The Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, has apologised today for saying that "almost nobody" could understand why the Soham murders became "the biggest story in Britain". He also said the media was guilty of "institutional racism" in their reporting of murders, favouring coverage of middle-class, white victims.
His comments attracted a firestorm of criticism in today's papers. The Sun says Blair has "lost the plot". "Why all the fuss over Soham, asks police chief" is how the front page of the Daily Mail paraphrases the controversy. In the Express, the headline is "Police chief: Who cares about Holly and Jessica?"
So was the Soham case an example of the media's judgement being distorted because the case hit a nerve with middle England? Or is the job of the media to do precisely that - to be in touch with their readers' anxieties? How can and should the media assess whether one murder is more newsworthy than another?
