The Daily Mail and Stephen Green: A Torrid Romance

John Walker of botherer.org takes at look at the relationship between The Daily Mail and Stephen Green.

Today the Daily Mail has a sad story in which the ex-wife of the front man (and for the most part, entire membership of) Christian Voice, Stephen Green, explains how he mentally and physically abused his family for many years.

Stephen Green came to fame when the BBC decided to air Stewart Lee’s Jerry Springer: The Opera on BBC2. Considered by Green to be blasphemous (and by Christians who think, to be satirical), he vociferously campaigned against the broadcast, and then against the stage show itself, and succeeded in bankrupting the previously successful production. But his real victory was a strong media presence, getting his name put at the top of most media outlets’ contact books for matters of Christian controversy. Despite it being abundantly clear that he was an extremist, and despite his organisation having repeatedly been demonstrated to be pretty much just Stephen Green in a mobile home, everyone from the BBC to the tabloid press would seek a quote from him if they wanted to spin a story as conflicting with an imagined version of Christian values. He was guaranteed to deliver, saying something printably outrageous. His ludicrous views would be countered by those affected by the story, and in the publication’s mind some manner of editorial balance had been achieved.

But most interesting is the Mail’s relationship with the man.

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