Define "news"

Last night, at 8 p.m., RTP and SIC opened the news bulletins with the traditional Sunday items - Holiday Weekend Motoring Death Toll and Pope Celebrates Mass in St. Peter's Square. TVI spent 15 minutes on the death of the star of its hit soap opera in a car crash, of no interest to me at all. It seemed like hype, promoting the series even in times of tragedy.

Looking back, however, it now appears that TVI was right. After all, where's the news value in:

• lower motoring death toll - the weekend is not over yet;
• Pope Celebrates Mass - news value would arise if he failed to celebrate mass at Easter;
• woman whose doctor had operated the wrong foot - oops.

Looking round the family, I was the only one not interested in the soap star's death. That gives an 86% relevance rating.

Looks like I'm not cut out to be a news editor...