David Frum seems to have the distinction between fact and fantasy well drawn. His conception of the modern kind of 'news' goes well alongside my earlier post about Mordecai Vanunu. It's the interweaving of 'accusations' alongside 'reality' that makes BBC journalism what it is. Frum mentions Amnesty International- which was another of the Beeb's favourite stories last week:

'Two Worlds

Sometimes it seems we live in two worlds, one of accusations and one of reality.

In the world of accusation, Amnesty International charges the United States and allied governments with carrying out the worst human-rights violations in fifty years in the name of anti-terrorism.

In the world of reality, it has taken the US and Britain 2 1/2 years after 9/11 to indict Abdul Hamza for involvement in terrorism.

In the world of accusation, a former Democratic vice president of the United States can explode in an eyeball-bulging, vein-popping rant against the “worst strategic and military miscalculations and mistakes in the history of the United States of America.”

In the world of reality, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president now vows to continue the principal security policies of that same allegedly disastrous administration.'