This is exactly the sort of lazy, unprincipled, pointless and despicable journalism that the PCC need to stamp out if they want to avoid additional privacy legislation:
The Scottish Sunday Express punch through the bottom of the barrel (the blacked out parts relate to individual names etc)
This 'story' appeared in the Scottish Sunday Express at the beginning of March and is rightly causing a shitstorm. Graham Linehan (of Father Ted fame) gives a full account of the controversy here, but to sum up: a feckless reporter named Paula Murray tracked down survivors of the Dunblane massacre on social networks like Bebo and wrote a hatchet job making out that these teenagers (they are now turning 18) were drunken louts shaming the memory of their dead classmates. Then some preternaturally meatheaded editor called Derek Lambie decided it was ok to publish it.
A complaint has been referred to the PCC, and although they will no doubt be scathing in their condemnation there's not much that they can do to really punish the paper. They can't fine them, and they can't have anyone sacked. So although I'm still wary of new privacy legislation, there's a lot to be said for reforming the PCC by staffing it properly (I mean, who really thought that Paul Dacre was a sensible choice to chair the damn thing?) and giving it some real clout.
In the meantime, of course, those good people at The Internet are doing an excellent job of exacting a small measure of payback: Bloggerheads provides a highly enjoyable flaying of the hypocrite Paula Murray, and of course there's an online petition and a Facebook Group.
Well done on bringing this to our wider attention, CK. Having just read the article, I am absolutely stunned that this tawdry attempt to sell papers with such sensationalist crap can pass as journalism.
Dunblane was a tragedy for all, particularly those directly affected and their families, and our thoughts will always be with the families of those who lost their lives. However, there comes a point when common sense must win through. Nancy McLaren, whose granddaughter was killed in the tragedy, should surely understand this, and yet she is quoted in the article as saying that the surviving children in question "...were damn lucky to come out of it and they should be making the most of it (their lives)". Without meaning to be disrespectful to Nancy McLaren, the surviving children are now in their late teens, and the whole point of this article seems to be disgust that they ARE making the most of it, in the way that most late teens do; by getting drunk, using bad language and generally being a bit annoying.
Would it be better if these survivors lived in darkened rooms for the rest of their lives, self flaggellating, as some sort of pennance? Of course not; they were very lucky, they survived and they are now getting on with their lives in time honoured teenage fashion, so why should they be made to feel guilty for it? Let them get on with the lives that they are so lucky to still have.
This article, and this type of "journalism" is shameful. I grow angrier by the minute, so I am stopping now.
PRJD
this story sicked me. these poor sod have spent there lives in the shadow of an evil tragedy .it was not there fault so why would this paper try to make them feel bad for just being a normal teenager.they are just doing what any other teenager does. in fact they have even more right to rebel . the paper is bang out of order.