Jo Yeates murder inquiry yields second suspect

The police in Bristol have arrested another man. His name is being given locally as Vincent Tabak, a 32 year old Dutch National. The BBC reports that a flat in the same building which Jo Yeates occupied with her boyfriend is being searched and scaffolding has gone up.

Mr. Tabak finds himself in a similar position to Christopher Jefferies. That of being arrested on suspicion of murder. What I find odd is that the media is not seeking to reveal details of Mr. Tabak as they did Mr. Jefferies. Is this because they have been told to say nothing or because they don't see any mileage for boosting circulation?

I hope all involved in this are treated fairly and receive equal treatment. Somehow my antennae are twitching, telling me that the media is not fair and fairness is something that we can only hope for rather than expect.

Vince Cable, Bordan Tkachuk, Stuart Baggs and the pesky press!

I've been doing a bit of web surfing. Setting people up appears to be the new game in town. Or at least this week's Christmas present for some. Personally I think that the giggling Telegraph reporter heard on the tape setting up Vince Cable just about shows up the present mentality in reporting.

The Telegraph got some juicy bits. They don't like the Coalition and they think LibDems in general are dodgy dealers. The fact that the Conservatives failed to win outright is lost on the Telegraph editors. They have "An Agenda". An agenda which impels them to be selective in as much as they cut out the bits they feel may torpedo the agenda. Then what happens to such devious behaviour? They in turn get a whistleblower divulging the fact that they held back on stuff about Murdoch. Cynical, or what?

We all know politics is tough going. But we don't need flibbertigibbets going round sneaking on private conversations. Stupid young woman. She won't get another "off the record" remark in her entire journalistic career. She's just kiboshed that. We'll now get far less of the free speech. In fact, it's almost gone in a flash. Just tight-lipped cocktail talk without the cocktails. Oh, and what will we hear from Ed Prissimiliband the first time one of his lot says anything indiscreet?

Now to Bordan Tkachuk (pictured). Who's he some may say. He's one of Lord Sugar's trusted associates. I'm a great fan of the Apprentice and I think Bordan is just right as a TV supporting act. In the interview stage episode Bordan grills Stuart "The Brand" Baggs by asserting that Baggs has something wrong on his CV. This is usual stuff in the show. It's designed to unsettled the candidate. When I watched this I took it for granted that Baggs had overstepped the mark. But I'm no computer expert. Gimlet-eyed (and eared) techies knew instantly that Bordan was wrong on points. Apparently he doesn't know his protocols from his providers. In this case, Stuart Baggs was bombarded by a "fact" that his brain couldn't comprehend or conclusively agree with or deny. He just sat back and accepted whatever was said.

Interestingly, Bordan had his own run in with the press some years back when he was misreported. It even went to court. The trouble with the media, both TV and press is that we are all a commodity to them. Vince Cable, Bordan Tkachuk, Stuart Baggs, et al. All been in, through and out of the ringer. Some try to come back and put others through it as a form of cathartic release.

All I know is that all three that I have mentioned here appear decent, yet fallible, humans, just like almost all of us. All that's happened is they just didn't have their wits about them 24/7 (as an Apprentice contestant might say). But who on earth does? Certainly not giggling Telegraph reporters.

I hope 2011 will see an end to "setting people up" and all this sneaky stuff. Transparency, yes! But this is not the way to get it.

Leave Gillian Duffy alone!

Good heavens, she only popped out for a loaf of bread. Now the media is camped outside her daughter's house. These guys are like a dog with a bone. They just can't leave well alone.

We all know what Mrs.Duffy said, we know what she thinks about it. At least the Prime Minister said something sensible today, which was to forget about it all. What on earth does the media think Mrs. Duffy has to add to the story.

Look, she's had her Andy Warhol moment. For heaven's sake leave the poor woman alone! A friend says, "She can't do normal things. She can’t go to get her hair done tomorrow like she wants to. She's got to have a full police escort. I am worried for her health and I'm sure her family are too. It's changed Gillian's life."

I bet it's that bloody Murdoch and his minions. I wish he'd never left Australia!

Murdoch says "I shape the agenda!"

Rupert Murdoch is a man who doesn't often fail in getting his own way. An Australian masquerading as an American, with a penchant for having a bash at Brits he despises "You British can be such...." and so on. He may be OK with his friends, but the rest of us have to make do with him manipulating his own media so that he can, in his own words, SHAPE THE AGENDA. He's shaped it big time with Fox News. He freely admits he followed the Bush policy detail. Even though he acknowledges that some are against the War in Iraq, I bet it doesn't bother him that much.

This little video shows he's still keen on manipulation. Shaping the agenda, indeed!!

Madeleine McCann "suspect" sues the press big time!

Ever since a gabby journalist from the Sunday Mirror spoke out of turn during the early days of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, life has been intolerable for Robert Murat. He just happened to live in the same small town, but was fingered by the loose lips of a female reporter. She thought he was acting suspiciously, but just went on her feelings alone. Her words were taken up by all and sundry in the media. His house was turned upside down, his personal life dissected like a dead mouse on a clinician's table. Now he is suing Sky News, the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star, Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Metro, Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, News of the World, Sun and the Scotsman. The biggest libel action for many moons.

Murat has been the subject of relentless speculation, much of it just questionable prurience. The only recourse in these instances is to sue for defamation damages. His Portuguese lawyer thinks, "After what was reported, it is very easy to understand this decision." Too true. One wonders what these media outlets are going to come up with in their defence.

Media lawyer and litigation expert Dan Tench, a partner at Olswang solicitors, described allegations made in the Portuguese press and repeated in British outlets as "a media feeding frenzy that at times paid little regard to the legal niceties". Legal niceties are way down on the list of the Murdoch Media and the likes of the porno-backed Daily Express!

Let's see how it all pans out!