being brutally honest...

[chirpychirpy]

Bearing in mind the British media's obsession with attractive young women, would people outside of Bristol have even been aware of the current murder case had Joanna Yeates not been precisely that: an attractive young woman? Would the Merdeith Kercher case have got international exposure were it not for 'Foxy' Knoxy being a babe? I'm sure there are plenty of other examples to illustrate the point I'm making...

[flipnflap]

pinkilady, this is certainly not a ridiculous question; it is a totally relevant one. Whether it's the people reporting the news or those being reported in the news, priority is given to attractive young women. Market research must have shown it's an audience winner. Same reason Arlene Phillips was dropped in favour of Alesha Dixon on Strictly to compete with Cheryl Cole on The X Factor. You don't honestly think those two are this nation's best experts on dancing and pop singing? However, they are among the most attractive young women in those fields. Isee that on the BBC News channel, there's yet another PYT reporting on the Yeates case. I'm sure she's a perfectly well-qualified and capable journalist, but I bet her appearance made her a priority in the selection process.

[MrIncredible]

I don't think the victims attractivness plays any part in the media coverage/interest of Joanna yeates, I do however think that Joanna's background upbringing and education bring it to the forefront of news. I'm sorry to say but had this been a crack addict prostitute who came from a broken home, it would probibly not have made such news! they would have just put it down to lifestyle!

Do we really value someone's life to be worth more than that of someone else's?
The Press seem to think so!

[eyethenkyew]

I'd say that it's more a case of the more vulnerable kind of victim who tends to generate most publicity, as opposed to the prettiness of the murdered person.

For example, some of those high profile murders in recent years have been of Sarah Payne, Holly Wells + Jessica Chapman, and, as mentioned, Meredith Kercher and now Joanna Yeates, all either still just children or in early adulthood, and I believe it's these things which tend to catch the public imagination more than anything.

[ummmm]

The children you mention weren't just a case of murder though.

[R1Geezer]

you have to be kidding, right? Ok OK so no ugly people ever get reported when murdered then? Have you read back what you have written? "You'd put your mortgage on it", a mortgage is a debt, so that means you'd put a negative amount on it would you right oh? Good heavens, is this April 1st? Perlease It's only Jan 1st and I'm giving out the Geezer award for the stupidest question of 2011!

[rov1200]

You may ask why parents of Madellaine McCain got so much publicity. Middle class, eloquent, white mixed together with a who dunnit and you can have a media frenzy that feeds on itself.

[DTCwordfan]

I see the Attorney General has stuck his oar in today, quite rightly, suggesting that the media in all its forms (inc the net) are getting too intrusive over the Bristol case and may compromise the poilice work and evidence to the point of negating a fair trial......

[4getmenot]

murder doesnt always get national exposure. A 14yr old girl was found in town near me one boxing day when i was 14 but not much in papers and they have never found the killer

[DTCwordfan]

did they have papers back then?

[4getmenot]

yes. Every now and then when theres a piece on peodophiles in the paper, she gets mentioned

[LoftyLottie]

I remember that 4get. Happy New Year by the way. x

[DTCwordfan]

bit like this case.... I posted on other threads a few days ago that, on something a policeman said down here, that the Zummerset police were looking at a second similar case that happened a while ago and has remained unsolved - see that the Press are onto that one now. That was some 36 years ago...one Glenis Carruthers 20 who disappeared in the same area in similar circumstances.

[venator]

I agree with Lottie here.

The reporters want a story, and attractive female or child victims make a "better" story.

It's human nature, innit? We are all to blame...

[4getmenot]

hny loftie x. i looked up unsolved murders in my area once, was surprised how many there are. Also surprised how many victims were nameless.

[eyethenkyew]

DTcrosswordfan,

Geography not your strong point, mate? That's a couple of references to "Zummerset", but Bristol is definitely not in Somerset. It's what's known as a Ceremonial county in its own right.

True, the Police Force covering the area is Avon and Somerset, but that in itself is a bit of a misnomer since Avon no longer exists.

[DTCwordfan]

Technically you are right as to Bristol and its relationship to Somerset and I am more than aware of the three Bristol, Avon and Somerset, that is - I do have a first in Geography from a top Uni and also hold a FRGS.

I am pleased that you picked up on the fact that the police title themselves Avon and Somerset. Hence the tease of 'Zummerset' (a phonetic interpretation of the local dialect)...we Cornish often get it in the neck and give it back to those folk over the Tamar and those who live around or near the marshes of the Rivers Parrot and Avon. It is all reasonably jovial between us as we are all from the South-West....

[eyethenkyew]

DTcrosswordfan,

Tell me about it - my "trouble's" a Bristolian but it seems as if it's the poor old Welsh "across that bridge" who are the "real enemy" as far as she's concerned.

A bit ironic, as I keep reminding her, given that she has a fair few Welsh relatives?
Mmmmmhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........................
...

[Eve]

I was wondering about the merits of what gets reported at what level after reading in the local press about a young lad who went missing up here, especially with some of the comments left about why it hasn't had greater news coverage...

http://menmedia.co.uk...goer_nathan_tomlinson

[MoonshinePete]

People go missing and you never hear much about them

http://menmedia.co.uk...r_info_on_missing_man

[Eve]

Joanna Yeates' disappearance was reported though. I hadn't seen the new for a few days but remember my dad mentioning it when I was there at Christmas before we saw they had found her on Christmas Day.