I am reminded of this today, the anniversary of an interesting radio broadcast. Seventy years ago Orson Welles created panic and mass hysteria on the East Coast of the USA with his broadcast of the 'War of the Worlds'. After the introduction, the program continued with a weather report and then dance music. These normal events were suddenly interrupted by a series of alarming reports about aliens landing in New York.

People were gripped by the escalating and increasingly urgent news  - sitting on the edge of their seats as events unfolded, they were exposed to urgent, panic stricken voices and ominous sound effects. Despite the fact that they were warned about this during the introduction (and 40 minutes into the program) thousands of people were frightened and some reportedly fled their homes - heading for the hills.

Of course we would not be fooled like that today - would we? We are more sophisticated and would calmly examine the evidence - wouldn't we? Maybe not - Naomi Klein's research into The Shock Doctrine suggests otherwise. Remember the last movie that made you cry or frightened or angry. Did you perhaps forget for a moment that it was just a movie?

No, we would not get fooled again.

Did you read about Ross and Brand behaving like silly teenagers, shame really, but at least we got people to apologise and resign. Lower down the news reports tonight you might notice that three independent witnesses have given the lie to the police story about the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, one witness even thought the police were the terrorists. They were witnesses that three years ago de Menezes was murdered in cold blood without warning.

But at least Jonathan Ross has been suspended for three months.

.... won't get fooled again.