Portugal Resident/Churning out the news without a care

http://portugalresident.com/churning-out-the-news-without-a-care



Posted by portugalpress on February 07, 2014

Churning out the news without a care

Image

The recent flurry of fictitious reports about the Madeleine McCann case is another example of how far quality journalism has been replaced by the latest form of ‘churnalism.’

A story is concocted by a reporter and published on the website of a major newspaper or TV network. Within hours, it has been copied, rewritten or translated without anyone bothering to check for accuracy. If it is sensational enough, the story is then regurgitated around the world.

The media have long been able to share reliable information from established news agencies and other sources. The rot set in with the upsurge some years ago of propaganda and slanted press releases put out by PR people. The internet has dramatically speeded and simplified shoddy, second-hand reporting.

Churnalism has now reached unprecedented levels with media organisations shamelessly copying one another online. As a result, a profusion of misinformation is spewed out daily.

Last week’s excitement over the Madeleine McCann case was based on the fact that four Scotland Yard detective flew to the Algarve to meet with Polícia Judiciária counterparts. The visit followed a letter of request sent by the British Crown Prosecution Service to the Portuguese equivalent.

Officials in both countries had refused to comment on the contents of the letter or the reason for the visit. This did not stop the British tabloids from improvising. They spoke of “a dramatic breakthrough” and claimed that the arrest of three burglars was “imminent”.

Kate and Gerry McCann were said to be “on tenderhooks” and being “kept fully informed” about the latest developments.

These assertions in the Daily Mirror were picked up and used not only by competing tabloids, but by quality papers such as the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph.

Portuguese papers did not jump on the bandwagon, but the revelation of a ‘breakthrough’ spun around the world and found its way into the Sydney Morning Herald, the Times of India, the Huffington Post and the Daily Beast, to name but a few online services.

The Epoch Times, which prides itself on being published in 21 languages in 35 countries across five continents, was running the same “imminent arrest” yarn on the same day ITV mercifully set the record straight with the headline: “No imminent plans to make any arrests in Madeleine McCann case.”

ITV described the meeting between British and Portuguese detectives as “a routine part of the investigation to establish what happened to Madeleine McCann”.

USA Today quoted the British investigative reporter and former detective Mark Williams-Thomas as saying, “this isn’t a major breakthrough” and “burglars don’t abduct children”.

By then the media damage had been done. As the Sunday Mirror columnist Carole Malone put it: “How devastating this must all be for Kate and Gerry McCann – another flurry of headlines, more promises of suspects and arrests... and then nothing. Again!”

The copy and paste style of churnalism practised nowadays is akin to plagiarism, but who cares? For example, a retired British police superintendent with a keen interest in the McCann case noted that several paragraphs in a Daily Mirror story on December 28 had been copied almost word-for-word from a story that had appeared in the Daily Mail on October 15. He brought this to the attention of both papers and the Press Complaints Commission, but they expressed little interest.

Journalistic analysts put the growth in churnalism down to a combination of things, including increased competition, reduced revenues and inadequate staff with insufficient time to verify and properly develop stories.

It is likely to get ever more frantic. We have already moved on from last week’s “imminent arrests” to this week’s tabloid revelation that “detectives are probing a Portuguese gypsy site just 15 minutes away from where Madeleine was snatched”.

Well, maybe, but for starters the place the foreign media are talking about is not a gypsy site at all.

One thing is certain though: the media will continue to churn out this sort of stuff as long as there are people who want to read it.

By LEN PORT
Len Port is a journalist and author based in the Algarve. Follow Len’s reflections on current affairs in Portugal on his blog: algarvenewswatch.blogspot.pt

As long as the rubbish they churn out shows the McCanns in a good light and steers the public's gaze away from reality, our gutter press can apparently put into print whatever garbage they see fit.

If they cannot print something half way sensible, why print anything at all?

One thing is certain though: the media will continue to churn out this sort of stuff as long as there are people who want to read it Clarence continues to feed it to them.

This "churnalism" needs to be stopped from the source.

jinvta wrote:One thing is certain though: the media will continue to churn out this sort of stuff as long as there are people who want to read it Clarence continues to feed it to them.

This "churnalism" needs to be stopped from the source.

A blind man on a gallopng horse can see that what is being feted as headline breaking news is pure sewage... But only in the case of the McCanns 'desperate plight' to find the daughter they so casually misplaced seven years ago.

