Blogs / Comment is free: Beatrix Campbell

Royally let down April 8, 2008 5:00 PM Now we know what we always knew - the Diana inquest has asked Mohamed Al Fayed's questions and apparently answered them. The verdict is a …

Fiction in the archives April 1, 2008 9:00 AM Jonathan Powell's enervating book on the Good Friday agreement is a serious caution: proximity to power doesn't necessarily make for good political writing - a …

Who do we blame? March 14, 2008 6:00 PM The story of Shannon Matthews' disappearance - and dramatic reappearance, apparently alive and well, today - has confirmed the degree to which class is still …

Other posts in Media Blogs Rottweiler in a twin set Following the script President’s Question Time Scare tactics Not all it’s cracked up to be Olmert’s bitter harvest Voices from the right A Democratic dance-off Cluster headache Magazine Rack - Issue 233

comment is free Royally let down Schadenfreude, I own it On the brink again Plays for today The Rudd stuff

Acting local Fiction in the archives 30 protesters stop work at mine London Assembly candidate - rape 'no big deal' Who Boris Johnson is

Acting local Fiction in the archives Grime and punishment Poised on the brink For we like sheep

I did intend to hold my tongue on this having had a bellyful of ill-informed bloggers banging on about abducted children over the last year or so. However no-one comes here for the highbrow chit chat so what the hell. There have been a number of press articles comparing the coverage of Shannon Matthew's disappearance with that of Madeleine McCann. It is true that the media do give more attention to missing children from nice respectable families. I can hardly believe I am about to write this but Julie Bindel

weeping about the conduct of the media of which they are a part are really so concerned about child welfare then why aren't they making judgemental and disapproving comments about Shannon Matthews' home life because the fact is it was a mess. Bea Campbell tells us that 'Karen Matthews has acted appropriately throughout' well there is a first time for everything. She then takes issue with the suggestions of domestic violence, drinking and promiscuity on the part of Shannon' mother. I must say I find

(166) commentsIs death the end? (164) commentsEurope needs solidarity over Cuba (147) commentsBeing black in America (142) commentsWhatever China does, Tibet will still demand its freedom (139) commentsWho do we blame? (136) commentsFive years of failure (121) comments

Five years on, the hard lessons that we must learn from Iraq (163) commentsBeing black in America (139) commentsEurope needs solidarity over Cuba (139) commentsWhatever China does, Tibet will still demand its freedom (139) commentsWho do we blame? (134) commentsIs death the end? (130) commentsFive years of failure (121) comments

Five years on, the hard lessons that we must learn from Iraq (163) commentsBeing black in America (139) commentsEurope needs solidarity over Cuba (139) commentsWhatever China does, Tibet will still demand its freedom (139) commentsWho do we blame? (134) commentsIs death the end? (130) commentsFive years of failure (121) comments

Five years on, the hard lessons that we must learn from Iraq (169) commentsEurope needs solidarity over Cuba (154) commentsWhatever China does, Tibet will still demand its freedom (141) commentsBeing black in America (141) commentsWho do we blame? (136) commentsFive years of failure (122) comments