The Press and Jade Goody

When Jade Goody was first diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer, the printed media's coverage was less than objective. Here was a woman who had sold her personal life for money ever since she made her moronic mark in Big Brother years previously.

Although Ms. Goody's diagnosis was terrible and her prognosis even worse, I felt somewhat ashamed to be part of such a fickle industry.

The British press, especially the 'red tops' were treating Ms.Goody as the 'People's Princess', some working class hero who stood up in the face of adversity and took on her illness. The reality star's courage and bravery is not in question here. No, rather it is the similarities to Princess Diana that were made which completely appalled me. This woman was not half the woman the Princess of Wales was. FULL STOP. This point is not open to argument.

The sub-editors of papers like the News of the World should be ashamed of themselves. 'Goodbye Princess' their headline the day after her funeral. Only a week previously had one of their columnists lambasted the fickle nature of the printed media for the overly-sympathetic display towards a woman to whom most people regarded as somebody with no discernible talents.

My heart goes out to her family and especially children, but the press needs to look at itself closely and do the professional thing: objectivity is the cornerstone of journalism.