Tuesday, 29 May 2007

Newswatch: The Search For Madeleine


The search for Madeleine McCann is continuing to dominate the British news agenda, although it's obvious that the family are increasingly fearful about the search for the four-year-old being pushed off the news agenda by other stories (the kidnap of five Britons in Iraq today looks set to do exactly this).

Whatever anybody thinks of Charles and Camilla (good, bad, indifferent) Saturday's intervention from Clarence House was welcome, if only to get the story back in the headlines.

You have to wonder, though, where the McCann family can go from here. After they meet the Pope tomorrow - no doubt resulting in more exhaustive coverage - what's the next stage of the story?

There are, of course, far more important aspects to this story than who's made a plea for Madeleine's safe return, or what possible agenda they may have in terms of promoting their own image.

The reality is these stories are tricky in terms of famous people getting involved. I remember years ago Princess Diana made a phone call to the parents of a newborn baby (Abbie Humphries, who was thankfully found safe) who'd been snatched from a hospital.

The personal contact initiated by the Princess of Wales was initially applauded but, within hours, the sniping began about Diana having supposedly used the case to promote her own agenda of being seen to be 'in touch' with the people.

I guess in instances like this people in the public eye - royalty, politicians, celebrities - just can't win: if they don't say anything they're deemed heartless. If they do speak or show some emotion, it's condemned as a publicity stunt.

One thing's for sure: right now, Kate and Gerry McCann (Madeleine's parents) won't give a hoot about why any of these public figures - be it David Beckham or PM-in-waiting Gordon Brown or, yes, Charles and Camilla - are publicly offering their support to their cause.

So long as the case of Madeleine continues to generate publicity and, in turn, hopefully her safe return, what does it matter?

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