All the news that's fit to print

[tamaranth]

[Poll #1368217]


Via andrewducker, this blog post about the front-page story in Scottish Sunday Express, 8.3.09, in which a journalist named Paula Murray uses Facebook to connect with a bunch of teenagers who survived the Dunblane massacre, finds them discussing sex, booze and bad behaviour, and produces a sympathetic article headlined SICK MESSAGES SHAME MEMORY OF CLASSMATES.

DUNBLANE survivors have “shamed” the memory of their dead peers with foul-mouthed boasts about sex, brawls and drink-fuelled antics as they reach adulthood.

Journalism at its revolting worst: deceitful, misleading (Elizabeth Smith, MSP, is quoted out of context: she denies that the reporter ever mentioned Dunblane), sensationalist and not in the public interest. Or maybe it is in the public interest to learn that these children survived the massacre -- some injured, some not -- and grew up to become normal teenagers?

Disgusting. And no, I don't mean drinking and swearing and talking about sex. Or even the spelling.

Petition against the Sunday Express
Facebook group -- 'The Sunday Express is Abhorrent'
roundup of links etc on Wikio
Guardian piece on PCC response

Comments

[dharma-slut.livejournal.com]

From some of the links, this is standard operations for Sunday Express.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

They're certainly sensationalist, but they've never sunk quite this low before.

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

Ah, disagree. It's been a sleazepit for at least a decade.

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

I think it's wonderful they've grown up normal.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Aye, that's what cookwitch and I were saying. 18 year olds talk about sex and drink shock! Good for them.

[ajshepherd.livejournal.com]

Indeed, Obviously it would serve the Express better had they stayed tragic little victims in sackcloth and ashes, never once having fun or a normal life.

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

Dead kids mean plenty of pages filled with photos.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

Absolutely -- cannot believe the Express thinks this a bad thing. are they supposed to be in constant mourning?

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Reading the Express may seriously damage your mental health.

[rickybee.livejournal.com]

Sadly, Express Group will view the justifiably negative publicity as far better than having none at all.

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

Hell, the group's owned by a racist pornographer.

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

I signed the petition yesterday.

I'm not working in newspapers any longer, but I knew cretins like this back then, and always felt they stained what can be a worthy profession.

[devilgate.livejournal.com]

They are, of course, honouring the memory of their classmates in the only way they can: by living.

I read about this the other day, and was surprised that there was a lower publication than the Mail. Then I remembered that the Express was the other paper that had to pay the McCanns for libelling them. So the question is really, "Is the Express lower than the London Evening Standard?"

And the answer is "Yes."