TONY Blair knew he was asking for trouble when he decided to launch his attack on the media for being a "feral beast" that tears people apart in the pursuit of sensation.

He was opening a can of worms big enough to keep the nation's fishermen in bait for years, and the reaction from the affronted media was predictably robust.

After all, this is the spinning Prime Minister who invested in media manipulation more than any other in attempting to control the feral beast - the Prime Minister who courted Rupert Murdoch like a father figure because he thought it was the only way to win over the traditionally anti-Labour Press.

To be fair, the Prime Minister admitted his own failings in relying too much on spin. And, to a large degree, he's right about the excesses of the media. It has grown into a monster that needs feeding every minute, is often out of control, and is quite capable of destroying lives.

There are times when I feel ashamed of newspapers and relieved that I work on a regional paper which is part of the communities it serves and is therefore, by definition, more accountable.

And yet, in launching the attack at the end of his spin-obsessed decade in power, Mr Blair was bound to sound like a savaged lion tamer complaining about lions being unpredictable and having sharp teeth.

As I watched a recording of Mr Blair's speech on Newsnight, I was particularly struck by the bit about how the media too often allows impact to take precedence over accuracy.

"Impact is what matters," he said. "It is all that can distinguish, can rise above the clamour, can get noticed. Impact gives competitive edge. Of course, the accuracy of the story counts. But it is secondary to impact."

He's right again, but I couldn't help thinking of the infamous dodgy dossier compiled by his Government to persuade MPs to support the war in Iraq.

Weapons of mass destruction capable of targeting our shores within 45 minutes. Big impact - little accuracy.

SENSATIONAL EXPOSE NUMBER 1: The feral media was positively hyena-like in its devouring of the case of Sir Stephen Richards, the senior judge who was accused of twice exposing himself to the same woman on packed trains.

Sir Stephen was cleared by City of Westminster Magistrates, but not before he was forced to hold up a pair of Calvin Klein underpants to show the court how difficult it would be to take his penis out on a packed train.

The Times had an artist's impression of him holding up a pair of briefs. In The Daily Mail, they were boxers. Such scant regard for accuracy.

SENSATIONAL EXPOSE NUMBER 2: First, let me say that I am full of admiration for the improvements made by Darlington Borough Council, first to the Dolphin Centre, and more recently to the Arts Centre.

Both buildings are hugely important to Darlington and the council should take credit for investing in their future.

But my question is this: Why should a baked potato at the council-run Dolphin Centre's nice new restaurant cost £2.65, while a baked potato at the council-run Arts Centre costs £3.75 (£4.25 if you want a chilli con carne filling)?

As the chairman of Darlington Partnership's inquiry group on improving public health, and as someone who is trying to eat more baked potatoes and fewer chips, I demand an answer.

Potentially it's a political hot potato, so no half-baked excuses please.