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February 16, 2009

NoW and Sunday Mirror trade bragging rights over Jade Goody splash

By Dominic Ponsford1

I was somewhat dismayed to see both the News of the World and the Sunday Mirror have on their front pages the first ‘exclusive’ interviews with Jade Goody since she was told her cancer was apparently fatal.

The NoW was the only title to have an exclusive official interview with Goody – while the Sunday Mirror and other titles played catch up with the story.

I think it gives the impression of crass insensitivity to be trading front-page bragging rights over such a sad story – with the ‘exclusive’ tag.

Jade has every right to deal with her private troubles publicly – just as many journalists over the years have dealt with cancer and other illnesses by writing regular columns and blogs.

Hers is a story which has enormous interest for tabloid readers and deserves to be told. But I fear the red-tops got the tone wrong with the way they displayed the story today.

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