I believe over 1,000 people were murdered due to the actions of a UK national newspaper

This exclusive story is based upon the 'thread' "Knife metaphor abuse - effective incitement to commit knife crime dispute with DMGT plc / Daily Mail newspaper and group", which is on the 'Stop Knife Crime.... NOW!' board on Facebook.

IS THE DAILY MAIL NEWSPAPER GUILTY OF INCITEMENT TO MURDER,
ON VAST NUMBER OF OCCASIONS?

On the same day that Commander Brian Paddick launched the "softly softly" cannabis experiment in North Lambeth, London, in July 2001, the Daily Mail front page headline was

"KNIVES ARE OUT FOR GORDON BROWN".

Between this date and May 1st 2009, the Daily Mail and it's associated group of newspaper used these "knife metaphor cacophemisms" on over 150 occasions. To give more examples, on January 8th 2006, the Mail on Sunday ran the page 3 headline:-

"NOW THEY WILL STAB HIM IN THE FRONT".

On the 7th December 2006, the London Evening Standard printed an article headlined:-

"KNIVES COME OUT FOR MICHAEL GRADE." On the 1st May 2009 the Daily Mail newspaper printed on page 11 "AFTER A WEEK TO FORGET, THE KNIVES ARE OUT".
The Daily Mail also printed 3 double-page spread headlines:- "WHO WILL WIELD THE KNIFE?", "KNIVES COME OUT.." and "KNIVES COME OUT AGAIN..", verbatim.

I first started writing to Mr. Dacre, Chief Editor for Daily Mail group in 2001 to urge him to stop using knife cacophemisms - often by Special Delivery post, so as to prevent resultant knife crime due to uneducated, violent youngsters' literal misinterpretation, and also the catalyst effect to those with a very serious mental condition. Significantly, in 2001, each time I wrote, the Daily Mail would use knife cacophemisms even more, sometimes on a weekly basis. And on a weekly basis, people were being murdered with knives. Testimony was sent in 2006 (from a criminal) that these headlines would lead to knife crime. Finally in 2006, the Managing Editor of the newspaper assured that the cacophemisms would not further be used, after a brief break - the newspaper resumed using "knives are out" cacophemisms. The Chief Executive of DMGT plc was sent a cease and desist letter on June 22nd, requesting immediate cessation of use of knife cacophemisms in the interests of prevention of violence.

In September of 2008 my business paid for a one-off £1,800 "open letter" advertisement in the Times newspaper, yet again complaining about these violent headlines, and now pointing out the fact that I had spoken to 3 individuals who had cited The Daily Mail headline's for their knife crimes (these particular individuals had not commited murder incidentally).

However, at 8pm the evening before publication, the Managing Editor of the Times newspaper phoned to say that the open letter had been pulled because the Times felt that Mr. Dacre should be given a chance to defend these allegations. I was assured that Paul Dacre would telephone me - he never did, he got his deputy to, who proceeded to defend the newspaper as best he could. However, the use of knife cacophemisms STILL continued.

This newspaper company has ceased since June 22nd to use knife cacophemisms as headlines, however subsequent to the cease and desist letter they have now put knife cacophemisms into article text (on July 26th) as follows verbatim:- "In the wake of the credit crunch, however, the knives are out."

If the case is fully proven, I will seek a very substantial charity donation from Associated Newspapers Ltd. If DMGT will not co-operate, I will need to invoke corporate incitement to murder legal action.

There has been a massive reduction in UK knife crime since the Daily Mail were asked to stop printing "Knives are out" / "Knives come out" ! Other newspaper editors were telephoned in early July to request ceasing use of knife metaphors.

reply to post by TheDailyPlanet


What you are implying is that the Daily Mail deliberately included headlines that induced more knife crimes? Am I reading this right?

www.waylink-english.co.uk...

To quote from the above website - 'Cultural Implications' section:-

"With a metaphor, because the comparison is not explicit, it can lead to confusion. If the comparison is not recognized, the expression may be taken literally instead of figuratively."


