An "exclusive" and shocking front page photo story from the Daily Star today is accompanied with the words:
"These dramatic pictures of a stricken passenger jet show the horrifying reason why flights were grounded for five days."
So when did this happen? It looks dark so it must have been late last night. Perhaps one of the first planes to land in the UK after the lifting of the no-fly-zone? No...
"The images are part of a gripping TV reconstruction...of a near disaster ...in 1982."
Unsurprisingly, the Daily Star was swiftly removed from newstands and shops at UK airports, faster than you could say 'baseless and irresponsible scaremongering'. If they've any sense, said retailers won't bother taking it back again tomorrow.
But if it's going to go this route with its 'news', surely the Daily Star could have managed better than this.
After all, the plot of Independence Day, for example, would have been far more frightening ('The Moment Aliens Attacked Earth'), so why didn't they just pretend that had happened instead? The answer of course is because that wouldn't be preying callously upon the very real fears of nervous air passengers in the name of a disgraceful "exclusive", which in this instance means "a story no other paper would dare run on moral or professional grounds".
I hate titles like that. grrh...
Posted by: Tanya Singh | Apr 21, 2010 at 21:48
Ironic that this is David Cameron's 'favourite' paper—he couldn't have picked a better one at random, could he?
Posted by: IC | Apr 22, 2010 at 17:31
I did some shifts at the Star a good few years ago and was offered a full-time position there. It was clear to see back then it was heading towards new depths, (partly why I turned them down) but this is just unbelievable.
The fact their sales are going up is even more depressing, though.
Posted by: William Anderton | Apr 22, 2010 at 17:55