LATEST FROM LEVESON

So Desmond is saying that papers don't have to report facts and they can print opinions? What a load of BS. The sheer fact is they did print opinions and portrayed opinions as fact. They have contributed to all of the lies that are being bandied about now. All of them had a start somewhere and the press just put gasoline on a fire and promoted them like they were facts. They, the press, have a huge hand in causing all of the harassment and stalking of the McCanns.

And I don't care how much they say they are sorry. I think they are only sorry because it's now coming to light. Otherwise, they would have been happy to keep printing opinions as fact.

This whole ordeal disgusts me. There are real people they have tried to destroy. It's not some soap-opera and you can go back later and say it's all fantasy. The damage is done.

Zenny wrote:So Desmond is saying that papers don't have to report facts and they can print opinions? What a load of BS. The sheer fact is they did print opinions and portrayed opinions as fact. They have contributed to all of the lies that are being bandied about now. All of them had a start somewhere and the press just put gasoline on a fire and promoted them like they were facts. They, the press, have a huge hand in causing all of the harassment and stalking of the McCanns.

And I don't care how much they say they are sorry. I think they are only sorry because it's now coming to light. Otherwise, they would have been happy to keep printing opinions as fact.

This whole ordeal disgusts me. There are real people they have tried to destroy. It's not some soap-opera and you can go back later and say it's all fantasy. The damage is done.

The proof that you are absolutely correct about their actual lack of sorrow is their unwillingness to accept that the regulatory system is flawed and the desire of Desmond et al to see it "more or less retained as is".

bb1 wrote:http://thehoundingofthemccans.blogspot.com/2012/01/leveson-inquiry-as-it-happened-january.html

What was their reaction as it became clear to everyone with a functioning brain cell, who was leaking the insidious stories, when Amaral's book came out?
Who knows, who cares, the damage has been done and cannot be undone. Shame on all involved!

Quite, Tony.

And as has been pointed out before, the press are not 'biding their time until they can turn on the McCanns' because of all those libel payouts.

No, they know EXACTLY who cost them all that money, and he sure don't live in Rothley.

Tick tock, not long now till the tide turns on Gonc and the floodgates open - and hopefully wash him and his corrupt clique of hangers on back under the rock they crawled out from.

You are right. The McCanns played NO PART in the creation of the stories which ultimately proved so libellous and so damaging to the newspapers. That was the people who leaked (deliberately in many people's opinion) stories which they had no actual evidence to back up. They are the people who were at the root of the financial and moral claim against the papers and the editors, proprietors and lawyers KNOW THAT. Now they are proclaiming almost daily that the culprits were the Portuguese Police. That is a clear message that they understand where the blame lays. I doubt that these proprietors and editors will let it rest there. And I hope the PT justice system also acts on these matters and brings the culprits to criminal courts.

Zenny wrote:So Desmond is saying that papers don't have to report facts and they can print opinions? What a load of BS. The sheer fact is they did print opinions and portrayed opinions as fact. They have contributed to all of the lies that are being bandied about now. All of them had a start somewhere and the press just put gasoline on a fire and promoted them like they were facts. They, the press, have a huge hand in causing all of the harassment and stalking of the McCanns.

And I don't care how much they say they are sorry. I think they are only sorry because it's now coming to light. Otherwise, they would have been happy to keep printing opinions as fact.

This whole ordeal disgusts me. There are real people they have tried to destroy. It's not some soap-opera and you can go back later and say it's all fantasy. The damage is done.

And a child remains missing because some believed the lies. Amaral should be locked up!

greenink211 wrote:

Zenny wrote:So Desmond is saying that papers don't have to report facts and they can print opinions? What a load of BS. The sheer fact is they did print opinions and portrayed opinions as fact. They have contributed to all of the lies that are being bandied about now. All of them had a start somewhere and the press just put gasoline on a fire and promoted them like they were facts. They, the press, have a huge hand in causing all of the harassment and stalking of the McCanns.

And I don't care how much they say they are sorry. I think they are only sorry because it's now coming to light. Otherwise, they would have been happy to keep printing opinions as fact.

This whole ordeal disgusts me. There are real people they have tried to destroy. It's not some soap-opera and you can go back later and say it's all fantasy. The damage is done.

The proof that you are absolutely correct about their actual lack of sorrow is their unwillingness to accept that the regulatory system is flawed and the desire of Desmond et al to see it "more or less retained as is".

