Graham Linehan fights Express gutter journalism

[toxic avenger]

The Daily Express is a British tabloid, I know, but it is sold all over this country too, and I think this is interesting, so I'm putting it here. Graham Linehan, he of Tedness, has blogged about his disgust at what he perceives to be a low in 'journalism'. He speaks of the horror of what happened to those poor kids at Dunblane in 1996, where 16 five and six year olds, and their teacher, were murdered by Thomas Hamilton, and then draws attention to what has been done to some of the surviving kids by the Express and a 'journalist' called Paula Murray:

That basic human reaction, that powerful urge to protect those children, has always been something I presumed was shared by most other human beings. But a lady named Paula Murray has disabused me of that particular whimsy. Paula is the journalist who thought it was well past time that the survivors of the Dunblane massacre were given a tabloid punching. To that end, she befriended a group of them on Facebook and collated their photographs and comments. Clearly aware of the legal guidelines in place to protect those under eighteen against invasion of privacy (and the specific instructions that the Press Complaints Commission issued regarding the Dunblane children), she waited until they hit eighteen. Then she wrote this.
The story continued inside under the headline “SICK MESSAGES SHAME MEMORY OF CLASSMATES”, referring to the normal, teenagery stuff they were saying to each other on their profiles. (I should say thank you to those on Twitter who helped me black out the names and photographs of the kids). As others have pointed out, the gist of the story is that these kids are showing disrespect to their dead classmates by… being alive.
Here’s an example of Paula’s scoop: “For instance, (name deleted), who was hit by a single bullet and watched in horror as his classmates died, makes rude gestures in pictures he posted on his Bebo site, and boasts of drunken nights out.”
Rude gestures. Boasting. Drunkenness.
Now, I’m coming late to this one… complaints to the PCC have been made by two of the victims of the article, the piece has been pulled from the Express website… so we should probably forget about it, right?
I don’t know. I think the line that has been crossed here is different to all the other lines the press routinely cross.

He links to a petition that has been put online by others disgusted by this cheap gutter journalism: Sunday Express "Dunblane shame" article, 08.03.09 Petition : [ powered by iPetitions.com ]
He also advocates complaining directly, both to the IPCC and to the Express directly:

2) Email your personal complaint to the Editorial Director of the Express Group about the conduct of Paula Murray and Scottish Sunday Express, Derek Lambie, who was responsible for placing the piece on the front cover. The Editorial Director is Paul Ashford, and this is his secretary’s email address, so please try to avoid being abusive to her - it’s not her fault! - and preface your email by asking Jo to pass your letter on to Mr Ashford. Jo.dimond@express.co.uk
3) Write to Express Group publisher Richard Desmond. He keeps his email address well hidden, but you can write to him by snail mail at: Richard Desmond, Northern and Shell building, 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN

Graham Linehan's blog is here: The Express wins the race to the bottom Why, That’s Delightful!

[Verhofstadt]

I thought the Express only wrote about Princess Di and the "flood of foreigners"

That is an example of the worst of tabloid journalism, in what is admittedly a truely awful paper. The fact that they put in on the front page as some sort of exclusive worthy of national / international attention is shocking.

Thanks for highlighting this and well done to Graham Lenihan for running with this (it's not what you'd expect to read on his blog)

[toxic avenger]

I thought it might be an idea to bring it up here, perhaps a few people here might see fit to sign the petition. The Daily Express sells everywhere in Ireland (despte it being the worst and most ridiculous of all the tabloids - beyond caricature now. A few complaints from here might have some kind of effect, even if only to help publicise the utter ruthlessness of this journalist b1tch and her sick editorial superiors. Desmond himself, who made his money on 'Asian Babes' and the like, is beyond redemption now...

[Christine Murray]

Thanks for this Toxic. There are actually no words to describe how low the woman actually
got in this. Am glad that mostly the survivors seem to be exhibiting normal teenage rebellion however,
though the fact that she did not recognise this does speak volumes as to what an editor will allow to shift copy.

[Christine Murray]

Just signed the petition btw and thx

[toxic avenger]

Just signed the petition btw and thx

Good on you, anyone else who wants to do so, it's here:
Sunday Express "Dunblane shame" article, 08.03.09 Petition : [ powered by iPetitions.com ]

[Christine Murray]

There are plenty of young (or old) journalist students who would probably be
glad of a job.., Sunday Express "Dunblane shame" article, 08.03.09 Petition : [ powered by iPetitions.com ]

[toxic avenger]

I doubt the woman will be sacked, this kind of thing is probably admired in the shamelessly amoral world inhabited by pondlife like Richard Desmond. But a fuss can be made, and embarrassment brought down upon them, perhaps even regret (if only for the publication of the story, rather than for the content of it)...

[ibis]

I thought it might be an idea to bring it up here, perhaps a few people here might see fit to sign the petition. The Daily Express sells everywhere in Ireland (despte it being the worst and most ridiculous of all the tabloids - beyond caricature now. A few complaints from here might have some kind of effect, even if only to help publicise the utter ruthlessness of this journalist b1tch and her sick editorial superiors. Desmond himself, who made his money on 'Asian Babes' and the like, is beyond redemption now...

Signed, in the absence of the old-fashioned brick-and-window petition. The British Press - way ahead in the race to the bottom!

[Clanrickard]

I have always thought the British Tabloids should be subject to an extra 2 euro tax here.