A Blairite thinktank has criticised the media's treatment of science stories. The Daily Mail came in for particular bashing for its whipping-up of the MMR controversy.

The Social Market Foundation's pamphlet "Science, Risk and the Media: Do the front pages reflect reality?" calls for caution in science reporting. They say public mistrust of science is exacerbated by sensationalist stories.

Director Ann Rossiter said: "Misreporting can have fatal consequences. In 1998 the Daily Mail devoted some 700 stories to MMR creating the erroneous impression that the vaccine was dangerous."

Quite right too. We'd love to give full details of the report's many recommendations, but I think I'm coming down with bird flu. Must've been weakened by those Frankenstein foods I ate. ®