SIRC Media Watch Archive
Comment and Opinion – December 2003

Soham voyeurs? Is the clear and often demonstrated public interest in the details of criminal cases actually an indication of a voyeuristic and amoral culture, slowly rotting in the bacteria of salacious criminal detail? Coverage of the recent Soham murder trial has sparked off a public debate in which various voices, most notably including Roy Hattersley, have accused the British media and the British public of an unhealthy, and even prurient, interest in the details of the case. Full article

Free for all? Fans of the 1960's cult drama serial, "The Prisoner", may laugh when I argue that worrying parallels can be drawn between George Bush's ideal democracy and the political institutions of "The Village". (For those who have not seen the programme, "The Village" is a place where retired/resigned secret service agents – people who simply know too much – are incarcerated under holiday camp conditions. The majority settle down and comply, as life in the Village can be pleasant for those who conform and do not ask difficult questions.) However, I would point them towards a certain episode, "Free For All", in which the Village has its annual election for the position of No. 2, who acts as the general leader of the Village. Full article