The remaining topics of gutter press Red Top reporting does seem reasonably fair and consistent with that of the broadsheets.

It gives some indication of Mitchell's thoughts on the gullibility of the plebs who read these rags.

malena stool wrote:

jinvta wrote:One thing is certain though: the media will continue to churn out this sort of stuff as long as there are people who want to read it Clarence continues to feed it to them.

This "churnalism" needs to be stopped from the source.

A blind man on a gallopng horse can see that what is being feted as headline breaking news is pure sewage... But only in the case of the McCanns 'desperate plight' to find the daughter they so casually misplaced seven years ago.

The remaining topics of gutter press Red Top reporting does seem reasonably fair and consistent with that of the broadsheets.

It gives some indication of Mitchell's thoughts on the gullibility of the plebs who read these rags.

And it is clear that whomever the source is, is in contact with the McCanns. They always have comments from the McCanns such as being on "tenterhooks," knowing that the lead could be "significant," or something about the McCanns being kept informed. All of the churned sewage has the pink ponce's print's all over it, and clearly has the full backing of the McCanns.

Brighton and Hove residents should look forward with some trepidation as to the accurate representation they will receive from their prospective Tory MP Clarence Mitchell... If he can spin such a web of faeces about a missing 3 year old, just what can he do with political topics?

malena stool wrote:Brighton and Hove residents should look forward with some trepidation as to the accurate representation they will receive from their prospective Tory MP Clarence Mitchell... If he can spin such a web of faeces about a missing 3 year old, just what can he do with political topics?

He's been spinning since Martin Brunt reported (in 2007) Auntie Phil expected (before she was silenced) that Kate was going to be charged with accidental death.

interested wrote:

malena stool wrote:Brighton and Hove residents should look forward with some trepidation as to the accurate representation they will receive from their prospective Tory MP Clarence Mitchell... If he can spin such a web of faeces about a missing 3 year old, just what can he do with political topics?

He's been spinning since Martin Brunt reported (in 2007) Auntie Phil expected (before she was silenced) that Kate was going to be charged with accidental death.

We can only speculate on whatever else he's reported or been involved with... Kegworth Air Disaster... Jill Dando... Princess Di...

INSIDE THE MIND OF CLARENCE MITCHELL
by
Warren Thornton

Let us for the moment dive inside the open sewer that is the mind of Clarence Mitchell, the man who took the job of protecting the McCann's from prosecution and jail by manipulating the media and the police with the full backing of the British government. HE HAS OPENLY LIED TO THE BRITISH PUBLIC. With his use of the media and with help from Michael Wright and his team of internet trolls he has used every trick open to him that he used successfully to lie on behalf of the government, with the carrot of becoming an MP himself dangling in front of him. Far fetched ? Ok let us examine the dirty tricks used by government spin doctors. One of the most successful ways to bury the unpalatable truth about something is to have a go at certain groups of people that normally find favourable reactions and agreement from the majority of people.

PAEDOPHILES
We have had a dead one of these despicable people put forward for the non existent abduction amidst banner headlines screaming his guilt in the tabloids, the upshot however that like the abduction there was no actual evidence against this creature at all.
Outcome...NOTHING

SWARTHY FOREIGNERS
Well we all think they are dodgy don't we? It automatically conjures up, a greasy overweight man with bad body odour trying to pinch bottoms. Clarence went straight to work! Every Tom,Dick and Harry was invited to ring the tabloids upon spotting any swarthy foreigner holding a child's hand., with predictable results Regardless that they were local and the child was theirs. If they were near an airport even better and the tabloid frenzy would be whipped up again by Mitchell.
Outcome...NOTHING

WHITE VAN MAN
More visions of being cut up in traffic by some Do-It-Yourself self drive Essex boy for the public to get their teeth into. Wait a moment thought Clarence if we make him a casual hotel worker as well then it makes it even more believable. Visions now of grubby rough swarthy types doing a bit of gardening and rooting through your belongings whilst you have a run or a game of tennis after dumping your kids in the stranger run creche. Cue Daily Mirror once again blasting the story to a gullible public who desperately want to see Maddie alive and the parents exonerated, denial being a powerful tool.
Outcome...NOTHING.

