Is this news?

I am an avid listener to BBC Radio Fivelive, have been for about 10 years. The standard of programming, reporting and coverage is second to none. Almost to a man/woman their presenters are fantastic, bright, smart, witty and knowledgeable. In the last few weeks, however, they have increasingly covered stories involving sex scandals and and gossip revelations. Now, this isn't Fivelive turning into the broadcast media version of Heat magazine or any News International "news" paper, it is more a case of discussing what is driving the headlines on any given day.

This is where my gripe starts with the current media circus that is infatuated with reporting irrelevance and creating a news agenda that really hasn't anything to do with genuine headlines, public interest or brilliant investigative journalism. From the stories surrounding high profile divorces to infidelities, there appears to be nothing that can be spun into a news worthy story, whether there is any substance to it or not

Just look at the story that has engulfed William Hague and his wife in the last 7 days. I am not a conservative, never have been and never will be. I despise everything they stand for, everything they represent and their vision for where we should be as a nation. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see them implode and disappear from the political landscape but I do not think the way Hagues have been treated is the way to go about it. I have no idea if the allegations surrounding Mr. Hague are true or not. More to the point I do not care. If they are true he is guilty of nothing more than poor judgement and infidelity. The fact that the accusation is that he may have had inappropriate relations with his male personal aide is NOT a story. Homosexuality is not, the last time I checked, illegal. He has admitted to sharing a twin room with the man during the recent General Election campaign which was incredibly naive of him, but nothing more.

It is an absolutely terrible indictment on our society that Mr. Hague should feel the need to have to issue a public statement denying any homosexual relationship. What is even more damning is his feeling to have to reveal how his wife, Ffion, has had miscarriages as they attempt to start a family. Why should anyone feel the need to disclose such painful, personal details in an attempt to get the hounds in the press to back off from a story?

Yesterday's gutter press reported that Wayne Rooney has had several secret meetings with a £1,000 a night hooker. This is not news!!!! I care whether Rooney scores for England. I want to know when he is in a rich vein of form for club and country. I do not give a flying f*** about who he is alleged to have spent a night with. It is not news. It is nothing more than gossip over the garden fence with your neighbour. These people praise the likes of Rooney, only to scavenge for the slightest piece of garbage to print about them to sell a few more copies of their filth. Rooney is reported to earn somewhere in the region of £35 million a year with his wage and various commercial endorsements. I would not blame him if he turned around and said "F*** you all" and call it a day. Is that what we want to see? He doesn't need the money, he as sure as hell could do without this kind of exposure and what difference does it make to how he performs on the pitch? That is what he does, he plays football. End of story. He is not a role model for myself or my son, nor should he be. My son loves watching him play but I would like to think if my son wanted a role model he wouldn't have to look any further than his own home for the inspiration he needs.

My favourite sportsman of all times is Tiger Woods. The man is a sporting genius, a man so gifted he defies belief when you see him in full flow. Graceful, supremely fit, athleticism that has never before been seen in the golfing world. A year ago his personal life became front page news, you may have heard about it. I know next to nothing about it, despite EVERY tabloid, broadsheet, magazine and internet forum speculating about his extra marital activities. I know he had one affair because he has admitted to infidelity and recently paid the price for it with his marriage ending. I do not know any detail about it. I do not know or care how many women he may have slept with. I have not tried to find out because that is not my business, it is not your business. It is between him and his wife. No one harps on about the good he does with the Tiger Woods Learning Center where he has built and funded schools to educate under privileged children. Nor has it been reported repeatedly that he hosts a PGA Tour event each year, The AT&T National, which raises money for local charities and various members of the armed forces are invited as special guests to honour the work they do. This is just as news worthy as lurid details of his private life, but charity doesn't sell, does it?

I can not remember the last time I picked up a newspaper. A constant barrage of filth and non-news, chitter chatter about "celebrities" who are famous for doing nothing more than prostituting themselves on tv just to be famous is draining me. What happened to the days where journalists done real work? Why aren't we seeing proper reporting that the likes of Bernstein and Woodward would be proud of? Where are the News International journalists who should be covering the developing story at No.10 where a former News of the World editor may have questions to answer with regards to the possible phone tapping done at the newspaper whilst he was in charge? Oh yeah, they are busy digging through the trash trying find the smallest piece of dirt with which to ruin somebody else's life.

I am sick of it