Unless you’re chronically online or into British TV, you probably haven’t heard of former Member of Parliament Ann Widdecombe, who was found murdered in her Devon, U.K. home on July 9. Widdecombe was well-known for her conservative views; and it was most likely for these views that she was struck 21 times in the head with a hammer.
Yet, every major U.K. and U.S. news network that bothered to mention this violent death carefully avoided implying a political motive, even while most of them made very clear that Widdecombe’s suspected murderer was a “white British national.”
So far, more articles have mentioned the fact that Widdecombe’s alleged murderer was white and British than have actually mentioned his name, Joshua Kerry. British police have refused to speculate on motive, and so have the news networks.
The BBC stated that Kerry “was charged with one count of murder on Monday night (7/20) following an investigation led by counter-terrorism detectives,” without specifying why counter-terrorism units were involved in the case.
"‘It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in any way prejudice these proceedings’” said Chief Crown Prosecutor Frank Ferguson, as reported in The Guardian.
That’s an odd statement, and we seem to only see it made in these types of political cases where the perpetrator is likely a leftist.
“Police had previously said there was no information to suggest Widdecombe’s murder was an act of terrorism or politically motivated,” CNN reported, paragraphs before clarifying police were, in fact, investigating a political motive. CNN also cited the Devon-Cornwall police statement, where the only information given about the apprehended suspect was that he was “a white British national.”
The news media repeated that line ad nauseam.
Reuters’s latest piece on the case admitted that Widdecombe “was targeted, although the motive remains under investigation.” The only information they gave on the suspect was that he was “a white British national from Rotherham.”
CBS also reported that police “were seeking a White male suspect, who former U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as ‘clearly dangerous.’”
Imagine the backlash and cries of ‘racism’ if the suspect had been any other race, or an immigrant. In those kinds of cases, the media just finds it easier to describe the alleged criminal as a local, or simply not give any identifying information at all.
The Independent gave a rather detailed account of Kerry’s background, including that his “uncle described his nephew as a ‘gentle giant’ who is ‘polite’ and ‘very shy.’” However, they noticeably omitted any political or ideological ties.
In his only statement about Widdecombe’s death, Starmer gave no indication of a political or ideological motive, though he has done so for many cases before when the victims of crime were not white, Christian, or right-leaning.
So, if the media wants to earn back some of their lost credibility, they need to lose this double standard and accurately and consistently report on perpetrators.
