'DON'T TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY'

The Red-Top Papers Are Read With A Pinch Of Salt

After a week of rows about tabloid newspaper stories and the methods used to
obtain them, the public turns out to be more critical of the papers than it
is of some of their victims.

Few of us trust the tabloids to tell the truth, most of us would like to see
a privacy law, and a clear majority think that a history of teenage
drug-taking has no bearing on a person's ability to hold down a responsible
job later in life.

The Observer's exclusive poll, conducted by ICM, first asked people how much
they trust the media "to report the truth about people in the public eye."
Television news emerges as easily the most trusted news source, with 85 per
cent trusting it "a lot" or "a fair amount", and just 12 per cent "not much"
or "not at all".

Broadsheet papers such as the Guardian, Times and Telegraph are also widely
trusted - by 59 per cent of all Britons, and by 83 per cent of those who
read them.

The red-top tabloids, such as the Mirror, Sun and News of the World, are in
a different category. Only 17 per cent of the public trust them, while 78
per cent do not. The gap closes among tabloid readers, but even here as many
as 68 per cent declare little or no trust, while just 30 per cent say they
trust the red-tops "a lot" or "a fair amount".

This may help to explain the paradox behind the Sun's photographs of Sophie
Rhys-Jones last week. The paper had few defenders and apologised for what it
had done - yet it sold an extra 250,000 copies of the offending edition. Our
poll suggests that most readers of the red-tops buy their morning paper not
expecting responsible and truthful journalism, but looking for entertainment.

Intrusive stories of the private lives of the famous also help to sell
copies - yet 77 per cent of the public (including 76 per cent of the readers
of red-top tabloids) think Britain should 'have a privacy law which prevents
the media reporting some aspects of the private lives of people in the
public eye'.

"I don't think intrusive stories should be published - but, if they are, I
want to find out what is in them" seems to be the view.

More specifically, ICM tested public attitudes to the controversy
surrounding the News of the World's entrapment of Lawrence Dallaglio, the
former captain of England's rugby team. Respondents were asked about two
situations in which reporters "sometimes tell lies and use hidden
microphones in order to trap people in public life into making confessions".

Opinions are evenly divided on the use of these techniques to expose
drug-dealing: 43 per cent say it is right, 50 per cent wrong.

However, by 53 to 36 per cent a majority backs entrapment methods "in order
to uncover corruption in business or politics". Such methods were used by
The Observer last year to investigate "cash for access" claims by some
political lobbyists.

Dallaglio later admitted to taking illegal drugs as a teenager. So does such
an admission debar someone from holding a responsible job later in life? A
clear majority rejected the notion that it is a resignation issue - in the
case of school teachers by 72:19 per cent, captain of national sporting
teams by 67:23 per cent, government Ministers by 64:28 per cent, and even
police officers by 61:33 per cent.

What, though, of the state of the law itself? A massive majority of 92 per
cent rejects the legalisation of hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine; only
4 per cent want them legalised.

Views about soft drugs such as cannabis, are more evenly divided, but even
here the majority wants the law left as it is. Thirty-six per cent want the
law to be changed, while 55 per cent disagree. Not surprisingly, older
people are most opposed to legalisation. But even 18-34-year-olds divide
52:43 per cent in favour of maintaining the ban on smoking cannabis.

ICM interviewed a random sample of 520 adults throughout Britain by
telephone on Thursday.

THOSE STINGS:

* Lord Lambton and the call girls

In 1973, a News of the World photographer hid in a wardrobe and took secret
photographs of Defence Minister Lambton with two call-girls, allegedly
taking cannabis and amphetamines. Lambton resigned from the Government.

* William Straw and the dope deal

"Friends" of William Straw, son of Home Secretary Jack, tipped off reporters
from the Daily Mirror that he would sell them cannabis. Dawn Alford (posing
as an estate agent) and Tanith Carey bought pounds 10-worth from him on
Christmas Eve 1997. Hi father said: "William has been rightly cautioned. I
hope he goes on to lead a prosperous, drugs-free life". Young Straw received
a police caution, was not expelled from school and did not lose his place at
Oxford University.

* The coke-snorting Blue Peter presenter

The News of the World received a tip-off and ran a story in October last
year about Richard Bacon snorting cocaine in a London nightclub. He was
immediately sacked.

* Newcastle United and the Spanish brothel

Freddie Shepherd and Doug Hall, chairman and vice-chairman respectively of
Newcastle United, were caught by undercover reporters from the News of the
World in March 1998 in a Spanish brothel allegedly groping prostitutes,
ordering lesbian sex shows, and mocking Newcastle fans and women ("Newcastle
girls are all dogs"). They were forced to resign, but were later reinstated.

