Journalism ???

Earlier this year a man who I am proud to be able to say was my friend lost his life in a tragic accident. His funeral was one of the most difficult days I've ever experienced.

As it was a road accident there had to be an inquest, which took place yesterday. At that inquest the coroner recorded a verdict of traumatic road death.

Also at that inquest an eye witness said he saw my friend riding like a "muppet", using that word, I presume, in the derogatory sense.

The Metro newspaper today decided to run a short article about the inquest presumably because my friend was once a member of a popular beat combo. Not only was the word "muppet" used in the articles headline but in the ensuing 3 sentence article they managed to cram it in a further 2 times.

Not satisfied with that level of insensitivity The Metro newspaper accompanied the article not with a picture of my friend, as they claimed, but of another member of the popular beat combo he was a member of. I can assure you all that the gentleman pictured is very much alive.

So I ask you, in a newspaper article that ran to a 5 word headline and 3 sentences was it really neccessary to use the derogatory term "muppet" 3 times in order to describe someone I would confidently guess they have never met ? Did they not stop to think of the effect this might have on my friends family, children, friends and others who still feel his loss very keenly ? No...obviously not.

The Metro newspaper couldn't even do enough research to ensure they got a picture of the correct person printed with the article, or (and please excuse my pendantry here) to write the name of the popular beat combo of which my friend was once a member correctly, so why should we believe that anything else they write has been researched well enough to deserve any credence ?

I've never been personally affected before about what is known as tabloid "journalism" but I'm bloody angry about this. Sometimes I just feel the need to Vent, and this is as good a place as any. Rest easy Controller...