to urge ALL MNers to organise a mass boycott of the Daily Mail due to their involvement in this death?

[MardyBra]

This is the story I'm talking about:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/in_the_news/1713675-Transsexual-teacher-commits-suicide?msgid=37991582#37991582

I'll hold my hand up. I've occasionally bought it in the past, usually when I want something light to read with my lunch. I'm not proud of this (to the extent of hiding it at the bottom of the recycling pile) and I vehemently disagree with the politics. However, I can't always be arsed to read a broadsheet and I've always skimmed over stories which I see as scaremongering and prejudiced.

However this story has brought it home to me how an article which may elicit a passing glance from the casual reader, could actually be causing a living hell for the subject.

Personally I think that Littlejohn and the DM are just as (if not more) culpable in the death of Lucy Meadows as the Australian DJs were in the prank call leading to the suicide of the nurse Jacinta Saldanha. In fact, the DJs' intention was merely to play a harmless joke, whereas the DM and other media were deliberately trying to destroy the reputation and career of a professional teacher based merely on their prejudices against transexuals.

Shamefully, this story is hardly being reported in the media and had it not been for the above thread on MN I would certainly not have been aware of it.

Now, I know that a lot of MNers already avoid the DM, but this is an appeal to the mainstream, less activist MNers, who are less inclined to boycott goods to join me and stop buying this paper. Now.

The boycott of The Sun by Liverpudlians after their venomous reporting of the Hillsborough disaster has had a lasting impact on sales of the paper there. Why shouldn't be harness the power of MN and wreak revenge on the DM for Lucy's death in the same way?

[MardyBra]

The thanks should go to kim147 who posted the thread I've linked to in the OP Hopeforever.

[MardyBra]

Jacques It's my impression that it's the most read paper on MN. I don't have any stats, but it certainly gets linked to a lot.

[muminthecity]

I've never bought it, always hated it. When I used to get one sent free with my Tesco delivery (some sort of promotion) I always asked the driver to take it back. They are heartless bastards. (The Daily Mail, not the Tesco drivers.)

[HotCrossNaanAndRessurectiOn]

I find it easy to boycott the Mail as I already don't buy it and don't click on links either.

Nasty rag.

[navada]

I admire your spirit op, but I very much doubt this tragedy will do any damage to the DM or indeed Richard Littlejohn.

[ouryve]

I might click a link a month, worra. I don't begrudge them the amount of advertising revenue they will get on my behalf because they published a rare interesting, positive, non-judgemental story. I count this as giving my literal twopenn'orth on what I would rather they published compared with their usual racist, disablist, xenophobic, homophobic, sexist, NIMBY scaremongering.

I despise Tesco as an organisation as much as I do the DM, but still buy the odd item there because it's my local supermarket and sometimes the 20 minute journey to Sainsburys on bad roads isn't going to happen. I would never travel past any other supermarket (not even ASDA) to get to one, though.

[OutragedFromLeeds]

is there anything on twitter about it?

[LtEveDallas]

I won't have the Daily Hate in the house, and DH agrees. We've pretty much given up on the papers these days. I've signed the petition now though, so thanks for bringing it to my attention Kim and Mardy.

[exoticfruits]

I boycotted it years ago.

[slambang]

Problem is - those who would protest already wouldn't buy the DM. Those who do buy it presumably think this sort of article is acceptable.

[navada]

Precisely slambang.

[INeedThatForkOff]

I wouldn't dream of buying the DM anyway. Perhaps MNers should pledge to stop linking to it with the usual 'sorry it's the DM' ...

[ChairmanWow]

Another who has never bought it. I won't be clicking on any links either. It is a bile-filled rag at the best of times (remember the Stephen Gately article by Jan Moir?), but to expose an innocent teacher like this, humiliate her in the national press then try and hide the evidence when she's been driven to her death is a new low even for them.

There will be an inquest and I hope the DM are flamed for this. And they claim there's no need for external press regulation!

[Leithlurker]

I start my contribution by saying I think this is yet another case of the press acting to scapegoat an individual for being different. I deplore that anyone thinks it is in any way justifiable or indeed that they have a right to pass comment on someone else and their life. I include celebrities and politicians in that as if we afford the right to lead a personal life to one person we must give it to all, other wise what happened in this case will go on happening under the guise of "public interest".

The Daily Mail have carried out a systematic and deliberate campaign of hate, misinformation, scaremongering, and politicly driven disinformation against disabled people in particular but also immigrants, single parents (mostly women) benefit claimants, travellers, and many other groups as well. I would be asking not becouse I do not believe this case is enough justification, but why was a boycott not called uon for any of the stories linked to those groups I have just mentioned? Like this case unless someone can find a signed statement squarely saying that the daily mail was directly responsible for taking their life, I would suggest that we could say that many disabled people for one grouping have ended their life not because they were specificly named or attacked, but because they were tarred with a very large brush and called all kinds of names.

So if a call for a boycott is to be made by people on MN I would suggest that this case be used by all means, but only as the tip of a very large iceberg of hate levelled at many users of MN in all parts of the forums.

[NicholasTeakozy]

An effective deterrent to the sidebar of shame is Kitten Block. It's available for Firefox and Chrome.

[TiggyD]

I wonder why all the comments on Littlejohn's online column are moderated before being displayed? He thinks censorship of the press is bad but censorship of the people is good?

[WafflyVersatile]

Every talk board I've been on links to the daily mail approx once a day or more. Every time someone clicks on those links they are bolstering their position as the nations most 'popular' paper.

DM is not the only tabloid sized paper. Try the mirror.

[WorraLiberty]

Most popular MN 'excuses' for reading/linking to the Daily Fail...

I hate broadsheets, therefore I read the DM (What? That's the only tabloid??)

I didn't buy it, I read it at the hairdressers/dentist/PIL's house (And yet you profess to hate it? Would you read a porn mag just because it was there?)

I only read it online...that's not as bad as going to the newsagents and handing over money is it? (yeah right...think about it)

I only read it for the celeb gossip and fashion. (These people can also often be seen blaming the media and misogyny for females being given a hard time about their looks and private lives).

I read it and link to it all over the internet because they make me so angry (YY so not only are you giving them revenue...you're encouraging others to do the same).

Now personally, I don't give a shiny shit who reads what - that's a free choice we're all entitled to.

But why make excuses? Why read the DM and then pretend you're not actually a DM reader? Why read it/link to it/goggle at the 'gossip' and then pretend you're somehow 'better' than other people who read it too?

I just don't get it

[JennyPiccolo]

It's never occurred to me to buy the daily mail but I click links to the website fairly frequently. Will try to refrain from doing so again.

[HollyBerryBush]

I read it because I like it.

And until the investigation and inquest are complete, I doubt it does anyone any good to attribute cause and blame and have a total kneejerk reaction to someone they've never met.

[navada]

Agree hollyberrbush: Was a suicide note left blaming the DM article? - does anyone know for sure why this person took their own life? From what I understand suicides are rarely triggered by just one thing.

[LtEveDallas]

Actually Holly and Navada there is someone on this thread who did know Lucy Meadows and does believe that the DM was responsible for her death. I'm happy to take her word for it and even happier to call for the sacking of the prick that is Littlejohn.

[mrsjay]

I never buy it dont read it online and i hate that people link to it on here, I know you are linking to prove a point