AIBU to be annoyed by this?

[falcon]

We recently had an attack on a woman here in Glasgow, she was viciously assaulted and it's getting the appropriate publicity.

However what annoys me is that in every report they refer to the woman as a prostitute.

Does it really matter if she's a prostitute or a 'respectable' finance manager?

Is she of less importance because of her job?I think not, so why must they constantly make mention of it when they could just say 29 year old woman instead?

I understand it's of course relevant to the police and their enquries, but perhaps not so relevant to the general public.

It seems to me that it's almost a way of saying, it didn't happen to one of us, we nice normal respectable people.

But the killer is not killing prostitutes because he hates prostitutes, he hates women, it's just that it's EASIER to kill prostitutes! So to report that it's just prostitutes that are being killed IS irrelevant.
You are being more that a little disingenuous, I think. Prostitutes are human beings first and foremost, but because society judges them to be less deserving of our sympathy or even protection because of the work they do they are effectively dehumanised by the label. How hard is it for someone in a regular job to receive justice if they have been raped? The chances of a prostitute receiving justice are even worse because of all the irrelevant assumptions people make about prostitutes.

or asda cashiers, msdemeanour... the cinderella of every murder scenario... [taggart]

MsDemeanour I am agreeing with you -

I think the press have a lot to answer for in so many areas when it comes to the portrayal of women - and it depresses me

my uncle is sub-editor of a broadsheet and the things he tells me

such as how they have to have a set 'angle' they go for on any given story send shivers down my spine. (all to do with selling papers of course)

are you the killer, mable? cos you seem to know a lot about his/her motivation. yorkshire ripper hated prostitutes in particular, as i recall. and it's not hard to see why, it's a very degraded job, men give into their most base instincts, effectively defile themselves, men blame the woman rather than selves etc etc etc. perfectly plausible for a man to be kind to his wife and to hate prostitutes in particular.

how do you know that though? maybe he does hate prostitutes.

and following your logic then, that is society's problem, that perception.

Fact of the matter, she fell into that profession (however) which does mean she had a higher chance of being abused or hurt by some bastard.

And there's still no reason why they should not report that she was a prostitute. In fact, not reporting makes it worse because it makes it look like you are hiding her profession for some reason.

it's a business noonki, what do you expect?!

of COURSE it's got to do with selling papers, that's the whole point. is he an asst ed or a sub, btw? i've been a sub, it's not that influential a role, believe me. good fun though.

I have to get going but I do think there is this misperception about newspapers' role in all of this - if you just look at the circulations and the poor advertising at the moment, you'll see most people are probably getting their news from elsewhere like the bbc or sky etc.

You just ask anyone from the Sun about them in Liverpool after Hillsborough. Papers can get it wrong and get punished.

At the moment, that story will sell papers with all its details. Look at the interest it generated here.

yes but to asking him (my uncle- who is a sub-editior for a broadsheet) to re-write stories to say that HIV came from african men shagging monkeys (early 90's)_

to empahsise how many men are accused of rape falsely (late 90's)

to over play the house market crash to affect the current government (this year)

may be down to selling papers but it dramatically affects public opinion and morally low low low - also to be expected of the press I know

I think the coverage of the Ipswich killings was mostly examplary actually. There were long background articles on the victims, emphasising that these were often much loved daughters who had become drug addicts and this had led them into prostitution. There was a lot of back story and a lot of sympathetic reporting like this:
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3413269.ece

They as much referred to as the Suffolk Strangler murders or the Ipswich murders. I would bet they would be called 'The estate agent killings' if the victims were five estate agents.

TBH, Ext, I thought it was common knowledge, and I find some of the posts here quite depressing! Profoundly disagree with you that someone who is otherwise "kind" could hate enough to kill. And no, I don't think the Yorkshire Ripper hated only prostitutes. Or the man who carried out the murders in Ipswich.

Or the Asda murders if they were all cashiers!

newsflash, noonki.

the people who buy his paper WANT to destabilise the govt, are not feminist and are probably a bit racist. and THAT is why they buy the telegraph.

thought what was common knowledge, mable?

Oi- don't worry it isn't just the paper press I worry about - the TV is just as bad!

snort aitch

thing is, if you think the press have no morals, then just don't buy a paper. You don't have to. You don't like it, don't buy it.

sorry wrong paper !

but does that make it ok to exert morally wrong pressure on anyone?

vote with your purse

REgardless of whether he 'only' hated prostitutes or had a general hatred of women (which seems likely) the point is all his victims were prostitutes, which makes their job very relevant. Just as if he decided to stalk only Asda cashiers.

the press knows the power they have and abuse it - you know they do, I know they do,
unfortunately so many of the numbnuts I know don't and use it justify their bigotted interests

regarding comments made about sexworkers being irresponsible going out when they know there is a loon on the loose......one word....HEROIN. If you are addicted to herion there is no such thing as risk, or friends, or family, or common sense. you are a slave to your addiction. The vast majority of prostitutes are addicts of some kind. once someone is addicted to herion or crack they are no longer the person you thought you knew.

too true mimi

and I do vote with my money ... pick em all up at the doctors!

Has anyone read the Times report? Or googled Ipswich murders/suffolk strangler? You might surprise yourself.

see, i personally think that's a bit paranoid tbh noonki. they papers just want the stories that will sell. ideally, sell to their regular readers and put on new ones. that's the motivation, nothing else. they smell change on the wind, they don't tend to put it out there tbh.