Why was there more media attention when Madeleine mccann disappeared than now with little Shannon Matthews?

Question

My thoughts & prayers go out to all children that go missing but I feel one is as tragic as the other & so cant understand why maddies case had more press coverage

Answer 1

I think the media covers all the disappearance of children the same.

What was different in Madeline's case was, she happened to be in the Algarve. So the Police in a different country were involved.

Our Police are working all the time on these cases. They never take the case off their files.

Answer 2

I was thinking today how good the coverage on Shannon has been,it's in every tabloid every day,and every news programme on the television today too.

Answer 3

With all the press coverage neither child has been found yet. So really it comes down to letting the police do their job and for the parents to cooperate fully.

Answer 4

Well, there are a lot of reasons.

1) The McCanns have a lot more money than the Matthews do.

2) Shannon was thought to have runaway in the beginning and until they knew it was for sure they couldn't do anything too drastic.

3) Maddie's case didn't become that popular until a little while after it happened. Not right away.

and there are a lot more reasons.

Answer 5

because McCain's set up a money making campaign, that urged public to buy posters and yellow bands.

Shannon Matthews mother has not done this, she has appealed to the public, like any distraught parent would...

instead of thinking about how to make money for the disappearance

Answer 6

Good question, have a star.

Answer 7

very true

maddy went missing in Portugal.  Quite rightly people questioned why did her parents leave her alone and her siblings.  So wrong.  As a mother myself I would never leave my children alone on an evening for any length of time.  They were supposed to be intellegent people and were so negligent.  

Shannon went missing from Dewsbury, what more can you say.  So much is going unsaid about this case.  What was happening at home?  Why did she want to run away?  Was she being badly treated?  Maybe we will never know.

Answer 8

because the mccanns are guilty as sin

Answer 9

The McCann girl went missing in the summer, and there was nothing else to put in the newspapers. Summer is known by newsmen as the silly season as any story is likely to make it onto the front page.

Shannon girl went missing during a particularly busy news period, and so the papers have other news stories that will sell papers.

I know this sounds cold, but that is how the news media works, and always has done. More proof needed? Holy and Jessica, and Sarah Payne. Massive stories!  All occured during the summer months. Cannot say much about the children who go missing in the busier months, as I have forgotten all of them, due to the fact that the media never covers them

Answer 10

The main reason is that a multi millionaire is paying a spokesman who is one of the  'in crowd' with the media, also they have used monies donated by the great British public to carry it on.

In many ways it has been a very cynical exercise.

Answer 11

First, it wasnt in england so gave the government a chance to flex itself. that drew attention.

second, the mccann family are richer than the matthews and could afford more advertising.

Its a truly sad state of affairs, buts thats how it works.

By the same note though, at the time of the huntley thing a few years ago, two kids disappeared in my area. one was later found at the bottom of a river about a year later. that never even made the news.

Answer 12

How come you don't understand?  It's the way newspapers work.  The "story" about a cute 3 year old being snatched from her bed in Portugal while her parents were sipping cocktails is simply a bigger seller than a poor little local girl who disappeared on the way back from school.  Sad, but that's the harsh world we live in.

Poor little things.

Answer 13

I totally agree with you.