Usual bullers milk the fear

THE breaking news this morning concerns a farmer selling milk from the calf of a cloned cow. This practice appears to be illegal and is hugely controversial. So it’s a big story and many of the national newspapers and TV news stations are running with it. But it’s a subject that should be reported with accuracy and care. After all, following on from the BSE crisis, who wants to add to the woes of the farming community, the supermarkets, and the milk and beef-buying public? Well, certain newspapers want to add to those woes, it appears . . .

It’s not easy counting fat dogs

NUMBERS are straightforward things and pretty damned accurate – until they are handled by the British press. But when it comes to how many fat dogs are roaming the country’s streets, there are bound to be different figures banded about . . . Except when the figures have been supplied by one particular pet charity and most of the papers have received them through the Press Association. In that instance, any normal person would expect the figures to remain roughly the same. Wouldn’t they . . ?

You say Capello, I say Cap-ELLLLL-o . . .

WOW. Half asleep in front of the telly as Fiona Bruce introduces News at Ten. The second item, after the impending fisticuffs between David Cameron and Nick Clegg over voting reform, concerns speculation about Fabio Capello remaining England coach after the World Cup defeat