The News of the World

Clank

NozzaC wrote:

Clank wrote:

Keep living in the bubble, fella![/quote

Meaning?

as Sheepsteeth said.

Can't agree with your sentiments, which I'm finding are a tad naive, at best.

You will disgaree with this. Life goes on.

spongtastic

If anybody misses NOTW, then just read the Daily Star. They're still going on about Ryan Giggs.

nozzac

Pudseyp wrote:

NozzaC wrote:

My point is that the paper did some useful stuff too and I don't see the other papers doing much undercover or investigative work. Losing that is a shame and will result in more crooks getting away with stuff.

Like what...the only truthful thing they ever printed was the date...

I already mentioned some. If you're interested, their investigations are available online.

lostboysaint

spongtastic wrote:

If anybody misses NOTW, then just read the Daily Star. They're still going on about Ryan Giggs.

Are they really? Or are they just using the story to print more pictures of Imogen Thomas for their readers to w**k over?

nozzac

Tom Howard wrote:

iirc it was the Telegraph that brought the MPs expenses fiasco to light? could be wrong though.

Personally i think all the tabloids should be banned. They are always the first to jump on the bandwagon on its way to the moral high ground, when in the back ground they are just as bad, if not worse than the people they are 'exposing' take the andy gray issue, they (the tabloids, not just notw) were the first to stick up for women, while sticking pics of ladies with their knockers out on the other page.
Also, the fake sheik that gets wheeled out to trap people. They even did it to Sven while he was prepping for a world cup!
The Brand/Ross saga, they were all mortally offended once they stopped lauging at the joke, and they realised they could sell papers off the back of it.

Dont get me started on the 'lowest common denominator' journalism either.

The people who should be 'exposing those who need exposing' are the police, not journos and Max Clifford who can make squillions by doing it (sometimes illegally)

Wish id known they were hacking answerphones though, id have left tons of messages outlining how i was on the grassy knowle with a rifle shooting at convertibles, leaving my contact details, see if any journos rang up.... Parasites the lot of them!

I never said it was them that did the MP's expenses. I said that was an example of how someone breaking a minor law was justified. And before anyone puts more words in my mouth, no I'm not justifying NOTW listening to murdered people's voicemails.

I don't buy NOTW myself because it's mostly full of crap. All I'm saying is that they did some useful stuff too, had one of the only and most successful investigative teams in the UK press and that this whole thing is probably a scapegoating tactic so Murdoch can still get the main prize that being bskyb. Closing the paper achieves nothing else. They'd most likely stopped the voicemail hacking after the two people went to prison for listening to the royal aide's voicemail (oddly you don't get prison for your first 2 burglaries normally). I wouldn't be surpised if News International just creates a new sunday lowbrow rag in a few months anyway. He's a cunning bugge*.

nozzac

Clank wrote:

NozzaC wrote:

Clank wrote:

Keep living in the bubble, fella![/quote

Meaning?

as Sheepsteeth said.

Can't agree with your sentiments, which I'm finding are a tad naive, at best.

You will disgaree with this. Life goes on.

Yes I got that but I'm interested to hear what you think it naive. I think you are being naive to think this changes anything.

Kaise

i blame wiggle personally!

Gazlar

I find the tabloids very hypocritical to be honest, because I get the feeling they are written by people like me. By this I give an example, Maddy, do I think its sad that a young girl is missing, presumed by many to be dead, yeah it is, does it stop me commenting or having a cheap laugh or dig, no not really, it amuses me me.

This is what the tabloids seem to do, fake disgust at the things that in reality a good percentage of their staff have a) done, b) would do or c)are cracking jokes about with no thought whether it is disgusting or not and why, because it serves themself.

I also hate the tabloid obsession with build up a star, build up a star, build up a star, theyre at the pinnacle and CUT THEM DOWN, the british press has an obsession with failure.

So one less of these rags is all good to me.

tom_howard

Gazlar wrote:

I find the tabloids very hypocritical to be honest, because I get the feeling they are written by people like me. By this I give an example, Maddy, do I think its sad that a young girl is missing, presumed by many to be dead, yeah it is, does it stop me commenting or having a cheap laugh or dig, no not really, it amuses me me.

This is what the tabloids seem to do, fake disgust at the things that in reality a good percentage of their staff have a) done, b) would do or c)are cracking jokes about with no thought whether it is disgusting or not and why, because it serves themself.

I also hate the tabloid obsession with build up a star, build up a star, build up a star, theyre at the pinnacle and CUT THEM DOWN, the british press has an obsession with failure.

So one less of these rags is all good to me.

+1

lostboysaint

Please, please, please don't get me started on the Maddie thing.

As has been said many, many times, how much coverage and sympathy do you think there'd be if it had been a Halifax* council tenant who's kid had got snatched from a caravan on a Skeggy holiday park site whilst they were playing bingo? But because it's Mr and Mrs Middle Class, enjoying "a meal with friends" away from their children who they've left in a villa and it's all in Portugal then somehow it's everyone else's fault and not an example of "bad parenting from broken Britain".

