Listen very carefully. Amid the lurid headlines, the scramble for the most tabloid-worthy angle, and the sniggering over Jeffrey Donaldson’s visits to saunas frequented by gay men and tales of politicians being vomited on, the real story is far more important: two frightened women trying to piece their shattered lives back together.

Like piranhas at feeding time, sections of the media excelled at repeating any Donaldson-related detail they could push over the line.

On what planet does a story about vomiting over the mayor of Beijing carry the same weight as a grown man raping a little girl?

Reporting on Donaldson’s extramarital activities has some value in illustrating how he compartmentalised his life.

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But it does little to help us understand why and how he was able to abuse two little girls, or how he evaded justice for so long.

Journalism requires questioners, listeners, and scrutineers. It also requires treating people as human beings rather than mere scoops or headlines.

That is why it was so concerning when the Chief Constable........

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