The wrecking of the MSC Napoli is an interesting study in how public reaction to a story - and bothering to find out the real facts - subsequently colours the news.

As you can imagine, this (the most newsworthy thing to happen in East Devon for decades) has been a rich source of stories for the local TV and radio stations. When the first wreckage was beached, there were fun-filled stories on BBC Spotlight of local 'wreckers' carrying on the hallowed tradition of taking away goods for use or resale. But now (3 or 4 days on), there are lots of indignant reports of scavengers (some from as far away as Basingstoke - Lord preserve us!) stealing things belonging to other people and generally messing up the environment.

This calls to mind the story of Molly Campbell aka Misbah Rana that started sometime late last year, with stories of a British schoolgirl from a Scottish island being kidnapped by her father and taken to Pakistan against the wishes of her distraught mother. The real story turned out to be something rather different: someone living somewhere she disliked in a way she didn't approve of, choosing to live with her Dad and his family as a positive thing.

It all turned out more or less OK in the end - but I am sure many of us were guilty of reacting inappropriately when the story first broke. Of course international custody battles are always very unpleasant, and the victim is the child one way or another, but it all goes to show - sometimes, it's better to have all the facts before you rush to judgement!

Years ago, I used to be a fan of the BBC and admire much of its programming. However, it is becoming increasingly hard to stomach for all sorts of reasons, only one of which I will bore you with today.

Much harrumphing was heard, over the less generous than hoped for settlement for the Beeb, on the Today programme earlier this morning.

Sir Christopher Bland (currently chairman of BT, but formerly Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC) was pontificating about the amount they are allowed to borrow (set to rise from £200M to £220-230M). He argued that “on commercial grounds”, the BBC was well able to service borrowing of up to 0.75 billion. That may be true – but what commercial grounds, pray?

Instead of getting paid voluntarily by people who wish to subscribe to their offerings, the BBC is funded through what is effectively a tax on the vast majority of the population. So, it needs to abide by the rules for state organisations.

Like I say in the title, you can’t have your cake and eat it!

Read more:

From the BBC’s viewpoint and the Telegraph’s

I am amazed: what about all the other millions of gladiatorial spectators? Do they have no sensibilities to offend?

First, I am pleased to say I have never watched any of the Big Brother programmes, and have no intention of doing so. Life is too short to waste on such unpleasant spectacles. Especially when they are made by a company that sounds like a diarrhoea remedy – rather appropriately, I feel.

Now consider this entirely hypothetical scenario. Put a couple of gormless gobshites with a patrician from a different culture, and observe the results. They get along famously, teaching each other mutual respect and admiring the other’s values and beliefs – yeah. That would be surprising.

So, what is so annoying about a programme that I have never seen? Firstly, that the UK parliament is wasting time discussing it when there are important things to fix. Secondly, Indian protestors in Patna are burning effigies (rather humorously pathetic ones, it has to be said) in the streets, and Indian diplomats are considering lodging official protests. I find that hypocritical in the extreme, coming from a society that has disdain and discrimination against the lower orders built into its very fabric. Last of all, anyone who agrees to take part in such a parade of egotism deserves all the contempt and ridicule she gets. They are all happy enough to take the “celebrity” bestowed on them, after all.

All this teaches us that mankind evolved in a tribal society, and we still have to overcome that. Don’t hold your breath.

Read more:

Reportage from the Belfast Telegraph on effigy burning

The programme's home page

The caste system in India

Reportage from ITV on complaints - now up to 27,000!

It’s no good, I’m going to have to start a new blog. A lot of my i4info posts are about the use of English in various media, but now I’m going to have a go at the meeja themselves. Two things really got my goat this morning, hence there will be two new posts. (Three in a day? Three in a week is usually good going for me!)