a remarkable job of gaining and maintaining the publicity this case so needs. For Madeleine and for her family we must maintain hope and faith that she will be found. If we don’t maintain that hope and faith then we are no better than her abductors ourselves
Certainly we can maintain hope and faith, but should this story monopolize our attention to the exclusion of other important issues? And which issues would you want excluded?
Yes it should! You are saying that one child’s life isn’t important!! All missing children are important. The fact that we are focusing on Madeleine means that the plight of other children is also being addressed.
To turn a blind eye to child abduction; including Madeleine is turning our backs on all missing children. Do the right thing by Madeleine and all missing children. Keep her in the spotlight until she is found!!!!