It gets pretty worrying in my book when the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair fails to understand about either race or the news agenda.
There are some people who never seem to comprehend the workings of the media, and Sir Ian is clearly one.
There are others like Sir Richard Branson who are brilliant at it.
I don't have much truck with Sir Ian.
He should have been sacked over the killing - some would say murder - of Brazilian, Jean Charles de Menezes, who was mistaken for a terrorist.
He certainly should be sacked for his disgraceful comments about the Soham murders.
I got asked the other day by a member of the business community why I wouldn't give major coverage to one of those conferences where a bunch of worthies have a soul-searching session about how to get more people from ethnic minorities into the financial and professional community.
Because however important it may be, and it is of importance, it is also deadly dull. News is actually simple - it's something that's new.
The best stories are the big gobsmackers which are the only topic of conversation at work, in the pub or at home - September 11 for one.
And people also have to remember that newspapers and television stations are there to make money. Circulation and ratings are the bottom line. The public wham factor rules.
Nothing comes free in life. People expect the media to entertain them, feed them the gossip and allow them to dream. Skills training and ethnicity conferences are likely to put them to sleep.
Unless, that is, you are clever enough to play the media like a fisherman plays a salmon.
A TV programme where a secretary tries her hand at being a fireman, or a barrister spends a day serving behind the counter of a fast food restaurant, is more likely to inspire a young person than any number of stodgy speeches.
Murders are no different. A drunken domestic won't get the same coverage as a young life being taken by a predatory paedophile.
And the race element in murders follows the same basic rules. For Soham and the Moors Murders one might cite Anthony Walker or Damilola Taylor. Because they were equally shocking.
The press does not set the news agenda. People do.
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During the early 1990s Roger Dickens was arguably the most powerful business-man in Birmingham.
While he was in charge KPMG was the dominant accountancy firm and Roger was pulling the strings of influence across the city centre professional community.
He could play hardball - as the Americans put it - as I and others found out on occasions when we clashed on stories.
Roger had an aura about him - he would boss you about if you let him. Or squash you with his intellect.
But he was generous of spirit too. Sadly, no longer will I fall for those Black Country wind-ups.
