Sir, – While Ruth Coppinger (Letters, May 21st) is entitled to feel appalled at the inclusion of a transport worker's death in the weekly news quiz, her argument that "this would not happen to someone who wasn't working class" seems untenable.
Skimming through other news quizzes from recent months, I see references to a knife attack motivated by anti-Semitism, the figures of Hitler and Mussolini, attempted murder charges, along with numerous deaths and funerals. In the early months of this year the latter include the deaths and funerals of Larry Gogan, Elizabeth Wurtzel, John Trine and Marian Finucane, wealthy and successful people all.
News is serious stuff, by its nature, and quizzes for some of us bring to attention important stories and developments that we may have missed, though they may appear to trivialise significant matters.
Ultimately, the tragic death of Ms Mujinga probably warranted more coverage that it got. However, as the death toll from Covid-19 in the UK exceeds 35,000 by now, very few “ordinary people“ from that cohort will get any mention in international media. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN O’BRIEN,
Kinsale,
Co Cork.