The BBC has created its own College of Journalism to improve standards. The £10 million project goes online today. Reporters, producers and presenters are expected to enrol.

It was created after the Hutton report criticised BBC news procedures. The Board of Governors also identified failings in coverage of the European Union and Middle East.

The modules, many set by well-known journalists, include how to talk to camera, a primer in politics and lessons on grammar, law and impartiality. The legal section is mandatory for all, including famous figures such as Jeremy Paxman.

Vin Ray, the director of the college, said: “To advance your career through the BBC you will probably have had to complete levels of the training.” However, the BBC is not expected to introduce a “pass or fail” element in case this antagonises the unions.

Senior journalists with up to 20 years’ reporting experience were sceptical at first. But now familiar names are competing to become tutors. If the course is a success, the BBC intends to market it as a journalism qualification.

Come on, I must rush you...

Middle East
(Set by) Jeremy Bowen

1 The International Court of Justice at the Hague found that the barrier being built by Israel is illegal because . . .

a) It is being constructed along Israel’s boundary with the West Bank
b) It is being constructed inside the West Bank
c) It is being constructed inside Israel

2 Are the majority of Palestinian Muslims

a) Sunni
b) Shia

3 What key event in Palestinian politics happened in 1964?

a) The Palestine Liberation Organisation was set up by Palestinians and Arab governments
b) Yassir Arafat became leader of the PLO
c) Arafat set up the PLO

Europe
Mark Mardell

All cigarette brands must carry health warnings in large letters. This is the direct result of EU directives. True or False?

Westminster
Nick Robinson

At the House of Commons, when is a Bill not a Bill?

Law
Nicky Campbell

Can the media name a youth under the age of 18 who has been served with an ASBO?

Numbers
Andrew Dilnot

Which of these is a big number?

a) 1 in 5: “1 in 5 men who typically live to 65 — and long enough to claim a pension — will never see it if the pension age rises to 67”
b) £300m: “We’ll provide £300m for childcare over five years to create 1m places” (Labour’s first-term promise.)

ANSWERS

Middle East
1 (b), 2 (a), 3 (a) Ahmad al-Shuqeiri drew up the PLO’s structure. The Palestinian National Council, the PLO’s policymaking parliament, first convened in Jerusalem in May 1964. The PLO is an umbrella group, traditionally dominated by the Fatah group (formerly led by Yassir Arafat).

Europe
True. Compulsory warnings date to a 1989 EU directive. The 2001 Tobacco Products Directive made it compulsory from 2003 for large black-and-white text warnings to take up 30 per cent of the front of the packet and 40 per cent of the back

Westminster
When it’s a ten-minute rule bill, which allows MPs to sound off about any subject under the sun.

Law
Yes. But breaching the ASBO is a criminal offence. Then, under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, you cannot report anything that might identify anyone under 18 appearing in court as a defendant, witness or victim.

Numbers
The first example is hilariously big. About 1 in 5 men do indeed die before 67, but not between 65 and 67. Is it remotely plausible that 20 per cent of all men alive at 65 keel over in the following two years? During the plague, possibly. The second is ludicrously small, implying that childcare can be bought for £1.15 per child per week. In rural China maybe.

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