TruthSeeker: The Madeline McCann Story

This is a story that's tailor made for me, as the TruthSeeker. Because of the fact that the Portuguese legal system doesn't release anywhere near as much information as the British legal system does, it has meant a very frustrating time for the 24/7 news networks and for the newspapers trying to increase their circulation, as well as for those of us who have been trying to follow the story.

There has been a lot of rumour and counter-rumour going on. Rumours which have been widely reported in some areas of the press, because there has been little else to report. So, as a public service, I am going to report ONLY the facts that we can be certain of.

It was on the 3rd May 2007, when Madeline McCann disappeared from the apartment that her family were staying in for their holiday in Praia Da Luz. 12 days later, British ex-pat Robert Murat is officially labelled an "arguido" by police. Arguido is a term in the Portuguese legal system which means the person has been officially called a 'suspect' in the case.

On 10 July, Robert Murat was re-questioned by police. In Early August, police spend 2 days in a search of Robert Murat's home. On the 6th September, Madeline's mother, Kate McCann is questioned for over 11 hours. The following day, she is questioned again, and also declared an "arguido". On the same day, Kate's husband, Gerry McCann is also questioned. He too is decalred an "arguido."

Two days later, on the 9th September, the McCann family return home to Rothley in Leicestershire. Two days after that. the Prosecutor's office in Portimao confirm that they have recieved the police files from the case, and are deciding whether the case should go before an instructional judge. They have 10 days to make this decision.

As this case develops, I will update this entry with new, factual, information. I will not report any of the rumours or unconfrimed reports here. So make sure you come back during the case to see what the facts are.

'Gobby' Gibson vs Bath-tub boy: Gobby spins out!

Olbermann Watch is a 'conservative' blog which focuses it's attention on deriding Keith Olbermann of MSNBC. OW recently posted on YouTube a video piece which they cobbled together mixing audio from John Gibson's Fox News Talk radio show, and added some still pictures.

The clip is pure anti-Olbermann propoganda, so bare that in mind, as I post it here.



But I have checked the official MSNBC transcripts for the 'offending' edition of Countdown, which aired on Monday 10th September 2007. This is the question that Keith Olbermann was asking, in full...

"One egregious thing that happened that did not involve the Petraeus per se, that I wanted to ask you about. Instead of weighing the merits of the Petraeus testimony, the presidential candidates put out statements criticizing moveon.org for its General Petraeus or general “betray us” ad today. The ranking Republicans in their opening statements at the joint hearing this afternoon did the same thing. Congressman Hunter saying attacking the messenger was outrageous, not to defend that phraseology.

But has anybody noticed that the administration and Republicans in Congress and specifically Mr. Hunter of California have spent the length of this war doing nothing but attacking the messenger when they did not like the messenger‘s message about Iraq?"

It's funny. John Gibson, or 'Gobby' as I like to call him, because he is 100% mouth with no brains, no trousers and it seems, no sense at all, was claiming that Olbermann was say he, Keith Olbermann, wasn't defending a phrase that had appeared as a chyron some weeks earlier, yet it clearly reads like a quote. The question was pointing out the hypocrisy of others who have attacked the messenger in the past, yet are telling others not to attack the messenger now. Of course, it all depends on the message.

But basically, Gobby clipped the piece, to make it seem that KO was being a liar and a hypocrite, when in fact, the question read rather differently when read in full.

This is one of the tricks that the unscrupulous parts of the media do. Take small clips out of context in order to demonstrate a point that they want to put forward. Gobby's anti-Olbermann agenda is well known and rather obvious. It also seems not to be based on fact but on some personal grieveance.

As with many such pieces, the TruthSeeker finds that the only truths here are the tiny pieces of 'evidence' which is then used to come up with a ridiculous conclusion, based less on facts and more on personal opinion. Gobby's show seems more to be about how brash and abrasive he can be, and how much of an ego he can have. This was purely propoganda, against a competing anchor at a competitior's network, a network the host used to work for.

Meet The TruthSeeker

Welcome to my newest blog, and I hope you will keep visiting.

You will know me from the Viewpoint blog I write, and from the contirbutions I make to the EMC MediaBlog, but this, for me, is new.

This blog is much more specific in nature than Viewpoint, which is a very eclectic blog which reflects my eclectic views and interests. TruthSeeker however is very much what it says. It is about finding the truth, the cold hard facts, from amongst the spin, lies, rumour, propoganda and misinformation that gets spread by the media sometimes, not always deliberately.

Many times I have seen or heard a rumour reported as such early on, yet within hours it gets reported as fact without any additional information having come through to support it.

This isn't just a blog to me. TruthSeeker is not something that I choose to do, it is who I am. Deep down within me is a being who completely despises the spin that certain parts of the media put on the news, and in many ways, I am determined to show just how bad the media can be.

In a world of ideologies, I am the realist.
In a world of extremes, I am the centre.
In a world of propogandists, I am the TruthSeeker.

Bill O'Reilly tends to refer to his show as a "No Spin Zone". This blog IS a real no-spin zone. My scissors are sharpened, ready to cut through anything that isn't cold, hard, undeniable fact. The X-Files used to say that "The Truth Is Out There." Well, it is out there, and I will work to make sure the truth is here, too.

Now you have been introduced to the TruthSeeker. I look forward to you joining me in my continuing quest for the cold hard facts, and the undeniable truth that is out there, amongst the lies, the spin, the opinions, the propoganda, the rumour, the misinformation. It's never easy, but it will be worthwhile.

Stay sharp!