After almost 35 years in the business, I think I’ve got a pretty good news sense. So the sad tale of the death of David Cameron’s severely disabled six-year-old son Ivan struck me as a great street seller. Whack it on the front, backed up with some good bills, and clean up with passing shoppers.
If we’re brutally honest, it wasn’t a sudden death. Many children suffering from the same combination of conditions only last months, not years. But then the story dominated the first 10 (TEN) minutes of the BBC Six O’Clock News, and still leads the BBC News website with a further nine (NINE) follow-up stories. They even cancelled PMQs.
And meanwhile four British soldiers die in Afghanistan and nine passengers die in a plane crash at Schiphol, all relegated to further down the running order.
Can someone explain to me what I’m clearly missing here?
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