Well, the real fault lies with the person who started all of the lies. If Amaral thinks he has a snow ball's chance in Hell of winning he's sorely mistaken. The editors have come right out and said the Portuguese Police provided them with "facts" and they trusted them.

Of course the PCC is a useless regulatory group. How can you have a regulatory body that is composed of newspaper people regulating newspapers? They need to be independent of the business and yet they aren't.

My friends, I received this through google alert:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jan/12/richard-desmond-madeleine-mccann-mistakes

crazytony wrote:

Zenny wrote:So Desmond is saying that papers don't have to report facts and they can print opinions? What a load of BS. The sheer fact is they did print opinions and portrayed opinions as fact. They have contributed to all of the lies that are being bandied about now. All of them had a start somewhere and the press just put gasoline on a fire and promoted them like they were facts. They, the press, have a huge hand in causing all of the harassment and stalking of the McCanns.

And I don't care how much they say they are sorry. I think they are only sorry because it's now coming to light. Otherwise, they would have been happy to keep printing opinions as fact.

This whole ordeal disgusts me. There are real people they have tried to destroy. It's not some soap-opera and you can go back later and say it's all fantasy. The damage is done.

And a child remains missing because some believed the lies. Amaral should be locked up!

I think that's the part that really upsets me. Poor Madeleine deserves so much better and the papers truly betrayed her.

Pedro Silva wrote:My friends, I received this through google alert:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jan/12/richard-desmond-madeleine-mccann-mistakes

His cavalier attitude makes me ill. It's like, "Oh, well, we did print some good stories about the McCanns too". Sorry, he's an f'ing tosser.

That whole Princess Diana crap is just so over the top. He had to get a conspiracy theory in there somehow and then alluded to there being conspiracies with Madeleine.

I found Desmond just...pathetic and spineless, trying to justify his own wrongdoings with that display.

The Express printed more trash from sources in the PJ than any other paper; they didn't even attempt to defend their actions in court.

As for his whining about the Mail - in the name! Can you imagine Lord Beaverbrook putting on a display like that?

He added: "Every paper was doing the same thing, which is why every paper or most papers paid money to the McCanns. Only we were scapegoated by the ex-chairman of the PCC."

Every paper? Really? I haven't seen the front page of the Sun or Mirror being used as an avatar by forkers - only the Express.

No, they were NOT all doing the same thing.

bb1 wrote:I found Desmond just...pathetic and spineless, trying to justify his own wrongdoings with that display.

The Express printed more trash from sources in the PJ than any other paper; they didn't even attempt to defend their actions in court.

As for his whining about the Mail - in the name! Can you imagine Lord Beaverbrook putting on a display like that?

I think Lord Leveson had him sussed.

Jay gives an audible sigh.

He certainly did...Desmond cut a very shabby figure today, IMO.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jan/12/richard-desmond-madeleine-mccann-mistakes

Quote:

Jay accused Desmond of "a grotesque mischaracterisation" of his newspapers' conduct. "Your paper was accusing the McCanns on occasion of killing their daughter – are you seriously saying they were quite happy than entirely anguished by your papers' bad behaviour?" he added.

Clarence Mitchell, a spokesman for the McCanns, said they would not be commenting personally, but added: "Mr Desmond's memory is apparently doing him a great disservice. For him to suggest that Kate and Gerry were happy with the Express Newspapers coverage, he must be living in a parallel universe."

Mitchell added that Desmond's portrayal of the McCanns' reaction to his papers' coverage of their daughter's disappearance was "grotesque in the extreme". He said that the coverage, some of which was just "lies", had added to the suffering they endured.

He also said Desmond was wrong to claim that the McCanns only took legal action after changing their legal team.

Mitchell said they did not take legal action against Desmond's newspapers earlier "because they had more important things to do, like looking for their daughter". Mitchell said they also did not want to fall out with the media and only took legal action as a last resort.

"The scale of the coverage in Express Newspapers' titles was so great that they felt something had to be done," he added.

I am glad to see Desmond has been treated with the contempt he deserves after that performance yesterday:

Robert Jay QC, counsel to the inquiry, described his comment as a ‘grotesque characterisation’ of the couple’s feelings, saying: ‘Your paper was accusing the McCanns, on occasion, of having killed their daughter.
‘Are you seriously saying they were sitting there quite happy, rather than entirely anguished by your paper’s bad behaviour?’


