Just say sorry, Peter – leave the lawyers uncontacted
Back in May, the charity Survival International released photos of an "uncontacted" Amazonian tribe waving up at a plane, which appeared in most papers. Then two weeks ago, Peter Beaumont, foreign editor of 'The Observer', ran a breathless piece "revealing" that the tribe was not lost, but had been known about all along. But hold on – Survival didn't suggest it was lost; they described it as uncontacted. Now, following Beaumont's article, stories have appeared all round the world claiming the photos were a hoax. Survival has asked the Obs to publish a correction to halt these damaging stories, but to date it has not. In a bizarre twist, Beaumont has even threatened to sue Survival. "I'm getting extremely irritated about the way in which you're associating me with the allegation that you may have been responsible for a hoax," he has told the charity. "If you use that word once more ... I will sue you for defamation or libel." Can't he just say sorry?
Still a 'Star' in the Commons
Some good news for the 'Morning Star'. Tory MP Francis Maude has been asking government departments if they subscribe to the communist daily. Everyone seems to have said no – except the House of Commons Commission, which runs the Palace of Westminster. It orders seven copies every day Parliament sits. When Boris Johnson, right, entered London's City Hall he cancelled Ken Livingstone's 40 subs to the paper. But at least the genuine "red top" has readers in the Commons.
Licence restored
Traffic vigilantes will be pleased to see 'Police, Camera, Action!' has returned to our screens for five special episodes over the summer. Even better, the ITV newsreader Alastair Stewart is to present them. In 2003 Stewart's contract was terminated after he was convicted of drink-driving, having crashed his car while three times over the limit, This landed him a two-year ban and a hefty fine. Happily, all that's in the past now, and he can go back to ghouling over footage of other dangerous drivers.
TV icon hankered for the smell of newsprint
Following the news of the death of Charles Wheeler (to whom Gavin Esler pays tribute, left), my colleague Raymond Whitaker recalls a meeting with the great man a couple of years ago, towards the end of his career. Whitaker expressed his profuse admiration, saying he was one of only a handful of TV journalists he admired. Imagine his surprise, then, to hear Wheeler reply: "If I could have my time over, I would be a newspaper journalist." Those who believe in reincarnation might draw some consolation from this.
US advertisers kill Osama bin Laden
Launching a magazine is never easy, but the first edition of 'Finch's Quarterly Review', out last week, had more than the usual teething problems. Editor Nick Foulkes had commissioned a photo from Alison Jackson, the ingenious trickster who specialises in lookalikes, for the cover, which purportedly showed Osama bin Laden, right, reading a copy of 'Finch's'. Sadly the US advertisers failed to see the joke, and the pic had to be junked at the last minute.
Good to hear from Hancock
For 10 years he commanded a prime slot on TV as the host of 'They Think It's All Over', and it's not quite all over yet for Nick Hancock, below. After a long stint in the shadows of showbiz, the icon of Nineties laddishness has returned to our screens in, er, the commercial breaks, providing voiceovers for Morrisons, the Northern supermarket chain that's gone nationwide. Great things were expected of him earlier this year when he launched a game show on ITV, 'Duel'. But as any luvvy will tell you, no job's too small for a hungry actor.
Scandalous news
How rude. The 'Sunday Telegraph' business columnist Liam Halligan made a swipe at his political colleagues during a debate on business ethics held by Editorial Intelligence last week. "Business commentators," he said, "are more strait-laced than political commentators, who rely heavily on what are known in the trade as sources close to the deadline. I've known many meet a sticky end for using dodgy quotes." When the debate turned to politicians' scandalous lives, he added ominously: "I know of plenty of scandals involving editors." You know who you are.
That's the way to do it! How to have a critics feud
They review everything from Ayckbourn to Zephaniah, but theatre critics Tim Walker and Mark Shenton are engaged in a Punch and Judy-style spat. Shenton, 'Sunday Express', has used his blog to attack Walker, 'Sunday Telegraph', accusing him of inaccuracy. But Walker is more subtle, questioning the judgement of an unnamed critic whose expenses were paid by a provincial theatre. "I don't see how such a critic could claim to be independent," says Walker. Shenton admits he was that critic, but insists his review was not affected. Ding ding, next round!
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