Is Simon Cowell 'dead'? No, of course not.
But, as with yesterday's nonsense, someone has made a jokey remark and that has been turned into a completely misleading front page by Richard Desmond's desperate, dishonest rag.
The joke, incidentally, was that when new X Factor judge Gary Barlow was asked:
...if he had taken any advice from the music mogul, Gary cheekily remarked: “Simon who?"
And, in the hands of the Star, that becomes: 'Telly King Cowell is dead'.
It seems that if it helps flog a few extra copies, any lie will do.
(See also the Daily Star Sunday's 2008 effort 'Del Boy is dead')
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I once complained to the PCC for the stars headline that jade goody was to appear in big brother 3 years after she died, under the falsehoods section of the code. My complaint was not upheld as it was deemed that everyone would know that Jade Goody was dead and so couldn't possibly be in big brother.
ReplyDeleteEssentially this just gives the press carte-blanche to print whatever the fuck they want to sell papers if they explain it on page 94. The PCC actually needs the balls to do something.
@Iain - I was under the impression the PCC had nothing to do with the Star (or Express Newspapers in general) since January when they resigned membership of the NPA.
ReplyDeleteThis headline is the lowest one I've seen yet and that's saying something. Imagine if a friend or relative of Simon saw the headline. For an instant I'm sure they would be shocked.
ReplyDeleteI'm far from being a fan of Simon Cowell, but this is just distasteful.
ReplyDeleteanyone who reads the daily star must surely realise the majority of their 'news' is complete and utter tosh! but i do hope cowell has already mobilised his legal machine and will sue their ass off!
ReplyDeleteIt is clearly intended to mislead. Otherwise they would have said something like Cowell is "over" or "past it". (Not that that would exactly constitute a story, based on one person's throwaway remark.) To say "Cowell is dead" in a massive headline is obviously intended to make the reader believe that he is, well, dead.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, I can imagine such a crass front page being made up on the day Simon Cowell actually does die.
ReplyDeleteThe use of "The show's finally over" is possibly the lowest front page subheadline I've seen since the Jade Goody one mentioned by a previous commenter (which by the way was made while the Desmond due were still within the remit of the PCC).
I didn't think it was possible, but the Desmond Due of papers has actually been getting a lot worse since they left the NPA. They have now just become very nasty, spiteful propaganda publications rather than just heavily biased newspapers.
I cannot believe that a Newspaper ( Daily Star )
ReplyDeleteCan lead with " Telly King Cowell is Dead."
Questions should be asked about irresponsible journalism.
I wonder how many people have been walking around today saying to everyone they meet "Did you hear, Simon Cowell is dead!" after seeing the headline on a newsstand...
ReplyDeleteThis is a prime example of why we need a statutory regulator of the press. They should be fined a days takings for printing stuff like this and made to recall all copies.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the call for a regulator...why oh why is there not one?
ReplyDeleteWhy does this country just let it's newspapers print whatever the hell they want?
If freedom of the press means we can allow lies and downright dirty journalism to become commonplace (which it is now, it's no longer an exclusive thing of the tabloids) then I, for one, think freedom of the press is overrated.
I'd much rather newspapers stuck to extremely strict rules and regulations and were punished for printing lies and misinformation than have them be able to print stories which are constructed out of completely nothing.
I spoke to Cowell's mother Julie the same day as the Star front page, to get a quote on another story for another tabloid.
ReplyDeleteShe was totally distraught, having overheard some shoppers discussing her son's death. She said it was almost too much of a shock for an old woman to bear.
The Star give us all a bad name.