Have you ever wondered why stories in the media include irrelevant details?
The Guardian's readers' editor Siobhan Butterworth devoted her Open Door column this week to this topic. She gave the example:
' "Officers had gone to the £700,000 bungalow in West Chiltington," readers were told. "The valuation is a distraction from the story," a reader objected. She may be right.'
I agree. And I'm intrigued. Do journalists now consult estate agents on such vital topics? Do they take account of regional differences - after all, £700,000 would buy a palace in Bargoed but not very much in London. Is it the type of property or the price tag that's deemed newsworthy? Would a man's clothes merit as much interest as a woman's? (Hillary or Barack?) I think we should be told...
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