The 'death knock'

Freelance journalist and trainer Chris Wheal has written a moving article on his blog about the behaviour of the media following the death of his nine-year-old nephew.

An experienced journalist, Chris said the experience was an 'eye-opener'.

He says that while the nationals were 'lazy' and just relied on churnalism, most of the local media was 'good'. However, there was one exception:

After getting my statement issued though the police and having seen rival papers out-scoop and take a more news-focused attitude...the News in Portsmouth sent a reporter to doorstep my sister. He was met with a torrent of abuse...

This was on Sunday. I tried to contact the News, with no luck. I called the police media officer, who called the crime reporter, who said it was unlikely to have been the News behaving like that. Later that night I did get confirmation from the News that it was them – and an apology.

Chris also highlights the vultures offering the family cash for 'their story':

Someone claiming to be from Love It magazine had phoned to offer cash...

Agency SWNS also called my sister yesterday offering money for the story – there is just no way they would accept money and you have to admit it is sick of the agency to even offer.

He ends:

My sister is not me. She is an inherently private person, as is her husband. They have never courted publicity. They have never sought to be in the press. They are not celebrities. I ask the press of consider that and leave them alone.

The media leads the pack

Sir Fred Goodwin ranks as one of the most unpopular man in Britain at the moment, as well one of its worst businessmen, having taken RBS to the brink of failure and requiring £33bn of public funds. He then walked away with a £700,000-a-year pension.

But however much of a useless banker you may think he is, vandalising his home isn't the answer - especially when his two school-aged children could have been inside (although it seems the family have been living abroad).

Cast your mind back a couple of weeks to the protests in Luton by Muslims at a soldier's homecoming parade. One of the demonstrators had his home and car attacked and vandalised within days.

So, two men turned into public hate figures by the media, and both have their homes attacked. Do you think at any point, anyone in Fleet Street will have thought - maybe we go too far sometimes?