legalbeagle

I don't mean running it every day. That'd be difficult by any measure. But I'm sure that shadenfreude is a large part of it. That and, I'm afraid, the bikini shots.

No there isn't and I don't say they don't care, not at all. I know lots of them personally so that's an accusation I know to be unfair. What I do see though is some logical awkwardness in various arguments. On the one hand, we all care deeply, we all think tabloids are awful, we all accept celebrity is nonsense and vacuous. On the other hand, tabloids that print these stories sell better than papers that don't. And we shrug and say that's what tabloids do and we shouldn't be surprised. (Which is true, they do and we shouldn't) So we get the press we deserve? I'm not blaming EDF or commentators on it for the existence of The Sun, of course not, but a very large number of people are keeping it in business. I wonder if they would continue to do so if they had run a story about a murder every six hours rather than this murder....

Oh I'd agree Huguenot, world wide. I suppose I was aiming the comment more at people reading/commenting on this thread.....

To be fair to OP, lots of threads on the EDF are essentially not going to change anything at all ever, but they are still here. We rant about stuff we want to rant about, probably without expecting much to change. It's just the way we are, innit. Lots of love, Crap Clearing Dog Owner.

Definition of feminism, according to Oxford Dictionaries: "the advocacy of women?s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes." On this basis, is anyone NOT a feminist?

According the the U.N. A woman in South Africa is killed by an intimate partner every six hours. According to data from the world bank, women aged 15-44 are more at risk from rape and domestic violence than from cancer, car accidents, war and malaria. "Violence against women is not confined to a specific culture, region or country, or to particular groups of women within a society. The roots of violence against women lie in persistent discrimination against women." (Secretary General of the UN) Of course I get why we are all talking about this one awful act. I just wish we were more concerned, globally, generally, the the atrocious act that happens every six hours. Perhaps if THAT was in the tabloids with such frequency, something would change. Or perhaps it wouldn't. Perhaps some of us, even most of us, would continue only to have their eye caught by the headlines. But I reckon it's worth a try.

SJ thanks, I wasn't linking to the Sun since I don't want to give them the readers but actually you made my point very well.

To go back and answer earlier question, I've already answered why my "alternative" headline referenced disability a page or so back.

Newspapers do indeed report everything celebs do, it's part of my point. No, I can't name the boyfriends if those women listed, but that's to miss the point. We aren't reading reports of what they might have done to their boyfriends during the committal of a crime, so I don't see the relevance of your point there. My language reflects the fact that this was a man shooting a woman who is then objectified and devalued in the press because her BF is famous and she is a model. Had it been woman on man, language would have reflected that. You are not alone in assuming a gender issue, but that doesn't mean I see one. It's more likely to mean that what we type is briefer than what we say and thus open to misinterpretation. To continue to insist I have a motive when told I don't just detracts from proper debate. And this is not, in fact, a story of lost hope. He has not yet been tried or convicted and few confirmed facts are known. This is a poorly reported celeb obsessed story that has degraded a bright and talented young woman.

Hello Huguenot! Wondered when you'd turn up and set is all straight! I'll stick with what I've originally said if that's ok. Clever though you may be, you don't know what I was thinking and are doing your usual trick of misreporting. I don't think I said anywhere that I wanted all murders to be reported, nor that nobody cares about victims. I think sections of the press don't care enough but I think you know thats not the same thing. Nor have I said all murders should be reported with equanimity. I've said that where celebrity is involved, victims are rarely given the status or dignity they deserve.

Loz, again I'll disagree. It wasn't sexist and that explanation was accepted by the person that asked. Ill withdraw to bed now, since my posts are meant to focus a discussion on celebrity in media, not whether you think I am sexist, which adds nothing to what I want to debate.

It's not universally poor. Just frequently poor enough to be worth changing. Perhaps you missed the worst of it. And enough with the sexism nonsense. It's really not important whether you believe it or not.

No Loz, the post was not sexist. Chosing not to believe the explanation is a matter for you, not me.

No Loz I think you have the point exactly. Our news is about celebrity. Treatment of other people in the "story" is poor and disrespectful. That's it.

Her lack of naming was a legal requirement and her rape and murder most certainly did generate news coverage. It's what caused her society to revolt in the first place.

Loz, it wasn't sexist. I've just explained use of "unsurprising".

Disabled mentioned to draw attention to how we use facts, and what their relevance is to what we are reporting. For example, why is it reported in headlines that she is a model? The "headline" I wrote is not one I'd like to read. It's the equivalent of what the press has done to her.

That wasn't a sexist point, it was a statement of fact. All the men up to that point had misunderstood. Unsurprisingly you all thought I'd made a gender point. Unsurprising because no one ever thinks about celebrity and you're all used to being called sexist and assumed thats what id done and up to that point you were all male commentators.

Loz I think I've covered your points if you go back and read. I'm not making a gender or sexism point. And of course celeb is why it's being reported. I'm not asking for every murder to be reported. I'm asking you to care less about celebrity, and, when a crime is reported, to give the victim dignity, respect, and an equal status.

Mike, as I've said, I'm not making a gender point. Though you clearly didn't see the front page of The Sun if you think this has not been turned into cheap porn. As for the rest, I'll respectfully disagree. I don't think there is more value in telling us about a murder just because someone famous did it. I think we just want to read it because we are obsessed with what celebs do. I don't think we do only care about people we know. It's really sad to read things like: Why should we care. I would have thought that was self evident. And you are wrong. An entirely unknown woman was raped and murdered on a bus. It was reported the world over. We cared. It changed lives, and maybe her society forever.

Dimbo/Bimbo/shmimbo. Not sure any of its appropriate, esp not when discussing crime victim.

Oimissus. I have very little time in fact. And since you ask, I'd like people to care less what a celebrity did, and more about violence perpetrated in any given society in the round. And why it happens. And what might be done about it. And not to think it isn't something they should be taxed with since it happens lots and lots of it doesn't happen near them. Otta, the gender thing follows, sadly, in the sense that women are more frequent victims. I was interested too that all the men commenting thought I must have been making a gender point. "Woman gets cross at lack of identity of female victim therefore making gender point." Perhaps we've finally programmed you all to think that if you're in trouble you must have been sexist!

She is not worth more than other victims. She's a current example of a victim. I've read interviews with her that made me conclude she was bright and talented though were she not academic or have any notable talents (bimbo? Please...) my point would be the same. Your points a b and c are exactly right and exactly what is wrong. Beastly? Be sure to be just as understanding when a "joke" is made about the death of someone you love. It's symptomatic of the problem. Better to focus on the celeb and make a quick pun?

WHY WOULD THE WORLD BE INTERESTED IN EVERY MURDER IN SOUTH AFRICA???? Christ. THERE. Right there is the problem.

Oimissus, that's the point. We report because of celebrity, not crime. And in doing so we accord her far less respect and equality than she is due.