Brain Region Linked to Metaphor Comprehension By Sarah Graham
www.scientificamerican.com...

"Metaphors make for colorful sayings, but can be confusing when taken literally. A study of people who are unable to make sense of figures of speech has helped scientists identify a brain region they believe plays a key role in grasping metaphors."

These are the same bunch of retards who complained about a pair of shoes called Nike Air Stab. Their accusations are ridiculously lame.

I'm sorry to say that every time in 2001 that I complained to Paul Dacre by Special Delivery post (pointing out that these knife metaphors may lead to violence), the reaction of the newspaper was to use the knife metaphor cacophemisms more within the headlines of its newsprint, and week in week out there were constant knife attacks and murders with knives.


[edit on 16-9-2009 by TheDailyPlanet]

The only time I have EVER seen a proper anti-knife crime article in the Daily Mail newspaper, was just ONCE in the last 8 years, in March 2007. I was 'incandescent with rage' on a BT payphone to Daily Mail executives back in March 2007 demanding that they print an article titled "Knives are put away" to reverse the back then ever-increasing knife crime which I said the Daily Mail "Knives come out" headlines were massively contributing to. 2 days later the Daily Mail printed the one-off article "Put the guns and knives down".

I think you are right it is easy to see these all the times in the papers and the news on tv and think. wow its dangerou out there. i need a knife to protect myself.

I myself used to carry a knife for many years and a year or so after it was made illegal to do so. not once in any confrontation i had did i pull it out on anybody even though i could have, and got away with it.

But i didn't carry it for protection, it was usefull to have one one you.

a minority of people have ruined it for us, if i get caught with one now i can go to prison...for a peice of sharp metal. for somethingi never intend to use as a weapon...you can kill someone with a biro in the eye, or soft underbelly, and these are legal. they are both tools.

reply to post by TheDailyPlanet


I've heard about and read about and watched movies about "sleepers" who are given "triggers" which compel them to do certain pre-programmed actions without memory of said actions. Would this in any way relate to your concerns? The headlines including wording such as you've included in the OP like, "the knives are out" being a codeword enducing these sleepers to step up knife crime for some nefarious purpose?

By my research I have been able to find out that the "Knives are out" headlines can be psychotic catalytic triggers inducing a psychosis in a small percentage of readers - a fraction of 1%, who are seriously mentally disturbed, whereby they feel that these headlines literally pertain to them and how they should behave and conduct themselves.

I haven't seen the film Sleepers, but I can see the relevance.

..........................................



For your information, here is the open letter that was booked and paid for but that the Times withdrew just before taking the paper off stone (meaning signed off to go to print) on the Friday night of the 12th September 2008:-


Open letter from Mr. PETER DEW published in THE TIMES
ATN:- CHIEF EDITOR [AND DIRECTORS OF] ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS LTD. [DAILY MAIL GROUP],
MR. PAUL DACRE, 2 DERRY STREET, LONDON, W8 5TT

Dear Mr. Dacre, Saturday September 13th 2008

I WISH to see 'knife crime' eradicated, as do all well brought up, decent people in this country. Today I am publishing this open letter to you in the Times, to express my continued serious concern at your newspaper's ever frequent use of cacophemism headlines involving the analogy of 'knives'. Last Saturday's Daily Mail had an article headline including the phrase "..rushing to put the knife into Mr. Brown". Since July 2001, when a front page headline of the Daily Mail was "Knives Are Out for Gordon Brown", your group of newspapers have chosen to include knife cacophemisms in headlines regularly - I believe in an obsessive manner. Your group encompassing papers such as Metro, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Evening Standard & online content has published headlines - I quote verbatim - "Knives come out..", "Knives come out again..", "Now they will stab him in the front", "Who will wield the knife..", "Knives are out.." & many other similar headlines, on well over 150 occasions since July '01.