* Could've been anywhere, residents of Halifax don't be offended.

Anonymous

The thing that I find amusing about the Maddie thing is they're still looking. And that Scotland Yard just recently joined in the hunt.
I mean, come on, she's dead now. Or at least I'd hope so. If she's not dead, then chances are she probably wished she was.

nozzac

lostboysaint wrote:

Please, please, please don't get me started on the Maddie thing.

As has been said many, many times, how much coverage and sympathy do you think there'd be if it had been a Halifax* council tenant who's kid had got snatched from a caravan on a Skeggy holiday park site whilst they were playing bingo? But because it's Mr and Mrs Middle Class, enjoying "a meal with friends" away from their children who they've left in a villa and it's all in Portugal then somehow it's everyone else's fault and not an example of "bad parenting from broken Britain".

* Could've been anywhere, residents of Halifax don't be offended.

What's wrong with being middle class exactly? Most of us are.

As I remember it, the "sympathy" at the time was constant inferences that the family had done the crime, people moaning Mrs McCann didn't look upset enough on TV for their liking, plenty of criticism for them leaving the child in a locked apartment on a holiday camp development and then criticism for the way they spent too much money from the fund on private investigators. Finally we have them being accused of "not letting it lie".

Do you have an example of a more working-class child snatched like this where the coverage was focussed on broken-Britain or otherwise attracted more criticism of the parenting standards?

nozzac

yeehaamcgee wrote:

The thing that I find amusing about the Maddie thing is they're still looking. And that Scotland Yard just recently joined in the hunt.
I mean, come on, she's dead now. Or at least I'd hope so. If she's not dead, then chances are she probably wished she was.

What is amusing about the police trying to find a stolen child, be she alive or dead?

lostboysaint

NozzaC wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

Please, please, please don't get me started on the Maddie thing.

As has been said many, many times, how much coverage and sympathy do you think there'd be if it had been a Halifax* council tenant who's kid had got snatched from a caravan on a Skeggy holiday park site whilst they were playing bingo? But because it's Mr and Mrs Middle Class, enjoying "a meal with friends" away from their children who they've left in a villa and it's all in Portugal then somehow it's everyone else's fault and not an example of "bad parenting from broken Britain".

* Could've been anywhere, residents of Halifax don't be offended.

What's wrong with being middle class exactly? Most of us are.

As I remember it, the "sympathy" at the time was constant inferences that the family had done the crime, people moaning Mrs McCann didn't look upset enough on TV for their liking, plenty of criticism for them leaving the child in a locked apartment on a holiday camp development and then criticism for the way they spent too much money from the fund on private investigators. Finally we have them being accused of "not letting it lie".

Do you have an example of a more working-class child snatched like this where the coverage was focussed on broken-Britain or otherwise attracted more criticism of the parenting standards?

Nothing at all, feeling insecure? Or simply recognise the easy targets that the press have to guarantee themselves circulation?

Your memory of it is significantly different to mine, including t-shirts and visits to football grounds, serialisation of books in tabloids etc.etc. Oh, and a national newspaper, the one that may soon be publishing on a Sunday, paying for the investigators!

Anonymous

NozzaC wrote:

What is amusing about the police trying to find a stolen child, be she alive or dead?

Only the fact that it took them about a million years to join in.

nozzac

lostboysaint wrote:

NozzaC wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

Please, please, please don't get me started on the Maddie thing.

As has been said many, many times, how much coverage and sympathy do you think there'd be if it had been a Halifax* council tenant who's kid had got snatched from a caravan on a Skeggy holiday park site whilst they were playing bingo? But because it's Mr and Mrs Middle Class, enjoying "a meal with friends" away from their children who they've left in a villa and it's all in Portugal then somehow it's everyone else's fault and not an example of "bad parenting from broken Britain".

* Could've been anywhere, residents of Halifax don't be offended.

What's wrong with being middle class exactly? Most of us are.

As I remember it, the "sympathy" at the time was constant inferences that the family had done the crime, people moaning Mrs McCann didn't look upset enough on TV for their liking, plenty of criticism for them leaving the child in a locked apartment on a holiday camp development and then criticism for the way they spent too much money from the fund on private investigators. Finally we have them being accused of "not letting it lie".

Do you have an example of a more working-class child snatched like this where the coverage was focussed on broken-Britain or otherwise attracted more criticism of the parenting standards?

Nothing at all, feeling insecure? Or simply recognise the easy targets that the press have to guarantee themselves circulation?

Your memory of it is significantly different to mine, including t-shirts and visits to football grounds, serialisation of books in tabloids etc.etc. Oh, and a national newspaper, the one that may soon be publishing on a Sunday, paying for the investigators!