THE EXOTIC CRUELLA DE VILLE
One of the more outlandish inventions of Mitchell's mind. Cruella and the Wicked Queen is in everyone's psyche so it might work. So we now get a Victoria Beckham, slim, dark haired, powerful diva type woman from Australia leading poor little Maddie on to a yacht Rather fell apart when the main witness is a member of a stag do dressed in a toga no doubt fairly saturated in the local vino. Taking it in turns with the Mirror group so as not to arouse suspicion, another tabloid breaks the story and the others follow.
Outcome....NOTHING.

GYPSIES
A sure fire winner here thought Clarence, everyone persecutes the gypsies! So off we go to trouble families and raid gypsy camps and cause untold mayhem whilst poor Ben Needham's mum was certain this had happened to her son but the police were to frightened to act. Not this time with the Mail leading the way the brave Carbonari sally forth and pluck a little girl to safety, not Maddie, not stolen, but purchased in a private transaction.
Outcome..NOTHING

CAMERON
As a man having gone on the piss and left his child in a pub he was the obvious one to hit with embarrassed blackmail and pleading.With the fund dwindling and more people waking up to the REAL truth Mitchell needed an investigation but only on THE PARENTS AND HIS TERMS. Hey Presto, a quite unbelievable and disgraceful PR stunt to examine no other area of possibility apart from abduction.

DCI Redwood, rapid promotion dangled in front of him sold his soul and leapt at the chance to head the bogus investigation and immediately all credibility was gone. But to give it a semblance of legitimacy they would need to be kept around whilst being kept on a short leash by the government and Mitchell, over £5 million spent of public money, years of investigating whatever they are told to, crimewatch appeals.
Outcome....NOTHING

FARMER
Well what a winner! Black, farmer, disgruntled worker, how many boxes ticked with this one thought Clarence. The clincher..dead. Not able to prove his innocence, trouble was he fitted none of the profile or timescales at all. Outcome...NOTHING

BURGLARS
Finally with no one believing a word the Met Police say, having already covered up the Duggan killing and the body in the bag fiasco, dear old Mitch hit a home run, or so he thought. Desperate to find anyone using their mobile phone more than once they hit upon the idea of three burglars rifling through the apartment, finding nothing and nicking Maddie. When despite blaring headlines from a fawning sycophantic media, no one found it credible, even the Portuguese police, they got their stories in a muddle and Scotland Yard looked ever more foolish, flying out to try and plant evidence and having to fly back home sharpish. Furthermore the story now changed to stolen to order by three burglars, then it changed again to stolen to order, then changed again to order by burglars/stroke hotel workers. The great story shown to be leaked to the press by Mitchell was floundering badly and the impending search, unless evidence can be planted will have the same
Outcome..NOTHING.

CRIMEWATCH
Mitchell and Redwood's darkest hour, hundreds of calls screamed the media, the timetable that the Tapas group had , had to be changed to try and find a patsy. Especially with the libel trial against Goncalo Amaral going so horribly wrong that the parents were desperate to do the one thing they avoid like the plague, namely stand in a witness box. 80% of the phone calls were to ask for the parents to be arrested and Tanner was shown to have lied about Bundleman. What was even worse was the sighting they said was a critical piece of evidence turned out to be the Smith sighting who had made a statement claiming with almost certainty that the sighting was Gerry McCann!!
Outcome...NOTHING (except acute embarrassment)

So there we have it, nothing fits apart from the fact that the McCann's are STILL the PRIME and ONLY suspects in the DEATH of poor little Maddie. WHO SAYS SO ? DNA, TWO SPECIALIST BRITISH DOGS WITH AN EXCELLENT RECORD AND THE ORIGINAL INVESTIGATING OFFICER ! Mitchell should never be allowed near such influence again when this sham is over. History will not sit kindly for him, the government of the day, the Met Police or those aiding and abetting the cover up of a small abandoned child dying frightened and neglected.

@ WAZDAN PRODUCTION

I NEED YOU ALL TO READ THIS AS THE SIMILARITIES ARE COMPOUNDING???? A WOMEN DIED HORRIBLY BUT DO THE PRESS GIVE A SHIT. ......NO....SO DON'T THINK THEY GIVE A SHIT ABOUT MADELEINE.





It is rather sad that this case, of the violent murder of Meredith Kercher, has seen a ‘hurricane’ of noise trying to cherry-pick and disprove the more salient facts, and worse, discredit those who investigated, prosecuted and ruled on the case as well as discredit those who continue to emphasize the facts.