I sent your newspaper group by Special Delivery on 10th June 2006 testimony from an ex-knife criminal. In this testimony the now reformed individual stated that they believe they were influenced to commit their particular crime after reading such a headline in your paper - it was their catalyst for the crime. I have interviewed another ex-knife criminal who has also stated that a Daily Mail headline was a catalyst for his crime! Despite sending 10 letters to you since '01, the use of cacophemisms continues.

I urge you to stop using knife cacophemisms. It is my personal opinion that I believe you run a serious risk that your newspaper will lose credibility as a family paper if you persist in printing headlines featuring phrases such as or similar to "Knives come out". And if I ran a "family newspaper" like yours, I would strive to print no murder.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dew.


[edit on 16-9-2009 by TheDailyPlanet]

Great thread DP. Hit the ground running. I like that.

This would make a great thriller movie, if it were not so real. The idea of headlines contributing to a specific type of crime, or being used a s trigger is just so way out there that it makes sense.

Thanks for making me never look at newspapers again.

Of course, the problem with this scenario is that it suggests that 'hoodies' in Brum, Manchester and South London all read the Daily Mail.

A paper, which, is predominantly read by the elderly and lunatic right-wingers.

Of circa 2 million circulation and 5 million readers of the printed newspaper - and that does not even include millions more viewing the paper online - you will have had many stray copies of the paper to land in the hands of (potential) criminals, or that end up in the hands of 15 / 16 year olds who literally misinterpret these headlines.

"With a metaphor, because the comparison is not explicit, it can lead to confusion. If the comparison is not recognized, the expression may be taken literally instead of figuratively."

In the case of the Daily Mail, there are at the very least 100,000s of people who are under 18 as readers, particularly the children who are passed the "family newspaper" after the parents have finished with it. And just imagine, somewhere, for real, back in January 2006, someone telling their mate "In my Mum's paper it said they're going to stab someone in the front". That person then may tell their friends, and before you know it you have yet another homicide, because in literal meaning the newspaper headline is saying it's OK to commit knife crime (against Gordon Brown, against Charles Kennedy or whoever), so if it's OK to commit knife crime against a politician.... those with a violent nature or potential will be far more likely to commit knife crime.

The problem that I immediately saw in July of 2001, when I was in North Lambeth, London, was that the front-page headline that the Daily Mail had used as displayed to all in the newsagents:-

"Knives Are Out for Gordon Brown"

could EASILY be interpreted as "Get the knives out for Gordon Brown" by potential criminals. I knew regrettably that knife crime would possibly become a massive problem in the UK because of this headline alone.

During the "knife amnesty", in the Mail on Sunday, Mr. Peter Hitchens had a headline to his article about the knife amnesty as follows:-

"Knives are out".

A headline that many youngsters have said to me that they think means "Get the knives out" ! How can they be allowed to get away with this? In the article, he said that the knife amnesty had been a complete pointless failure, and said that carrying of knife weapons etc. should lead to stiffer penalties (I don't dispute that).

However, during the early part of the knife amnesty I noticed that there was a reduction in reported murders and attacks. At a point in time that was statistically convenient to make the observation, Mr. Paul Dacre, of the Daily Mail, wrote in his Comment, words to the effect of:-

"The knife amnesty has been a failure. The blame lies squarely with Tony Blair."

If I had been running this newspaper, I would have taken the fortnight where there was much less knife crime going on, and said

"There are signs that the knife amnesty is being a success."
(Such that a motivating catalyst for driving knife crime down is created)

But Mr.Hitchens article was headlined "Knives are out" - just those words.
Mid knife amnesty you printed that as a headline !

I have now spoken to 4 people in my town alone who cite Daily Mail knife cacophemism headlines as catalyst to their crimes! That's 4 out of a town population of 20,000 - imagine the country.

TheDailyPlanet, fantastic research and insight!

I agree with you 100% that something odd is going on for them to use so many knife references

It can be triggers in some people... Some people have mental issues and if they see something referencing to 'stab' or 'knife' especially when it is frequently used, they will act upon it, or knife someone instead of punching someone.

