Denzil McDaniel: Will Caroline Flack’s tragic death change anything in a cruel world?

That may sound like a self-evident truth, but it should never be used to justify the excesses of some sections of the media. Neither, on the other hand, should those in the media who act responsibly and with integrity be lumped in with the “gutter press” and condemned as one uniform body.

The awful and tragic death of Caroline Flack, presenter of ITV’s Love Island has resulted in a reaction against sections of the media who harassed and bullied her, with a petition being signed by hundreds of thousands calling for new laws to safeguard celebrities and people in the public eye from “all forms of media.”

Campaigners rail at “sections of the media happy to drag her through the ringer to sell a few more papers.” Understandable as this reaction is in the aftermath of this beautiful young woman taking her own life, I find it difficult to understand how such a law would work in practical terms. Or, indeed, if it would work at all.

I do agree that something should be done to curb the excesses of those in the media who would use people to make money, to sell papers or attract clickbait online. To hack phones, harass people at home and generally make life miserable in print or online.

But, Caroline Flack’s death has highlighted a number of things where society needs to take a long, hard look at itself.

For starters, the CPS should be held accountable for its handling of the charges into allegations that Caroline assaulted her boyfriend; despite her distraught boyfriend not wanting any prosecution, somehow the CPS proceeded with what was being described as a “show trial” ; and furthermore, pictures were leaked to The Sun newspaper from inside the bedroom where the assault was supposed to have happened.

The media feasted on this. As did the trolls and ghouls on social media.

I have written before on the general point about the cesspit that social media can be, and it’s not just celebrities who face some of the most disgusting trolling. The depraved reality is that this isn’t just criticism of someone, it ranges from insidious personal attacks to vicious, brutal venom directed at individuals, sometimes in the most disgustingly filthy language you could imagine.

The slogan “be kind” has emerged this week on many people’s timelines; and it well-intentioned. But I fear it’s going to take something much more to tackle the social media swamp.

As regards the media itself, all self-respecting journalists will search within themselves to see if they can do better. Especially as research has shown links between media coverage of suicide and increases in suicidal behaviour. Suicide remains an incredibly difficult issue in Northern Ireland.

But attacking the good journalists won’t affect the irresponsible ones.

Do we get the press we deserve? A tweet from Jim Waterson said there was a “massive backlash against the tabloids over their coverage of Caroline Flack. There’s also a massive surge in traffic from the public to the same tabloids from people wanting to read about Caroline’s death.”

But I don’t think people deserve certain sections of the media.

I don’t read The Sun, and haven’t done for years after the way they disgracefully lied about Liverpool fans in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster. Apparently, I’m not missing much in the way of responsible reporting; in addition to their sensationalist pictures of inside Caroline Flack’s house, they’ve taken down an article which mocked Caroline’s Valentine card.

And if you’re wondering if The Sun learned its lesson, on Saturday they were turning their attention to another celeb with “The disgusting reality of Katie Price’s mucky mansion with drug wrap……”

The Mail Online managed to begin a story with “This is the interior of Love Island presenter Caroline Flack’s £3,000-a-week apartment where she killed herself,” and they further got a paparazzi with a telescopic lens in Australia to photograph Caroline’s ex-boyfriend. “Ex-fiance Andrew Brady looks downcast as he reads his phone (with the news) hours after the star took her own life.”

Classy.

And on the subject of the Mail, away from the Caroline story, it was interesting to see the different treatments the paper used after Sinn Fein’s election success in the Republic. The English edition ran a headline “Is the IRA about to seize power?” complete with pictures of men in combat gear and balaclavas. The Irish edition ran with “Woman on a mission” complete with pictures of Mary Lou McDonald, whom they describe as “clever, down-to-earth” in a very cosy, complimentary piece.

Whichever sells well in the relevant area.

As an ardent believer in a free press, it doesn’t sit well with me to criticize individual media.

But, such reporting allows critics of the press and media to lump us all in together as if “the press” was all one and all behaved in the same way. It gives ammunition to those who would denigrate and undermine good journalism.

Locally, we get a Council official openly telling Councillors, and by extension the public, “don’t believe everything you read in the press” when he was describing (inaccurately, I believe) coverage of incidents in Enniskillen at night. And a Councillor trolling a local journalist’s supposed “gutter journalism” for his courageous expose of sex abuse in this area.

Globally, the forces of power seek to control and demean a free press so important to the functioning of accountable democracy. Donald Trump has a lot to answer for, but if the press tries to get him to answer he blithely brands criticism as “fake news.”

And the undermining of the press has crossed the Atlantic. A source in 10 Downing Street (we don’t know if it was Dominic Cummings) threatens to “whack the BBC” and the Johnson Government has already indicated its disdain for a press it wishes to control.

I have a lot of issues with the way the BBC is managed and wonder if it’s content is as in touch with people’s lives and issues as it should be; not to mention the BBC’s resources against the diminishing resources of all other press and media. The recent accusations of bias in it’s political reporting are a concern and overall the Beeb comes in for some fair focus on it’s news and current affairs coverage.

And, indeed, the notion of public service broadcasting which began life as the only television and radio service in the country, needs some radical reform in the era of Sky, Netflix and the rest.

I’m just uncomfortable with the Rupert Murdochs and other media moguls who own the right-wing British press using their outlets to attack the BBC, with the support of a Government which wants to further control information.

The press in under pressure as never before, but a free press working to inform the people is needed now more than ever.

The desperately sad death of Caroline Flack raises many issues for society today; the disgraceful treatment she received at the hands of unscrupulous journalists is just one of them. But it does highlight how some areas of press behaviour need reform. Just don’t use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.