Real and fake news.(Letter to the editor)

SIR: Re Peter Ryan's column "Too Many Journalists, Not Enough News" (July-August 2006). Finishing this article, I turned on ABC news to find the second top story on dioxin levels in Sydney Harbour fishermen and their families. I was initially alarmed to hear that ninety-five people had that day had levels measured at four to ten times those of the national average, then several distressed people being interviewed. However, after all the beat-up and emotion, the story finished with the facts presented as almost an aside--health experts saying that these levels are nowhere near dangerous, that levels of 100 times the national average are considered dangerous (and I assume that this value is a conservative minimum). You would imagine that the story could go no further--these people are in no danger--but then the item appeared as second top story on The 7.30 Report.

Anthony Sharpe, Sydney, NSW.

SIR: Like Peter Ryan, I am appalled by the amount of coverage the media give to non-stories. Journalists in the larger media organs appear to treat with disdain and avoid what are usually called "human interest" stories, yet these are a great potential source of edification, drama and amusement.

Most journalists could learn a lesson from local newspapers, urban and rural, which are widely underrated, yet employ many reporters with genuine enthusiasm and curiosity for news. From my local free papers in recent months I can recall five fascinating items, two poignant, two hilarious, one a mixture of both.

A young ...