And while we're looking at dodgy stories, here's another that had a huge and entertaining run in the media ten days ago with Radio 2GB's Chris Smith leading the charge.

So, cop this one. A station operator from the outskirts of Broken Hill has found himself in a bit of strife, with animal rights groups. Ken Turner is his name. Ken was accused of allowing behaviour that was distressing his sheep. So what was Ken doing? Was he physically harming them? No. Was he neglecting them? No. So what was it? Well, apparently, some of Ken's shearers were filmed swearing at the sheep. — 2GB, The Chris SmithAfternoon Show, 22nd May, 2015

Yes it was a ridiculous story and just about every radio host and headline writer followed the flock to have some fun.

How dare ewe: shear rudeness against sheep — News.com.au, 22nd May, 2015

In the UK and America our little lambs were also a hit.

Aussie Sheep Station Under Fire For Cursing At Animals Get the flock out of here! — The Huffington Post, 21st May, 2015

And back in Australia on Channel Nine it was in 'what's making news' on Weekend Today.

DEBORAH KNIGHT: A farmer is being investigated by the RSPCA for swearing at his sheep. Here's what Ken Turner who's the operator of Boorungie Station in outback NSW told Sydney's 2GB radio. KEN TURNER: From time to time I think everybody lets a golly gosh out, y'know I, I still haven't had a sheep come to me and they even didn't look offended. DEBORAH KNIGHT: Golly gosh, I think it'd be a bit bluer than that. But come on, sheep, this is ridiculous. — Channel Nine, Weekend Today, 23rd May, 2015

Yes, that ridiculous word again. But also almost totally wrong.

So who is to blame?

Well, all those who failed to check the story, for a start. And that's just about everyone.

But most of all it's ABC Rural in Broken Hill and reporter Cherie Von Horchner who set the flock running with this online story.

Sheep stay silent in war of words over whether animals can suffer verbal abuse — ABC Online, 21st May, 2015

ABC Rural also produced a radio package-broadcast on the Country Hour-in which the farmer at the centre of the cruelty allegations assured von Horchner it was all about swearing.

CHERIE VON HORCHNER: ... according to Ken Turner, who operates Boorungie Station, the complaint itself suggested the sheep can at least understand English if not speak it. ... There was no actual, or to my knowledge, there was no actual cruelty on the job. The allegation was that bad language was used by an employee on the property in front of the sheep, and they could have been offended by the use of bad language. — ABC Rural SA, Country Hour, 21st May, 2015

The problem is this was hotly disputed-or just plain wrong-as von Horchner well knew.

At the end of her broadcast she cited a statement from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who had sent the detailed 11 page complaint to the RSPCA, in which PETA was quoted as telling the ABC:

CHERIE VON HORCHNER: 'If foul language were the worst that sheep in Australian shearing sheds had to endure, then no complaint would have been filed.' — ABC Rural SA, Country Hour, 21st May, 2015

But what von Horchner did not tell listeners was that the most important part of PETA's statement had been left out.

And that the bits she'd kept from the audience put a totally different complexion on the story.

PETA US' complaint detailed instances in which shearers working at Boorungie Station punched sheep in the face, punched a lamb in the torso, stomped and stood on sheep's heads and necks, struck them with a pipe and electric clippers until they bled, picked up one sheep by the hind legs and threw her head first through a gate, and crudely stitched up gaping wounds without any pain relief. And yes, one shearer was cursing at the animals as he beat them. — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Statement to ABC Rural, 20th May, 2015

That statement was provided to the ABC before the program went to air and before the ABC Online story was published.

We think it should have been enough to kill the swearing story altogether.

We also think the ABC's failure to detail those cruelty allegations and focus on bad language was grossly misleading.

But does the ABC agree? Well no. The head of rural told Media Watch the report was approved by management and was 'accurate and balanced':

We totally reject the suggestion the report was dishonest or misleading ... Verbal abuse was part of the complaint ... The fact that there were more serious allegations ... was mentioned three times in the report ... — Leigh Radford, National Editor, ABC Rural, 29th May, 2015

Well, frankly we think that response is crap.

We've seen the full 11 page complaint and we agree with PETA's statement to Media Watch that:

There was nothing in the complaint about sheep being concerned by swearing. — Claire Fryer, PETA, 27th May, 2015

What happened is the ABC took a line they thought would be new and unusual.

But in doing so they twisted the facts and ridiculed the complaint.

And we're not the only ones to think so. The head of the RSPCA in NSW, Steve Coleman, who was interviewed by von Horchner, told Media Watch:

I was frankly gobsmacked with the line of questioning ... it's appalling that what was a very serious and legitimate complaint has been trivialised. — Steve Coleman, CEO, RSPCA, 26th May, 2015

Coleman was so incensed by the report-and by the way it was followed up-that he rang into Chris Smith on 2GB to tell him the ABC and the farmer had got it wrong.

CHRIS SMITH: Gee it's a completely different story. STEVE COLEMAN: It's completely and that's why I felt compelled to ring, Chris, because it's just, it's silly to think that, that we would respond to a complaint about yelling at sheep. When, when the ABC journalist put to me the other day words to the effect, 'Steve, is it cruel to swear at a sheep?' I, I honestly thought it was one of my mates playing a trick, and she was deadly serious. — 2GB, The Chris Smith Afternoon Show, 22nd May, 2015

ABC Rural's report is now the subject of a formal complaint from PETA.

We'll let you know how it goes.