Alex Deane: The bonkers Indy

This morning’s big story was the series of raids in Birmingham on homes of those suspected of plotting to kidnap, torture and murder a British Muslim serving in our armed forces.  Every paper led with it.  Except The Independent.  That august publication chose instead to run with this (left).

It is, a story about poor treatment that a family of Muslims has apparently received from various government bodies, culminating in their deportation.  Its appearance today, one would guess, is motivated by a misplaced desire to show "the other side" of the story.

I freely admit that this is nothing new – The Indy has been doing bonkers things with its front page for years.  But the "other side of the story" exists within the kidnap story.  As (for example) The Telegraph reports:

"Shabir Hussain, who preaches at the Ludlow Road mosque near to Jackson Road, said… "We came here to work hard and bring our children up as good British citizens. What has gone wrong?"

The kidnap plot is apparently one of thirty major plots being monitored or investigated by MI5.  The issue at the core of all of them, and the plot to kidnap a Muslim soldier in particular, is the battle within the Muslim community between those who wish to keep the law, and those who don’t – those who wish to be British, and those who subscribe first and foremost to a doctrine of fundamentalist hatred. 

Certainly, Austin Mitchell might write a story for you about a more photogenic story about an example of the former.  There is probably merit in the story, I don’t know.  But to run with it at the expense of the biggest story of the day because, on the face of it, it doesn’t fit with your political agenda… well, you might as well do what The Times used to do, and use your front page to display adverts.

Comments

[jimmy]

"you might as well ... use your front page to display adverts"

Adverts, of a kind - but of opinions not products. Essentially it's putting your opinion leader on the front page. And the tenor of constant indignation... well it's a bit tiresome, isn't it?