Munroe Bergdorf, the NSPCC and the failure of the media

It’s exam season, so here’s a test, suitable for anyone interested in how the media and public conversation work in 2019.

Here is a sequence of events:

1. A charity involved in the safeguarding and welfare of children appoints a celebrity ambassador.
2. It emerges that the celebrity has a history of asking children in emotional distress to contact them online. This appears to contradict the charity’s safeguarding guidance, which is that children should not share personal information with strangers online.
3. It emerges that the celebrity has a history of posing for pictures for publication in sexualised clothing and poses, including for Playboy.
4. Issues 2 and 3 are raised online by some supporters of the charity, who suggest they will withdraw financial backing for the charity in protest at the appointment.
5. A journalist asks the charity if it is still happy to work with the celebrity, given the celebrity’s background and the prospect of financial backers withdrawing support.