Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
February 16, 2009

Are the Poveratti outsmarting the Press?

By Grey Cardigan

I ask this question because following the Shannon Matthews case, where a couple of dim chavs tried to cash in on a media monster, we now have baby-faced Alfie Patten put firmly in the frame for allegedly fathering a child when he was just 12 years old. A good story indeed, but only down to the picture … and only if it’s true.

 

Now this underage fecundity is nothing new amongst the nation’s Underclass, particularly when the mother is a relatively respectable, nay elderly, 15. But the old hack’s news nose starts twitching when it turns out that Chantelle Steadman, the young lady concerned, may have had up to eight (EIGHT) gentleman callers at the time of conception, and when one views the knowing alacrity with which Alfie’s father enlisted the services of Max Clifford to negotiate a megabucks deal with the red-tops.

 

Did poor Alfie get bumped onto the front pages by his father just to turn a few quid? Did the train actually ever leave the station in this brief encounter? Are we all being conned – not least the bean-counters at The Sun – by a cynical display of native cunning by the media-wise Poveratti?

 

I wouldn’t be at all surprised.

 

And meanwhile I hear that Alfie has today signed up with the Fathers-4-Justice campaign. Well, he already had the Batman outfit…

 

Pip, pip!

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Websites in our network