No mention of Madeleine McCann on the early evening news. Do you think think its right to scale down coverage?

[lyrabelacqua]

Today is the first day I can remember recently with no news at all on the Madeleine McCann investigation. I've also heard that news organisations are looking at scaling back the level of coverage but no-one wants to be first because they might be perceived as heartless. what do you think?

No news is good news.

It is 4 weeks. I doubt that there are many here in the UK who are not aware. I think that they are right to concentrate on other countries unless there is some specific evidence which leads to the UK. Given what they are going through, they've persisted in keeping her profile raised even though I suspect the media scrutiny has been difficult for them.

Do other kids who go missing in Britain get that kind of coverage on TV in the UK?

nonono - yes, but they're usually found within a month. I'm hoping no news is good news, and the coverage has been over the top imo (up to a third of the bulletin some nights when there were no new developments).

It just seems strange that there was no mention at all. Maybe all the TV stations made a pact to ALL be first to pull the plug until there's a significant development.

I watched sky today and it just kept repeating the same clip from yesterday when the Mccanns met the pope. Although did see earlier that they are off to spain this evening. It must be hard for them today as it is now 4 weeks since she was taken. I guess news stations have to broadcast other news. let's hope that they have something to report about madeleine soon.

NoNoNoNo - no they don't always

I think it's the unusual circumstances that have attracted so much coverage. it's not every day that a little girl is snatched from her bed on holiday while her parents are at dinner. Rightly or wrongly, a 13-year-old running away from home doesn't have the same news value because it happens all the time.

That is true lyra- young teens run away all the time but little ones being taken is not so common which is why these stories always stick in our minds. Ben needham for example. I think the fact that she was taken from her bed, her parents were not in the apartment and she is a british girl abroad is why it has attracted attention so much.

If there's nothing new to say what's the point of going over old ground?

the media coverage has been totally ott IMO. I said on here weeks ago that the media should stop reporting on this as there was nothing to say.

And that 13 year old who went missing was found at the house of a 25 year old man she'd met on the internet, so could well have had a more sinister end had she not been found. but hardly any news coverage on that..

Yes coverage should be scaled down unless there is something significant to report.

People need to take posters of her on holiday and they should be given to reps to take to local areas outside of the tourist resorts where the locals are, in schools, shops etc. We need to keep her in the public eye all across Europe. Tour operators could really help and also cruise liners and boat houses. Lets all try and do something to help we need good news as soon as possible.

Saw billboard on Shepherd's Bush roundabout just now on way home from work.

The media report what people want to hear. If there was a higher profile story in the last few weeks, it would have got top billing. She's a beautiful 4 year old girl, her family are very photogenic and media savvy, they have enough money and advice to keep this story as high profile as they can for as long as they can and it's an enormous and heartrending human tragedy.

Good for them for trying to use the media for something worthwhile for a change. I only hope they get her back.

fwiw I read that postal workers in europe will be on the lookout for anything suspicious - i thought this a great idea. There is obviously a great deal going on that doesn't need to be repeated on loop by sky news etc.

If Madeleines parents went to the toilet and Sky News knew, they'd report it.

Coverage is good and keeps people aware but there is a limit.

I saw the advert for the website the other day on the Paramount channel.

she wont be forgotten,
but if there is nothing to report, there is nothign to report, and some people just don't want to hear it anymre

I don?t think that taking posters on holiday would achieve anything apart from to strike fear into the hearts of other parents and send out the message that ?this could happen to you?. The majority of people that travel to holiday resorts on the continent are brits who will have seen the coverage over here anyway. And let?s face it Madeleine is not going to be in a holiday resort, and she probably doesn?t look anything like the posters any more so IMO the poster campaign is now pointless.

Agree with Wannabe. Odd how the whole country has turned private detectives. Leave it to the police 'd say. No wonder Portugal has secrecy laws. Probably deters all the weirdos coming out of the woodwork hampering the investigation.

A four-year-old girl, Olivia Donachie, was killed here in Edinburgh two days ago, and her mother very seriously injured, but a hit and run driver who fled the scene.

Her mother was walking her back home from nursery and just gave birth two weeks ago. Doctors are now fighting to save one of her legs.

It's too late for her wee daughter, who died at the scene.

Again, no national coverage of the fleeing suspect, who could now be anywhere.

news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=855032007

If anyone knows anything about this person, please tell the police.

God Expat, thats so tragic and horrid.

Hope they catch whoever it was.

last week there were reports of a 10 year old and a 3 year old who had gone missing from their home - I can't remember where it was. it was a brief report, no mention of it since. maybe they were found? maybe they weren't? maybe it doesn't matter if they weren't snatched from their beds in the middle of the night or if they weren't pretty enough to make good front page pictures.