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2085908/Leveson-Inquiry-Richard-Desmond-accused-misrepresentation-Madeleine-McCann-stories.html#ixzz1jKlCWMfH



Media tycoon Richard Desmond in 'grotesque' Madeleine McCann claim
Media tycoon Richard Desmond has been called 'grotesque' for saying the parents of missing Madeleine McCann were happy with the way they were portrayed in his newspapers.


Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/887245-media-tycoon-richard-desmond-in-grotesque-madeleine-mccann-claim#ixzz1jKlcld9T

Good - disgusting man. I suspect he has now done real damage to the Express, with that contemptible, cowardly performance. How dare he judge other people by his own non-existent moral standards!

His attitude was, IMO, worse than just about anything the Murdoch press did.

ETA - Desmond shouldn't have NEEDED the PCC to tell him his conduct and coverage was unacceptable.

Of course, I understand Desmond got his money from porn, which may explain a lot:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/10/31/richard-desmond-daily-mail-editor-paul-dacre-porn_n_1066827.html

Richard Desmond Tells Daily Mail Editor Paul Dacre To 'Go F*** Himself' Over Porn Comments

More here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/oct/30/richard-desmond-paul-dacre

. It's worth remembering that this is the Richard Desmond who made his first fortune through pornographic magazines and adult television (he still owns the Fantasy Channel); then made his second by exercising a ruthless grip on the Express and Star newspapers, cutting staff and squeezing out pay cheques of more than £50m in the middle of the last decade.

==========

Also note - Desmond's language is a disgrace; he seems incapable of opening his mouth without effing and blinding.

Exactly what I thought, Jayelles.

Between the whining, the refusal to accept responsibility for his own actions, blaming his victims instead, and the foul language, he is perfect forker material.

I genuinely found him WORSE than anyone from the Murdoch group, who at least had the b*lls to admit responsibility.

He just whined and weaselled.

He left me feeling pretty gobsmacked. But at least his attitude and his remarks will ensure that something is done about the PCC.
The man has no morals which is precisely why changes are necessary.

Desmond had a tanty and flounced out of the PCC, though.

He really isn't doing the Express any favors - that display reminded me of the downfall of Ratners.

Well, who wants to buy a paper whose proprietor not only doesn't even attempt to be accurate and truthful, but doesn't give a flying one?

‘Ethical, I don’t quite know what the word means’
Richard Desmond, owner of Express Group Newspapers

I was disgusted by his conduct yesterday, Pedro. I haven't followed every word of the inquiry, but I haven't seen anyone else from the press behaving in such a shocking manner.

Interesting tweet from @BrenR1958 leads to this article.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/21/peter-hill-daily-express-madeleine-mccann

Hill went even further last year by stating that

"We were not to know that the Portuguese police were ineffectual and, in some cases, corrupt."

greenink211 wrote:Interesting tweet from @BrenR1958 leads to this article.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/21/peter-hill-daily-express-madeleine-mccann

Hill went even further last year by stating that

"We were not to know that the Portuguese police were ineffectual and, in some cases, corrupt."

Oh Dear. Poor Gonc. Not good.

is Desmond the one standing outside yesterday posing with a cigar? what a

Here he is:



He should have stuck to grubby mags and Asian Babes; his lack of any kind of backbone or morality seems, IMO, better suited to that sort of trade.

Forker:

Desmond is no fool you could see that when he was questioned, he's a thorn in Team McCanns side (I say that because he will have tons of stories regarding the whole lot of them waiting to go to print), he is just waiting for his chance, imo he is the Man who is going to start the ball rolling, you see

'No fool'? He did to the credibility of the Express what Gerald Ratner did to his company - 99.99% of the population watched Desmond's display in open-mouthed horror.

The real world knows that, when push came to shove, Desmond was not prepared to defend a single word of it in court; he came over as a whiner, jealous of other newsgroups.

Oh, and with no ethics whatsoever. He did more damage to the Express than NOTW did to News International with that performance.

Given how prudish the average pitchforker is, it is interesting to consider the business background of their new hero. Perhapsd they forget that he made his money out of soft(ish) porn.

Perhaps they will now take more interest in the readers wives. And possibly even contribute.

Now there is a thought.