On the front page of the Brisbane, Australia Sunday Mail of October 10, 2010 a story headlined “Nuttall’s prison anguish on eve of trial: God help me” appeared.

Former Queensland government minister Gordon Nuttall is a convicted felon serving seven years in jail, with parole available after two-and-a-half years after being found guilty of 36 counts of receiving secret commissions totalling $360,000 between 2002 and 2005 from two businessmen, Ken Talbot and Harold Shand.

The Sunday Mail item begins:

“Jailed former state government minister Gordon Nuttall has turned to God as he battles his demons in prison.

On the eve of his new corruption trial, letters penned by Nuttall refer heavily to his “growing faith” and reveal the torment of going from the cabinet table to a jail cell.

“While I have been in here my faith, rather than diminish, has grown immensely,” he writes. Other letters quote Bible passages, and each week he spends an hour with the prison chaplain for prayer sessions.”

Is it unethical pre-trial publicity?

Is it newsworthy?

What are its implications?

What does it reveal about Nuttall himself?

Mr. Nuttall is facing another trial. The article seems an attempt to influence the public favourably. It would be better to recount the court’s proceedings after the trial.

Many prisoners ‘find’ religion. If Nuttall, a Christian, had embraced Allah, become a Jew, adopted atheism or departed from his original religious background in other ways that would have been newsworthy. Why was the story found newsworthy and why was it considered so newsworthy that it was the most prominent front page item?

The story recounts Nuttall’s good deed. He wrote to a shop which donated a set of lawn bowls to the prison. The entire article seems an attempt to work up sympathy for Nuttall. He is no Gandhi or Mandela imprisoned by an oppressive authority denying freedom. He is a former government official imprisoned for corruption.

His faith that he had prior to his conviction did not prevent the corrupt acts.

Why was the item printed?

David...it's called 'political advantage'.... or...'Damage your opponents directly or indirectly.. as much as you can'

AGIR... your response to david f makes no sense at all.

Who is getting an 'advantage'?

The junk journalism is just that, an attempt to drum up sales by tapping into a well known, and largely loathed, public figure of ridicule.

It's funny how the immensely rich dead miner seems to have escaped any criticism, since he was central to Nuttalls crimes, so it seems.

That would be a better story.

I doubt very much whether Nutfall's faith will gain him many favours. Many believers in Christ suffer severely around the globe for their faith. If he was trying to win the favour of judges he would be better off displaying the arrogance of those with secular faith rather than the humility of those who come to Christ.

runner... you are so programmed.

Nuttall is not 'suffering for his faith' at all.

He is serving time for his crimes.

What is 'secular faith' when it is at home?

And since you seem to believe that xtians are blemish free, how come those goons in Broken Rites are suggesting MacKillop is adopted as the patron saint of sexabused victims of the priesthood?

Or are all those Vatican soldiers really 'secular' (whatever that means)?

TBC

Reading your response shows who is programmed. I never indicated Nuttall was suffering for his faith. I pointed out that it is unlikely to win him any favours with the judges here.