I am going to get slaughtered for this I know but I think the lack of news/response over the kidnapping of a 3 year old girl shows that ...

[wannaBe]

one child's plight is more important than another in the eyes of some.

She is also three, she is also Brittish, Yes she is currently still alive but there is a threat over her life, but it doesn't seem as relevant somehow.

is it because she's in a country most wouldn't travel to?

because she was taken by rebels and not paedophiles?

Sorry Clutterdup! misread you as can often be the case on these boards

Perhaps it's because the Daily Mail type folk who gorge on the Madeleine story can relate to Madeleine - "ooh, that's the part of Portugal we went to last year", "We've always done Mark Warner - such good holidays blah blah". Not many of them will be holidaying in the Niger delta and so there's no desire to take this on as their own tragedy.

In other words they are interested in Madeleine because it could have been them/their daughter looks like her etc. I think NKF called it emotional dishonesty.

Lots of reasons imo, students are probably writing Phds on this very question.

• mm is a missing girl case, the campaign is to find her on a massive scale, the other would probably be better dealt with by more discrete negotiation, but is obviously no less newsworthy
• sadly the tabloids snap up some stories more than others, because it sells papers. Image, parental qualities, hype re paedophiles, aspirational holidays, 'it could be me' etc. BBC / broadsheets would deal with it in a more equal level
• mm have appointed a campaign manager who is using the donations to fund the ongoing campaign
• mm case has been described as a 'perfect media storm', which whips up the emotions and as a result becomes self perpetuating Sorry that was an essay.

regardless of your opinions on daily mail readers the point is a child is missing, and whilst u digress by bellyaching about the middle classes it comes across as heartless, glib and callous summation of the McCann situation

if it were my child i would relentlessly campaign, publicise, and raise awareness. frankly you would see it in cinema, whilst shopping, on your tv, onside of your milk/tropicna carton - and fair enough what ever it takes frankly!

Lol @ bellyaching about middle classes.

We're talking about the reasons behind the differing responses and level of press interest in the stories. My post was a heartless, glib and callous summary of people's differing responses to the two equally awful tragedies.

I have not read this whole thread but one big reason why Margaret Hill has attraced less coverage is that her parents have not released a photo of her.

I am not saying that is wrong but without a photo it is hard to capture people's imagination. Also this story has less mystery to make a story out of - we know where she is. Finally she doesn't live in Britain which makes it less likely to be reported as much here.

I am not saying that there aren't less palatable reasons too.

"nice African rebels". oh yes, the sort of nice people who will pull a 3 year old out of a car at gunpoint and then threaten to kill her if their demands are not met. Such lovely people - oh why didn't I pick one of those to take home to meet my parents.

Thing is, regardless of the fact the police seem to know who has Mh and where she is, she is with people who are capable of carrying out the same kinds of acts on her as is believed may have been carried out on Madeleine Mccann. It's not only paedophiles that rape and murder small children.

And although it's in the news, and the media are thus covering this story, the harsh reality is that a lot of people just don't see it in the same light as they would the mm case. Because it's in Africa, because it's more common over there, because she wasn't white, and yes, I believe that makes a difference.

It's on ITV1 now - news

Note to Wannabe -

i·ro·ny(r-n, r-)

a. The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.
b. An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning.
c. A literary style employing such contrasts for humorous or rhetorical effect. See Synonyms at wit1.

'It's not only paedophiles that rape and murder small children'. erm, what? yes it is but I do understand what you mean, sort of.

well I've seen a photo of her artichoke - maybe you aren't looking hard enough?

i do get where you are coming from wannabe but there could be other reasons why this isn't being covered so much.they could be scared of putting her in more danger.they are in negotiations with the kidnappers,who knows what's been said between them?

all the other Britains kidnapped in Nigeria have been released unharmed so maybe they are hopeful this will go the same way and they don't want to ignite things further.

I fully agree with expats post at 10:09

its a bloody shame she cant be afforded th same coverage and the same amount of help a child is a child wherever they are from whatever the circumstances

If there is a photo then that is strange. The BBC 1 o'clock news had it as there 2nd story but just showed pictures of her parents. As does the Beeb website. Why would they not show her if a photo has been released?

poor little girl i missed that the mother had been allowed to speak to her on the phone.how heartbreaking for them both

sniff> IAWTC completely.

I haven't seen a picture anywhere of this little girl PPH

Relegated to page 5 in Daily Mail today , MMcC was frornt page news for days.

i started the other thread to bring it to everyones attention and i have to agree there wasnt a lot of interest in it.Whatever colour,race or background, this poor little girl and her family are going through a terrible time at the moment.I Hope they can resolve it.When i read that she was crying when she spoke to her mum i felt so sad for them all.

There has been a lot of news coverage I thought? I agree with what NP said - there is no 'hunt' or amiguity wrt to her plight. No need for public to assist etc.

Also

There may be a marginal news blackout because they dont want too much publicity for the captors or to push the captors into doing something they perhaps wouldnt do otherwise?

yes you may be right but that dosent stop posters on here from sympathising with the families plight.There wasnt a lot yesterday

so what are you saying Wannabe? do you want there to be blanket coverage of this event?

There is every sympathy for Margaret Hill, but the cases are different. Excessive publicity for Margaret Hill might encourage the kidnappers to take more children or kill Margaret.

It is a situation where careful negiotiation is required. In comparision the McCann have no clue what has happened.

I think there is just a sense that public and media interest in this story is somewhat muted in comparison to MMcC and even Alan Johnson where the politics obviously did mean that media coverage was cautious.

I think its very sad that this has happened and I feel very sorry for her parents I did read that the police nor her parents could locate the town that the rebels/terrorists/guerillas (which ever name they are choosing) are demanding her dad go to I really hope she gets out of this alive.