Slow News Day?

Every morning, I check Sky News just to see if the world is about to go KaBlooey, or to see if THEY have started looking for me yet. I tend to skip the political/current affairs stuff because - sad to admit - it bores me,and I usually skip the Celeb/Entertainment crap because - shockingly - it bores me. I also avoid the Sport news because I don't care who beat who, who got injured (even though it makes me chuckle!), nor who said what about which team.

I'm not sure what that actually leaves to read, but none the less....

Some days, I read the main story, the headlines, and think "Wow, that's bad, nasty, horrible" or whatever and wonder what the world is coming to. Other days, like today, the main story made me itch my head. Now, bear with me on this one...

Rabid Puppy Bites Three People In Essex
Updated:08:39, Saturday April 26, 2008

Three people are being treated for exposure to rabies after being bitten by an infected puppy that was brought into the UK from Sri Lanka.

The dog attacked the three victims at a quarantine centre in Chingford, Essex, where it had been taken after arriving in the country.
Dr Dilys Morgan, a rabies expert from the Health Protection Agency, said the animal died in quarantine yesterday, effectively containing any risk to public health.

She said: "We understand that three individuals connected to the quarantine centre and rescue centre were bitten by the animal and all have received or will be receiving prompt protective treatment with appropriate vaccination."

Sky News health correspondent Thomas Moore said: "One would expect them to make a good recovery.

"People who tend to die of rabies abroad are those who haven't been able to seek medical help soon enough."

He added that there was no need to worry about the disease spreading.

So there we have it. Here's some information. The United Kingdom is, unlike the rest of Europe, rabies free. We don't have it here, so rabies in England is a fairly big deal. In fact, if an animal bites someone in Essex, they need to give the animal boosters to make sure it doesn't develop any nasty disease.

However, the headline, "Rabid Puppy Bites Three People In Essex" while true, doesn't actually tell the story. Yes, it was a puppy, and yes, it had rabies and bit some people. But it was in quarantine. So away from everything else. It died, so it won't go anywhere else. The people bitten - unless they start chomping their friends, are being treated, and aren't even in danger of kicking the proverbial bucket.

So, erm, HOW is this news exactly? This is the main story for Saturday morning. Not the missing mum/son killed saga, not the kid stabbed in school, not even celebrities dropping off the moral coil. And yet, the next "BIG" story on their front page is about a pensioner killed by a shark in California. WHY do we need to know that over here exactly?

I know there are people out there that believe the news is fed to us to keep us under control and living in a state of fear, but honestly, at least report something that doesn't just make me blink and then piss & moan on here! That's not control, that's just winding me up!