No I'm very comfortable being middle class.

The things you mentioned happened for sure. T-shirts etc seem like a good idea to me. I'd like to think I'd be so proactive and creative in trying to find one of my own kids. So did all the criticism too but you must have missed all that. It was pretty intense so I'm interested to see this example of how it was even worse for the working class parents - do you have one?

Anonymous

NozzaC wrote:

working class parents - do you have one?

Erm, yes, I have two working class parents. I think. I don;t really understand this "class" nonsense, it seems to be a very "English" thing.

nozzac

yeehaamcgee wrote:

NozzaC wrote:

working class parents - do you have one?

Erm, yes, I have two working class parents. I think. I don;t really understand this "class" nonsense, it seems to be a very "English" thing.

I wasn't asking the other poster if he had a working class parent. Or are you joking??

I too opt out of the class thing really. It doesn't seem to mean much. However certain "proud of being working class" types seem to never want to let it lie and the term middle class is commonly used is a derogatory fashion, ironically by TV comedians on panel shows who are usually middle class themselves.

Anonymous

Nah, what I mean is I REALLY don;t understand it. I most often hear "working class" being used to describe council house, tenants living off benefits etc. Well, if they don't work, then they aren't "working" class, right?
I do work, and some would class my job in a studio as a "middle class" kind of life. I have no idea what that means, but I work, long hours, for not a hell of a lot of money. Doesn;t that make me "working" class?

It's all a strange confusion to me. And like I said, the concept isn't really given much attention in Wales.

nozzac

That is because everyone in Wales, by definition, is working class!

Anonymous

NozzaC wrote:

That is because everyone in Wales, by definition, is working class!

See, I don't even know if that's supposed to be funny or not. It makes no sense at all to me.

Clank

NozzaC wrote:

Clank wrote:

NozzaC wrote:

Clank wrote:

Keep living in the bubble, fella![/quote

Meaning?

as Sheepsteeth said.

Can't agree with your sentiments, which I'm finding are a tad naive, at best.

You will disgaree with this. Life goes on.

Yes I got that but I'm interested to hear what you think it naive. I think you are being naive to think this changes anything.

Enjoy your bubble.

nozzac

Clank wrote:

NozzaC wrote:

Clank wrote:

NozzaC wrote:

Clank wrote:

Keep living in the bubble, fella![/quote

Meaning?

as Sheepsteeth said.

Can't agree with your sentiments, which I'm finding are a tad naive, at best.

You will disgaree with this. Life goes on.

Yes I got that but I'm interested to hear what you think it naive. I think you are being naive to think this changes anything.

Enjoy your bubble.

Boring and pointless

Northwind

People have said "Oh, they were one of the few places still doing investigative journalism". Ironic really considering that it was the Guardian's investigations that brought it to this point.

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I mean, come on, she's dead now. Or at least I'd hope so. If she's not dead, then chances are she probably wished she was.

Just checked. Still hanging in there.

OK the Maddie thing, what I think pushed me over the edge a wee bit on that one was seeing that they took down all the "missing person" signs and billboards in Glasgow and replaced them with pictures of her. As if everyone hadn't already seen them! And no reason to even be looking in bloody Glasgow. In the meantime other missing persons were just forgotten about, because they probably had mental health issues and weren't as nice to look at.

Still I see the mum has a nice book deal.

Clank

NozzaC wrote:

Boring and pointless

Aww, come on, surely you can do better than that?

Anonymous

Just checked. Still hanging in there.

PMSL

nozzac

Clank wrote:

NozzaC wrote:

Boring and pointless

Aww, come on, surely you can do better than that?

When one is faced with such incisive wit and insight such as you've been offering I think it's best to admit defeat.

Clank

NozzaC wrote:

Clank wrote:

NozzaC wrote:

Boring and pointless

Aww, come on, surely you can do better than that?

When one is faced with such incisive wit and insight such as you've been offering I think it's best to admit defeat.

I duly accept.

Look, your entire arguement was based on 'the ends justifying the means'. To me, that's a road to moral decay and ultimately, to tyranny. When the 'means' involves breaking laws - there's a danger. Who's morality says which laws can be broken and by whom? Yours? I hope not. Mine? You'd hope not. Who draws the line of acceptable alws to break and when?

Laws apply to all, or they're meaningless. Breaking laws should not be justified by the outcome because you're basing your system on luck, and at some point, you're ends won't justify the means and someone gets hurt, badly. There's no justification for doing that; saying 'whups - collatoral damage' won't wash. Even if no one is hurt on one occasion, we still need to protect people from bad decisions.

I'm not here to argue. You will undoutedly have responses to all this, but the fact is, I don't agree with your previously stated points.

FocusZing

If all the newspapers go to the wall, how will all the northern people (& Welsh) eat their chips?

Gazlar

Out of their troughs like they do already, pah I hate the poor classes


Blue touchpaper lit

tin hat on