Grown-up reporting please, Beeb

What's happened to the BBC's news values?

Two minor news stories were given first place in the news yesterday and today. The Today programme, on the day of mega news from the G8, led with a rehash of the George Galloway is a naughty boy saga.

The report on the Mariam Appeal boringly said that no one pocketed the cash which was spent for charitable purposes. There was a minor complaint that the charity should have kept an eye on its sources. That complaint can be many against thousands of charities - especially those funded by Pharmas.  A microscope is necessary to spot the news value in that.

Today BBC Wales led their bulletins on the non-news that £6million of the Community Fund budget of £135million had not been spent. So what? Anyone with more than a primary school understanding of budgets would know that underspends are the rule not the exception.

In this case, it was the wage bill that dropped when people left their jobs. In the these circumstances the windfall should not be thrown away on non-essentials to justify the budget total. The alternative is the panic wild spending at the end of the financial year that happens in many public bodies to protect the following year's allocation.

This is grown-up accounting. How about some grown-up reporting, Beeb?

John helps Peter

John Reid may have inadvertently boosted Peter Hain's chances in the deputy leadership elections.

His snide attack on Peter is the first sour note in what has been a comradely campaign between the hopeful six. As John Reid is the least loved of all Labour frontbenchers by the party faithful, Peter may well enjoy a few extra votes that could boost his less than potent campaign.

Bullocks!

The great divide in Welsh Politics now is between those who want to kill the sacred bullock Shambo and those who do not.

Caving in to pressure from the Farmers' unions, the Tories, Plaid and LibDems want Shambo killed. It's believed he is a carrier of bovine TB. Why is it that the Tories' answer to every rural problem is to kill animals.

The new Labour Minister Jane Davidson will decide. She has not committed herself yet. As Shambo lives in a temple, he can easily be isolated from other cattle and the risk of cross infection is minute.

In the interests of animal welfare and intelligent politics Jane should save Shambo. exceptions are always possible. That's what ministers are for.

Rural clowns

A letter is the Western Daily Press said:-

I sat through the complete trial of Richard Down and Adrian Pillivant, servants of the Quantock Staghounds.On the day of the hunt there was an outstanding display of gunmanship by a Mr J Piester who was a witness for the defence in the trial.

He killed six moving deer with his single-barrelled shotgun, whereas the average kill is marginally more than one per hunt. There were three "flushes" of deer from cover. The deer ran true to his anticipation and while they moved slowly towards him, with two hounds and a huntsman chasing them, he shot one dead, reloaded and shot a second.

During the course of the three-and-one-quarter hour hunt, Mr Piester repeated this feat on two further occasions at different locations. In addition, during the intervals between flushes he dealt with four carcasses.

Surely Mr Piester is now qualified to wear his underpants outside of his trousers.

Comments

[Newscounter]

Have you seen Galloway's response to the story? Click here to judge whether it's convincing: http://newscounter.com/fullStory.jsp?id=447347

[Paul Flynn]

Thanks for that.

George Galloway's response is interesting. I have know George for many years. He is a complex character.

The Mariam appeal had elements of offensive self-promtion attached. Most politicians questioned George's motivation.

But the money was not used to buy George's cigars or for cat simulation lessons. There was widespread corruption in the distribution of these funds. Crooks maded £millions. George was not one of them. But like all the rest of us, his motives are not always saintly.