to be so angry at the way the Barlow's tragedy has been plastered over the front pages?

[OlivesTorchStreak]

Apologies if this has already come up, but I hadn't seen any threads so thought I would post.

I just think it is so incredibly insensitive and it really pisses me off that the papers are making money out of such a sad, personal and tragic event for this lovely family.

You can just imagine the scene where poor GB leaves his wife's side in hospital to re-fuel with a couple of chocolate bars from the local newstand.... horrible.

Can we use the power of Mumsnet to start a campaign to get people to stop buying papers with such cruel, hurtful and insensitive headlines slapped over their front pages?

I'm not sure giving it more publicity like this is the way forward tbh.........

I think it is good that it has been published - it raises awareness. He did release a statement saying what had happened - I am sure they were well aware what the reaction would be to that statement.

I agree with Smellslikewhitespirit, unfortunately it goes with the Territory. The papers are full of cruel insensitve stuff every day.

I agree. I went to the petrol station yesterday and saw all the headlines in the display. It is intrusive and wrong. I will be so angry if there are any funeral photos or we hear anything about it.

The thing is they have only issued a very short statement, how can a story even be made from it?

It isn't the fact that has been reported that I don't agree with, it is the way it has been done. I think it could have been reported more sensitively.

Smells surely some things should be off limits??

I've seen nothing in the newspaper.

Gary Barlow and his family have been in the public eye for a long time. I'm sure they would have expected some coverage and I haven't seen any coverage that isn't anything other than sympathetic and supportive. I think the more stillbirth is talked about the better. It happens to far too many parents in this country. I think there is an assumption in many people's minds as well that stillborn babies matter less in some way. Media coverage is frequently at fault - look at the lazy journalism that described both Lily Allen and Amanda Holden as having had two miscarriages - when both had in fact suffered both a miscarriage and a stillbirth.
So if you have media coverage which draws attention to the fact that this can happen out of the blue to anybody and that it's always a tragedy - well I think that's a good use of the media. What headlines did you see that you were thought were insensitive?

I'm not sure it should be a full spread on the front page.

Have they been insensitive? The online reporting I've read has been done with a lot of sensitivity IMO. No sensationalism just a real sense of tragedy.

Well, thanks for alerting me to some story about Gary Barlow I know nothing about. I now have the moral dilemma about whether to google it and despise myself for being voyeuristic

Oh God how awful

I just read an article which was geared towards how he 'might' now not perform at the Olympic closing ceremony (not that they know for certain if he was going to anyway).

The whole article was geared around the importance of the Olympic ceremony and it was not in any way a sensitive report about what must be a terrible time for him and his family.

and

We knew they were expecting a new addition, they kind of had to make it public and from what I've read the stories are just stating facts, passing on information and at the same time raising a bit of awareness.

Sorry but YABU. As said above, it comes with the territory. Gary Barlow and his family will have known that nothing is off limits. Personally, I think it has been dealt with sensitively.

All the reporting I have seen has been very sensitive and giving out helpline numbers etc. They will know its going to be in the papers so will avoid them for a guess, but in all honesty they have so much to deal with dealing with their own grief and that of their children they probably won't bother about whats been reported. I doubt the press will be at Poppys funeral they respected Amanda H and Kelly B when they went through this. My heart is just breaking for the Barlows they have some tough times ahead

It is very sad, but they have released a statement on it so in some ways they are courting the press.

When celebrities don't want things talked about, they don't talk about them.

I've read nothing but supportive statements about the tragedy. The family have requested privacy at this time, and I think they've got it.

Gary Barlow did thank everyone on twitter for their messages of support following his press statement on Mon, so if he's thanking the public then he can't be totally against any public discussion or comment on the news.

My point was about the boldness of the headlines, not the content of the articles, so they may well have been sensitive, although the article Felicity mentions disgusts me. You've made good points about raising awareness, which is how I felt when AH went through this, but I still think the way the headlines were written was very confronting and not for the front page.

As someone who has experienced a neonatal death (my son died aged 1 week after a birth accident) I have really mixed feelings. I think that most of the coverage has been sensitive, and think that anything that raises awareness about stillbirth and neonatal deaths is a positive thing. The UK has one of the worst rates in the developed world, and 17 babies die everyday. Equally they are going through a horrendous personal tragedy the extent of which is almost incomprehensible to anyone who's not been through it, but having to do so in the public gaze which fame territory or not, must be horrendous. I needed to escape after we lost out son, just to give my mind some space, this is something they are unlikely to be able to do.

The giant headline on the front of the Sun was a bit OTT I think. Very blunt, huge letters, 'GARY BARLOW BABY DIES' I think it said. It could have been something a little less brutal. 'GARY BARLOW'S TRAGEDY' or something even, sounds less insensitive.

I am so sorry for your loss mrsvc.

That statistic is dreadful.

I do think raising awareness is important, although some sensitivity for the family wouldn't go amiss. But this is the tabloid press we're talking about!