Newsround's editorial judgment

Newsround had a presspack report about the danger of jumping off piers and cliffs into the sea. They were very silly to report it, and then give it a name, as if knowing it is commonly practiced will discourage kids. Of course it might well have the opposite effect. And the same remarks are applicable to this report in 2004. Hardly surprising mobile phone crime and bullying have caught on so much, is it?

In a kids' news programme you have to make editorial judgments as to whether the stories are suitable for transmission. Newsround made the judgment that broadcasting stories which could spread ideas with harmful consequences is ok to do. But broadcasting stories to alleviate homophobia - widespread in primary and secondary schools - is something Newsround has never been prepared to do.

Surely they've got things 100% wrong.