Cynicism in the press? I don’t believe it!

Your columnist Victor Meldrew (oops, sorry, Iain Murray) is wrong to assert that “cynicism is the sharpest weapon in the armoury of the journalist” (MW last week). I think he means scepticism, which is healthy and productive, whereas cynicism is probably the most destructive force in society today. Also, if he had bothered to do a Google, he’d have found that the “unnamed cynic” behind the definition of news he quotes was Lord Northcliffe.

Bernard Barnett

Young & Rubicam

London NW1