Was Paxman correct, McCanns "collaborated with them when it was convenient"?

[jassi]

When children go missing in suspicious circumstances it is usual for their faces to be splashed across papers and news broadcasts for weeks or until they are found - Jamie Bulger, the Soham girls, Ben Needham, Milly Dowler, April Jones, Shannon Matthews, etc.  Would it have been better all round if there had been no publicity in any of these cases?

Except for the Needham case. I don't believe publicity was a factor in solving the cases you mention.

[Venturi Swirl]

The McCann method has not been a success so maybe it wasn't the best course to take.

Of course, they should have known that in advance shouldn’t they? 

[Venturi Swirl]

Except for the Needham case. I don't believe publicity was a factor in solving the cases you mention.

I think publicity helped in bringing forward witnesses and suspects in most of those cases actually.

[jassi]

Of course, they should have known that in advance shouldn’t they?

I'm really not interested in what they thought

[Alice Purjorick]

When children go missing in suspicious circumstances it is usual for their faces to be splashed across papers and news broadcasts for weeks or until they are found - Jamie Bulger, the Soham girls, Ben Needham, Milly Dowler, April Jones, Shannon Matthews, etc.  Would it have been better all round if there had been no publicity in any of these cases?

Would it? How would I know? I have no basis for an opinion except in the case of the Soham murders the publicity may have lead to a woman in a village a few miles away in the wrong direction wasting police time with an alleged sighting of the girls at a specific time.
What we do know is the unprecedented publicity surrounding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has not delivered anything in the way of a living child, remains, the nature of any crime committed or the identity of a perpetrator.

[Venturi Swirl]

I'm really not interested in what they thought

How convenient.

[Venturi Swirl]

Publicity is inevitable. Collaboration is a choice.

Every time a parent appears on tv to give an interview or appeal, or who appears on Crimewatch or gives a newspaper journalist an insight into their grief or who writes a book that is serialised in a paper, is in effect, “collaborating” (like this is a dirty word) by choice. Most of the children I mentioned (and I forgot Sarah Payne) had parents who have “collaborated” with the media.  Damn them all, do you?

[jassi]

How convenient.

Isn't it just 

[Brietta]

The methodology used to date does not appear to have been a resounding success after 11 years so we know it has not worked thus far.
No other methodology has been attempted as far as one can tell so the efficacy of any untried methodology is unknown.

That is your opinion.

In my opinion the methodology used was successful in having Madeleine's case reviewed here and as we later found out in Portugal also.  Enough missed evidence was found to fully justify reopening the case into her disappearance in both countries.

In my opinion without the very proactive campaigning of her parents on her behalf and their collaboration with the press that goal could never have been achieved.

I am aware of course that there are some who think looking for this missing child and perhaps finding out what happened to her is an expense too far and have denigrated all police activity on her behalf bar that which came to in my opinion, the wrong conclusion eleven years ago.
That is their privilege.

However it is my opinion that until the present investigation is concluded it is premature to sit in judgement on its success.

[Lace]

Well we don't know what happened do we - or if maddie was abducted imo

You cover all avenues,  Madeleine could have been whisked off to another country,  it makes sense to connect with the nearest and put up posters to make people aware of a missing child isn't it?

[Venturi Swirl]

Would it? How would I know? I have no basis for an opinion except in the case of the Soham murders the publicity may have lead to a woman in a village a few miles away in the wrong direction wasting police time with an alleged sighting of the girls at a specific time.
What we do know is the unprecedented publicity surrounding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has not delivered anything in the way of a living child, remains, the nature of any crime committed or the identity of a perpetrator.

Many endeavours in life do not end in success and with the benefit of hindsight may never have been embarked upon in the first place, but without being able to see in the future how is one to know which endeavours are worth pursuing in the first place and which are not?

[G-Unit]

Every time a parent appears on tv to give an interview or appeal, or who appears on Crimewatch or gives a newspaper journalist an insight into their grief or who writes a book that is serialised in a paper, is in effect, “collaborating” (like this is a dirty word) by choice. Most of the children I mentioned (and I forgot Sarah Payne) had parents who have “collaborated” with the media.  Damn them all, do you?

The thread exists because Gerry McCann accused Paxman of playing devil's advocate when he used the 'collaborate' word to describe his behaviour.

[Lace]

Would it? How would I know? I have no basis for an opinion except in the case of the Soham murders the publicity may have lead to a woman in a village a few miles away in the wrong direction wasting police time with an alleged sighting of the girls at a specific time.
What we do know is the unprecedented publicity surrounding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has not delivered anything in the way of a living child, remains, the nature of any crime committed or the identity of a perpetrator.

So,  do you think they shouldn't have bothered?   We don't know if they have identified the perpetrator or not as the investigation is ongoing.


In the case of a missing child who could be anywhere in the world,   as a parent I would not sit back and think,  this is not going to be productive,   I would think get my child's face out there, everywhere.  IMO

[Brietta]

Would it? How would I know? I have no basis for an opinion except in the case of the Soham murders the publicity may have lead to a woman in a village a few miles away in the wrong direction wasting police time with an alleged sighting of the girls at a specific time.
What we do know is the unprecedented publicity surrounding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has not delivered anything in the way of a living child, remains, the nature of any crime committed or the identity of a perpetrator.

In my opinion collaboration with the press allowed Kate and Gerry to push the case for a living breathing Madeleine who must be looked for as opposed to the preconceived conclusion reached by Amaral and promoted by his supporters holding sway.

[jassi]

Time will tell who was correct.