* The drug-dealing TV star

Last November, London's Burning star John Alford was caught on tape snorting
cocaine by a News of the World reporter posing as an Arab prince. He was
later convicted of supplying cocaine and cannabis and sentenced to nine
months in jail.

Last month News of the World undercover reporters secretly filmed Radio 2 DY
Johnnie Walker at the Grosvenor Park Hotel in London snorting cocaine and
allegedly supplying a prostitute to the journalists, who posed as potential
business contacts. He was charged with possession and supply of cocaine
(0.11 grams) and is suspended from his drive-time show.

* Tom Parker Bowles

May 1999

Tom Parker Bowles, junior film publicist and son of Camilla, unwittingly
told a female News of the World reporter at this month's Cannes film
festival that he had taken cocaine at the festival and at a function in
London. She had asked him to help her to get drugs. Kept his job.

* Frank Bough's "confession"

The TV presenter's family-man image was shattered in May 1988, when the News
of the World revealed he had freebased cocaine and had watched couples
having sex at parties. The story came after a lengthy investigation
following a tip off from a polo-playing friend of Prince Charles. After an
initial injunction, Bough made a "controlled confession" and soon after
announced he was taking a rest from the BBC. He was kept on a UKP1,000 a
week retainer and returned to the screen at Christmas to present a programme
on the highs and lows of the year.

* The toe-sucking judge

Judge Anthony Thornton

In 1995, the News of the World alleged that Judge Anthyony Thornton had
inhaled from a cocaine and cannabis cigarette whilevisiting two prostitutes
with criminal records. Three weeks later, the NoW published video footage of
the judge sucking wine from aprostitue's toe. He kept his job.

* The Minister and the actress

In July 1992, the People exposed Tory Minister David Mellor's affair with
Antonia De Sancha. The paper enlisted the help of De Sancha's landlord, who
had legally bugged her flat. He ran an extension line to a reporter on the
patio below. Mellor resigned from his job as Secretary of State for National
Heritage. In November 1994, he announced his divorce after the News of the
World exposed a second affair.

* Chief of Defence Staff

SIr Peter Harding (married, 4 kids) - News of the World splashed over five
pages alleged details of his affair with Lady Bienvenida Buck, Spanish
former wife of ex-Tory defence minister Sir Anthony Buck. Reporters and
photographers from the paper secretly recorded her meeting with Harding at
the Dorchester Hotel. He resigned from his post.

March 1994

*Pamela Bordes 1988

News of the World reporter Stuart White posed as a Hong Kong businessman
looking for a UKP500 date with high class prostitute and Commons researcher
Pamela Bordes for a UKP500 fee. They met in a hotel room where she stripped
naked. He made his excuses and left. Friend of Andrew Neil then editor of
Sunday Times and Colin Moynihan Sports Minister. Bordes quit her UKP750,000
Westminster apartment and fled to Bali.

* Lord Archer

In 1986 a News of the World reporter trailed a prostitute Monica Coghlan to
Victoria station where she was given UKP2,000 by a man acting for Jeffrey
Archer. The woman told of her liaisons with Archer. In 1987 the paper paid
UKP50,000 to charity in an out-of-court settlement with Archer over
allegations he paid the prostitute money to leave the country. He resigned
his position as Deputy Chairman of the party.

* Lord Joseph Yorke, Earl of Hardwick

News of the World claimed he supplied 2 grams of cocaine at the House of
Lords to an undercover News of the World reporter posing as a businessman
interested in buying scooters. He should have been at the Houses of
Parliament for an emergency anti-terrorism debate. Suspended from the
Conservative party Whip.

September 1998

* Michael Brown

In May 1994 the News of the World reported that Brown, then a junior
minister had a relationship with a 20 year-old male student and a Ministry
of Defence civil servant. Brown immediately resigned his position.

*Robin Cook

July 1997 Two News of the World photographers "happened" to be outside his
London flat when he came out carrying a black bin bag which he put in a skip
and then filled a parking meter. The Renault Clio belonged to his secretary
Gaynor Regan. He left his wife and later married Ms Regan. Kept his job.

* Annabel Goldsmith

Wife of the late Sir James Goldsmith and her assistant Charlotte Blacker
were caught out by a young man posing as an out of work poor student. They
enlisted his help at the Referendum Party HQ. He turned out to be a Daily
Express reportter seeking evidence of electoral irregularities.

* Tory MP, the Tycoon and the Sunday School Teacher

Richard Spring

In April 1995 the News of the World revealed that the MP had taken part in a
threesome with his friend financier Chris Holmes and Holmes's girlfriend
Sunday school teacher Odette Nightingale. Her memories of events were so
accurate Spring felt sure she must have taped events. Spring resigned from
his post as parliamentary private secretary.

Research: Dorota Nosowicz