Over the past six years there has been a concerted effort by the defendants in this case, and primarily by their families, their ‘groupies’ and their legal consultants, to mount and continue a public relations campaign to frame the defendants as innocent of the crime of murdering Meredith Kercher. This ‘innocence’ campaign has even gone so far as to tarnish the motives of the fine justice officials involved.

The defendants themselves have continuously obfuscated and lied about the more salient facts, albeit inconsistently (their multiple versions fail to match up, and do not match the available facts). Lately Ms. Knox has done a number of (typically unconvincing) interviews, and her parents still seem too intent on defending the fantasy of their daughter’s innocence, all evidence to the contrary. Mr. Sollecito, for his part, tweets unofficial retractions about statements he made in court. Both have distastefully profited through books that are not much more than a compilation of lies (and which do not offer matching alibis). Meanwhile the legal teams for the defendants have recently leaked ‘favorable’ results from the testing of a new sample on the presumed murder weapon in order to (again) misconstrue the evidence for the general public.

Perhaps the most unfortunate aspect of this ‘innocence campaign’ has been that far too many journalists have dishonored their professional ethics by failing to do the proper research and objectively report the facts. Journalists to this day continue to misreport the facts, leave out corroborating facts, or worse, blindly repeat the distortions or lies promoted by the campaign without proper fact-checking. By and large, journalists (mostly in the US and UK) have ‘anti-reported’ the case.

This is especially grievous given that there are multiple Court Motivations reports (a unique feature to the Italian justice system) readily available in Italian and English online, in searchable PDF format, as well as several websites like this one that have painstakingly sought to illuminate the vast amount of evidentiary facts.

Those journalists who have failed to correctly report the case, and those involved in this ‘innocence’ campaign, have repeatedly disrespected the victim, Meredith Kercher, and her family. By contrast, the Kerchers has shown great dignity throughout these years, remaining patiently quiet and consistently insisting that the truth be revealed by the Italian justice system.

The endless journalistic failures, and particularly the ‘innocence’ campaign, have also disrespected the Italian law enforcement and judicial systems. By contrast Italian law enforcement has demonstrated substantial deference to the defendants, especially when compared to the law enforcement and judicial procedures of other advanced countries. In response, numerous ‘groupies’ have exhibited pathetic jingoism by repeatedly denigrating a country of 60 million people based on rather uninformed attitudes.

And it is very likely that Ms. Knox and Mr. Sollecito, rather than confess the truth, will continue to obfuscate or lie as much as they can, as well as disrespect the Italian Court and the Kerchers by not being present at the appeal. Their ‘innocence’ campaigns will likely continue to distort or ignore the facts. And worse, journalists and talking-head ‘experts’ will continue to report falsehoods and misrepresentations.

Fortunately, none of the fabrications, ill-conceived scenarios or numerous pieces of unprofessional, sloppy journalism will ultimately matter.

This is because the Nencini Appeals Court will not be listening to any of the noise. The Appeals Court has a very specific program to follow, mandated by the Italian Supreme Court, which has already looked at this case four times (the detainment requests for Knox and Sollecito, the conviction of Rudy Guede and the annulment of the Hellmann Appeals Court ruling).

So you see, it doesn't matter about the mccanns 'innocence campaign', their 'flunkies' or the Presses 'distortion off the facts'.....the truth will out eventually.

excellent thought provoking piece.  I picked out the bit that says over 80 % of callers wanted the parents arrested.  that was never mentioned anywhere. Wonder why not, must have given food for thought to many. Maybe this is why there has been a constant flow of suspects appearing in the news to cover up the fact that so many wanted the McCs arrested. they cant all be internet nutters now can they, they were phoning in to Crimewatch. jimo.

tanszi wrote:excellent thought provoking piece.  I picked out the bit that says over 80 % of callers wanted the parents arrested.  that was never mentioned anywhere. Wonder why not, must have given food for thought to many.  Maybe this is why there has been a constant flow of suspects appearing in the news to cover up the fact that so many wanted the McCs arrested.  they cant all be internet nutters now can they, they were phoning in to Crimewatch. jimo.

That is what I noticed too. I would not doubt that a bunch of callers called in saying that Gerry matched the Smithman e-fit or that the McCanns should at the very least be done up for neglect. So where does Warren Thornton get this 80% figure? Where was this excellent article published? Oh, and he forgot about the original patsy - the dodgy eyed expat.