Jade Goody Coverage

IF she was raising the money to go to cancer research I would understand, but she already has made £15m over her "career" and wants another £2 million for her kids. How much money does she thing they need?

For that reason I am not interested in this story one little bit, please get her off our screens.

Absolutely ridiculous (though not surprising) that this it the top story on Sky News today, especially when they can't actually show any footage linked to it due to them selling their souls to OK.

The biggest irony of all, is the change of attitude by our press. Not so long ago, she was completely reviled by the press for her behaviour in the Celebrity Big Brother House (re Shilpa Shetty) and the press effectively wrote off her career.

Now they have nothing but warm and self-indulgent praise for her-- a little hypocritical of the press don't you think?

I think at least she has been honest about why she's seeking publicity, IE making her children's future financially secure. Another positive aspect is that smear-test requests have reportedly gone up by 20% in the subsequent publicity-- nice to think she has potentially saved some lives.

However I don't think it's right that it got top billing on ITV News today. I fear that if the media get carried away with this, it could be seen as: "One reality TV star dies of cervical cancer, a tragedy; 950 people dying of cerivcal each year, a statistic" syndrome. I don't mean to sound crass by that, just that some perspective needs to be exercised I think.

If Radio 2 news managed find three stories of greater 'importance' today, I'm sure ITV can do likewise?

Please do not take this as a dig at Jade: I confess I've never been a fan of her, but I wouldn't wish her fate on anyone; 27 is no age to die, especially of a horrific disease such as cancer. But I also recognise she is "famous for being famous", so her final weeks are bound to garner a following.

What it is really doing is highlighting the culture of celebrity and the difference between the traditional mega stars, who'd handle such matters in private and with dignity, and the tabloid media whore, who sells their illness to the highest bidder.

... and CNN International have it ahead of the Oscars on their 2200 UTC Bulletin.

It rather reminds me of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe episode on news, his comments regarding the McCann coverage could equally apply to this (I think).

Firstly no one deserves that illness. Its an awkward topic to be critical of but the thing I have the problem with is the blatent manipulation of her life (whether she is complicent in it or not).

Secondly Is it news? No. The line about young women being more aware of cervical cancer is a distraction.

From being diagnosed live on Indian BB the whole episode is a horrible manipulation of the public via a publicist.
This women is dying, going through the death throws on celebrity TV - I hate to ask, & it's a sincere question, has anyone bought the rights to her funeral pictures?

The whole thing is indicative of the flim flam gossipy rubbish which passes for news.

Is it news? NO!

At the end of the day, Jade Goody is a former Big Brother contestant.

If we have to lead every bulletin with yet another story about some pig who went on Big Brother seven years ago, then went back in two years ago as a supposed "celebrity" only to go and spout some racist bile, then I may as well kill myself now because I have no connection with this world.

(Actually, scrap that. Jade Baddy - remember that one Mirror/Sun/Star/et al? - won't be too far behind.)

As has been demonstrated on this and other presentational forums recently, death seems to shorten people's memories very quickly and make hypocrites of many.

I couldn't agree more, and I think the hypocrisy is astounding, and in fact quite distasteful.

Of course I wouldn't wish a terminal illness on anyone, but personally I just can't buy into this notion that someone the media considered a racist bully is now, suddenly considered a wonderful human being, just because she's dying.

The sudden change in status of Jade Goody from public enemy number one to saint just shows how fickle and hypocritical the media can be when they realise they can boost their viewing / circulation figures with some mawkish wallowing in someone else's grief, knowing every turn for the worse she takes means a boost in profits.

We seem to be in an era now of over-the-top, wall-to-wall wailing news coverage marked out by faux shock which thinly masks a ghoulish, car-crash curiosity. In the defence of TV news, I do believe this is very much a tabloid-driven phenomenon, given their need to sensationalise more than ever in order to counteract their falling circulations. But of course, it's all too easy to use a story like this to pad out some time on rolling news channels.

So, yes, I do think the coverage of Jade Goody's illness is totally excessive, and sadly shows our news media at their ugliest and most vulture-like.

I don't see there's a problem here. TV sets have an off button...and, even for those with analogue-only, there's at least four channels. If people don't want to watch stuff about Jade, and I must admit it wouldn't be my first choice, there's the option to switch over...or off. The same argument applies to those who complain "there's too much sport", although, admittedly, when the four UK-wide analogue channels are all screening different sporting events simultaneously it must be very frustrating for some viewers. Even then, most households have access to DVD or video.

When it comes to news though it's not a case of whether or not you want to watch, it's a case that there are far more important stories being dropped at the whim of Max Clifford.

But that's the way news works, some days many stories don't get the coverage that they would do on other days. It just depends what else there is on the news agenda.

No-one's forcing a new editor to feature a story like the Jade one, it depends how they judge how good/interesting/relevant a story is compared with all the others at a particular moment