Why did the Evening Standard not publish my comment on their story?

Question

In this story that is such a whitewash in favour of the McCanns

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23405351-details/Madeleine's%20parents%20hit%20back%20at%20Portuguese%20media's%20whispering%20campaign/article.do?expand=true#StartComments

They have a section below inviting viewers comments. I posted a comment last night, and it was entirely reasonable, in fact I even toned it down a lot just to make sure that it was 'acceptable' and yet it still never got published.

But reading through the 7 comments posted I see 6 all in favour of the McCanns and only 1 token criticism, and even that criticism was quite light.

I certainly hope the papers aren't 'screening' readers comments to match the tone of their writing.

Pathetic Evening Standard .............

Answer 1

What if they got 500 answers? Do you expect to have only yours written?



You have a lot of good points on here, but are risking becoming as arrogant as the McCanns.



Y/A does not represent public opinion, it tends to be a place that peoplevent theri annoyance/anger with things. It may well be the csae that there is a 6:1 ratio in the repsonses they got.

Answer 2

I thought for a while that my eyes were playing tricks. So they have deleted the one comment criticising the McCanns, what about all the others that did not get through at all? Unfortunately they not only had people of influence behind them they now have bucketfuls of money being chucked at them to spend on whatever they like. Cannot people see what is going on? Give to children's charities, give to the NSPCC give to anything but this so called Fund. It is not going to find Madeleine you might just as well flush it down the toilet.

Answer 3

This is a common problem (newspapers who "give the option to comment", but shun some comments for no reason). I would call such papers/Internet sites: Political cowards and political whores. Anyway, this is precisely why, in the last year and a half, I rarely (very rarely) even try to post any comment in Israeli media websites-I don't want to have anything to do with political whores.

Answer 4

The only "negative" reply they printed went:



"Although I've felt sympathy for the McCanns I've been shocked by their arrogance at times. I also feel that they are using their daughter's disappearance as an opportunity to share the world's stage with some genuinely important people: the Pope, George W Bush, and others. I do hope that Madeleine is returned to them. But I also hope that they admit publicly that they did wrong in leaving the child and her siblings alone while they went out 'pubbing', as that's really what the Tapas bar was about."



Which is mild, but nonetheless accurate.

Again, if this had been a sink estate Mum she would have been put in the media stocks long ago.

All these who say "Aw the McCanns are suffering enough" just imagine if it had been YOUR kids they were supposed to be babysitting but they'd gone out all night to a bar...



Would you say to Gerry, "Yes Gerry, it was a mistake, I know you allowed my child to be abducted but I think you've suffered enough"



GET REAL!





Dave, have you a copy of what you contributed? Can you post it in your additional details bit?

Answer 5

I expect they have an enormous number of comments supportive of the McCanns and relatively few like yours.

Since they can only print a limited number at any one time and those similar to yours are probably out numbered by much more than six to one. It follows that the chances of your comment being published is likely to be small.

Answer 6

they probably only print the ones that make the McCanns look favourable

Answer 7

And you actually thought you are that important to the world.



Get real and remember there are only so many that can be published and most likely they get many more than they can use.



Keep trying on other programs and one day you might get there.

Answer 8

Me too Dave, mine was perfectly reasonable and I sent it 3 times. You should even see the leicester mercury, not one message raising concerns about the behaviour of the mccanns and the consequences of that for their daughter.

Answer 9

Well, if you used words instead of numbers and put in the apostrophies that you've missed out. Furthermore, your use of punctuation and your grammar could be a bit better as well.

Who knows, you may get it published next time.



Edit: I realise your grammar is still lacking somewhat!!

Answer 10

Hi dave they are screening the comments ........



Yet another example of how the mccanns influence the media in their drive to deliver an image of perfect parents ..



I doubt my comment will show up either

Answer 11

Dave, 19:00 hours, there are only 6 comments now. No prizes for guessing which one has been removed....... They did not print mine either.

Answer 12

i suppose you should be grateful that they even printed 1 negative response. you cant really say that this was a balanced selection of readers comments, perhaps the evening standard is owned by the BBC???

Answer 13

or corse they r!! they will have decided on a view and will stick 2 it making sure it appears as tho the world agrees with them its typical of pretty much all journalism in the UK (cn't speak for the rest of the word)

Answer 14

This is "back door" censorship,it happens all the time in all of the media

Answer 15

Its probably run like phone ins - they make all the comments up to suit themselves

Answer 16

Because they think you are a TWIT!