Huh?

Newsround used to be one of my favourite programmes when I was younger. And even when I was at university, I’d still watch it, because it was just a bit nicer to watch than the news.

These days, however, it annoys me.

This morning’s edition is a good example of why.

Take a few seconds to think about all the news in the world at the moment. Wars in Afganistan, Iraq, the Middle east. Terror suspects absconding. Human rights abuses all over the world, change of Prime Minister in a month’s time, North Korea test-firing missiles, the underwater dinosaur tracks showing that they could swim and the first results of this year’s Spingwatch survey. If you’re pushed, there’s the Big Brother controversies both here and in Australia, Blue Peter losing a show a week, the results of the Ivor Novello Awards, and even a story about an escaped Orangutan running riot at a zoo.

This was the 3-story order for the stories on this morning’s Newsround:

1, Michael Owen will captain the England B team against Albania tomorrow.

2, A boy who lives in a tent is interviewed

3, a bird poos on George W Bush during a press conference.

Now, granted, the third is a very funny story and would always make my personal running order, but is this really the best we can do?

I know that not all kids would be interested in a lot of the heavy news that’s been cropping up, and the editors need to do what will interest their target audience, but surely we don’t have to dumb things down so much that we get to this stage?!

Sigh.