I never trusted the MSM and this only cements the belief that they are using psychological tricks to incite crime by mentally fragile peoples

to your research, and perseverance.

MSM is up TO NO GOOD!

Thanks, Star in a jar, I have to confess though I don't know what MSM means ?

reply to post by TheDailyPlanet


What utter nonsense.

Are you saying teenagers who routinely carry knives suddenly find themsleves reading the Daily Mail, seeing headlines about knives and are then compelled to go out and stab someone?

Really? Is that what you're saying?!

Please, do not be so ridiculous!

The problem is, just as the youngsters who I spoke to expressed grave concerns about the headline:-

"Rape Girl, 13, stoned to death"

which they couldn't understand as not being an incitement to rape,

the MAJORITY of youngsters who I have interviewed understood "Knives are out", to mean "Get the knives out", literally.

reply to post by TheDailyPlanet
MSM means MainStream Media

(All the 'major' newspaper and media outlets out there)

Granted not all of them do this, but trigger words are an possibility and if it is proven to cause people to 'snap' then there should be an investigation into its use, especially when the word 'Knife' or its derivatives are spelled out in big bold letters displayed through the glass or plastic in the newspaper boxes... Doesn't mean someone needs to pick it up and flip through the pages to see the words 'KNIFE' screaming at them in bold lettering, all they need to see are the words that's displayed through the glass.



[edit on 16-9-2009 by star in a jar]

During January 2004, there had been a period of greater stability in respect of a great reduction in violent crime. I analysed the Daily Mail circulation graph during this period and it was rising, the newspaper was printing very happy stories on page 3, and generally this newspaper was quite an uplifting read during this period. Then, the paper printed a "Knives are out" headline and all the violence and murder resumed.

I am aware now that the phrase knives are out existed prior to July 2001, but I had never seen it used in newsprint, and I can assure you that there was far less use of the phrase "knives are out" prior to July 2001.

You simply can't print a headline "Now they will stab him in the front" or "After a week to forget, the knives are out", and expect this to work in favour of ridding the country of knife crime, it's actually quite obvious that it encourages it.

If you feel strongly about this - you may have noticed the massive reduction in knife crime which I hope to God is firmly maintained - please support by spreading the word about these horrendous headlines and their human cost.

Other headlines - the first quotation was in fact a front page banner - which have caused major problems printed verbatim in the Daily Mail:-

"Who will give Tony Blair a bloody nose?" Fights everywhere that week in Britain.

"Swords are out for.." (A man was murdered with a sword within days, subsequently reported in the Daily Mail).

"Rape girl, 13, stoned to death". (I argued to the Managing Editor's office that for the sake of one letter - d - they could have made this a non-problematic headline, that the mentally ill or potential criminal with a warped nature could take this as a catalyst to rape a girl. Just a few days later, the report was given in the Daily Mail about a 14 year old who had been gangraped by a group of feral youths).

Last year the Daily Mail did something they hadn't done before - they printed "Knives are out for..." as a smaller headline on the right hand page. Just days later 8 people were stabbed to death in a single 24 hour period, and I am sure that this headline was the catalyst!

I have personally been driven sick by buying the Daily Mail and year after year seeing on innumerable occasions, headlines like:-

"Knives are out for marriage"

and days later, in the same paper, reading about the resultant murder - usually 3 or 4 days later.

Well, is it any wonder?

When I phoned Met Police on 0300 123 1212, they were not able to help me as a single lone individual phoning up about it.

Originally posted by TheDailyPlanet
The problem is, just as the youngsters who I spoke to expressed grave concerns about the headline:-

"Rape Girl, 13, stoned to death"

which they couldn't understand as not being an incitement to rape,

the MAJORITY of youngsters who I have interviewed understood "Knives are out", to mean "Get the knives out", literally.

I'm sorry, its clear you genuinely believe this but serisously, this is an insane preoccupation to have.

You are so misguided on so many levels.

If you believe this is right and I am wrong may i suggest you persuade a university to perform a proper academic study into it and you get on with your life.