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?

Yes, Lyra, or if another child is taken in similar circumstances.

It's quite interesting that even when the BBC News website has only had a relatively low key story about Madeleine in the sidebar of the newslinks, these stories have consistently featured in the 'most read' section. This was still the case a couple of days ago on the stories about an audience with the Pope and the trip to Madrid. It seems that the public are still interested which can only give hope to the parents.

My husband read that in the time Madeleine has been missing, 1100 children have dissappeared in the UK

Thats a truly shocking statistic. Many of these will never come home

~~Grozzit: the vast majority of those children have either been taken by a non-residential parent in a custory battle or they have left home or their own volition. Abduction by strangers remains (despite the endless panic-spreading of the tabloids) extremely rare.

Yes, I agree, the abduction of a little girl from her bed is thankfully, very rare, which makes it even more news worthy.

It is every parent's worse nightmare and for it to happen in a foreign country, with the accompanying language difficulties and a "different" approach from the local police, makes an appalling situation, even worse, if that it possible.

Still can't believe that the Portuguese police don't have some leads....or that someone, somewhere has not come forward with information, given the enormous reward money.

they have taken a second dna sample from murat, apparently - I think they must be sure he is involved but have no evidence...

Minnie, i think they probably do have leads but they're not telling anyone about them. They have different laws to us which prevent them giving out details of an investigation except in exceptional circumstances.
They also seem hell-bent on not giving information to the press, even though press coverage could actually help them catch whoever took her.

Bear in mind that the most fundamental principle of justice is that a person accused of a crime is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Just because a suspect is a bit funny-looking, and morons worldwide are desperate for a quick fix solution doesn't necessarily mean there will be one.

i say a little prayer for Maddie every night and give my little blonde haired, blue eyed nearly four year old a kiss as I go to bed and thank god that she's safe and sound. You can't help putting yourself in their shoes and it's unbearable. How they carry on every day is unbelievable. Their social class is irrelevant. they are doing all they can to help their daughter as anyone would.

Justbonnie - yes, it makes you treasure your own children, doesn't it? I am also disgusted by the inverse snobbery regarding the McCanns's, along the lines of "they are only getting all this attention because they are middle class and well connected" I think that is just appalling to say, more power to them, because so far, being "middle class and well connected" hasn't reunited them with their daughter..

madamez morons? why the insults?

She?s getting more publicity because her parents are from a higher social class. Parents from a lower class wouldn?t be able to afford a lawyer, a pr manager, a campaign manager. If you can afford the publicity, you can have the publicity. It?s sad but it?s true. And afraid to say that ?doctors Gerry and Kate Mccann? makes them sound like far more respected parents than ?unemployed single parent? or ?former drug dealer?. If their class was not important, then the media wouldn?t feel the need to constantly refer to what they did for a living.

there is now talk of a

world madeleine day

while I totally understand the parents' personal need to keep this in the media, I find the way the public have jumped on this utterly bizarre.

What I find insulting is people willing to ruin a person's life at the mere suggestion he might be involved in a crime.

And yes, I find that moronic, too.

Well put, wannabe, and true, I might add.

I dont have the the finances or social standing of the McCanns, but I am NO different to them in every other respect. If one of my wonderful children was snatched from me, I would be mortified, devasted and probably suicidal!!!!!! I would want the WORLD to get involved, and would do everything I ever could to keep public interest and support.

What else, in reality, could you do. What??!! They are doing remarkably well imo, and bloody hell everyone, they are on the verge of a break down. What parent wouldnt move the earth to get their child back!

Bless them I say; and keep praying.

expat, agreed.

in that artacle Gerry Mccann said 'I think it would be later this year, once media attention has dropped,'

How odd. Why would you plan something like this for later in the year if you were hopeful of finding your daughter soon?

wg but the difference is, if you were in the same situation would you know who to contact? do you have connections in the legal/pr industries? because I sure as hell don't, nor do most people I know. But as doctors, the Mccanns probably socialize with people in those kinds of professions. Gerry Mccann works in a hospital, he is one of the top cardiologists in Europe, so he has no doubt had dealings with the media before and has probably had dealings with lawyers as well so would instantly know who to contact. Whereas you or i or Joe bloggs off the street would have to do a lot more research to find out who to speak to and what to say to get done what you wanted done, by which time the media would have lost interest and moved on to the next story.

HI

I do find it odd the way everyone is all 'Gerry and Kate' as if they are great friends?

I also find it odd that they should have a campaign manager and a PR man!!!!!! Byt who knows how I would react, lets hope I never find out!

Having just read the article about a world madeleine day, i think that is a truly odd thing to be planning and already saying, ''it wont be on a years anniversary''

wannabe, even if they weren't doctors, I think they would still have had a lot offers of free advice on publicity etc. You can't assume they automatically know who to contact.
There's dozens of reporters around them all day, maybe they gave them advice in the early days about PR etc and the police give advice on this stuff.
They're probably getting all this help for free anyway, as people might feel weird about charging money to help find a missing girl.
Don't forget, Sarah Payne was a huge story with masses of publicity and her parents were neither rich nor middle class.

People are sick to their stomachs of little ones being abducted. I posted prollifcly once on a dreadful case.

This should be kept up.

Its happening far too much. Little black kids are not in demand because there are countries that sell them cheaply. Little blond white children have a set price. It's disgusting that this is the way. What would you do ?

This is societies way of saying we are sick of this happening (certainly in the UK) and wanting sick fucks locked up forever, not just for 15 years (thank you very much)