I have been shocked at the crass headlines and the disturbing spectacle of this child's dire predicament being exposed in the public forum.
And I have been left wondering: what does this say about the media's attitude to children and its disregard for the consequences of their coverage on the life of a child and a family? News should not be an ethics-free zone.
The private becomes very public
Connor became news because his mother, Nicola McKeown, and grandmother, Barbara Bake, chose to speak to print and visual media about the situation, including their fear that a child protection conference might lead to a decision to take Connor into care.
Connor's predicament was first reported in the Sunday Sun, a Newcastle newspaper, in December 2006. The story was picked up in January by GMTV.
Connor and his family were filmed over a month for the ITV programme 'Tonight with Trevor McDonald'. A full half- hour on Connor replaced the scheduled topic for Monday 26 February, presumably because the impending child protection conference (27 February) made the story newsworthy.
In the 'Tonight' footage the whole family, including Connor's 18-year-old sister Sasha, came across as genuinely concerned and desperate for help.
Yet my own concerns multiplied as I watched. Ms McKeown had already been quoted as saying she was very worried that Connor had been bullied at school and shouted at on the street.
So, what will that eight-year-old boy experience, now that total strangers know what he looks like in his underwear and that his grandmother has to wash his 'little bits' for him (both in the 'Tonight' programme). The catchy phrase 'Demolition boy' used in the Sunday Times report (25 February) was soon part of the story told across internet sites.
The media's responsibility for accuracy
I am also critical of the scant knowledge journalists seem to have about basics of the child protection system. Reports in the Sunday Times, the The Mail on Sunday (both 25 February) and The Guardian (26 February) all led their stories with the option of taking Connor into care, with minimal emphasis that this step is a last resort.
The front-page report in the Sunday Times followed the headline, 'Fat boy may be put in care' and The Guardian's headline was 'Mother's anger as obese boy, 8, faces care order'. Care proceedings are not used as a direct threat to a child. Yet The Times on Monday 26 February went with the headline, 'Go on diet or be taken into care, 14-stone boy is told'.
Each report explained to readers that Connor's family were to attend a child protection conference at which Connor's name could be placed on the child protection register (correct), but the reporters were apparently surprised that neglect is also a protection issue alongside physical and sexual abuse and emotional abuse.
Each report recycled the misinformation that Connor could be placed on the non-existent 'less serious children in need register'. This phrase was as close as most of the reports got to explaining to readers that our child protection system serves children in need of family support, just as much as protecting them from the risk of significant harm.
4Over simplifying a complex assessment
The public was invited to view this family's dilemma in terms of stark either-or choices and reach a judgement on the basis of flimsy information.
The GMTV website asked, 'Who is to blame for Connor's situation? Is it his mother or the local authorities?' Readers and viewers were also encouraged to pronounce on whether a real eight-year-old 'should be taken into care, or more help should be provided for him at home?'
Throughout this sorry affair, the people who should assess the case, namely representatives for North Tyneside, have properly refused to speak in public about confidential details of Connor's situation. They confirmed the press report on 28 February that the decision of the child protection conference was to offer family support while Connor stays in his own home.
Now, a team of professionals will conduct a proper assessment of this complex situation. Their assessment, I am sure, will explore more than one explanation for Connor's long-term problems, including the possibility of a genetic condition like Prader-Willi Syndrome, which causes insatiable appetite and other developmental problems.
A complex assessment in a complex case - that, hopefully, will now be conducted, with privacy for Connor.
Sources
* www.timesonline.co.uk and a general Google search that brought up coverage by other national newspapers
* www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articelid =24331
* http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co. uk/sundaysun/news