The Media Column: 'Matthew Wright went splash. Then in went the Standard'

My favourite animal story concerns the way that penguins deal with the threat from sharks. Desperate for fish, but unsure whether any of those predators are lurking by their ice floe, the penguins shuffle forward and crowd closer and closer to the water's edge until – eventually – one of their brethren loses his flipper-hold and falls in. If the result is bubbles, blood and feathers, then they all troop off and try again later. If, on the other hand, he comes up with a fish in his beak, then they all dive in at once and eat while the eating is good.

That their sea was suddenly full of fish was something every celebivorous hack in Britain knew 11 days ago. It happened at the second when – during Ulrika Jonsson's interview with Jonathan Ross – Ross revealed that he "knew" who her alleged rapist was, and that he was a TV personality. Given Jonsson's claim that the same man had also attacked other women, it must have seemed a fair bet that showbiz gossip would be able to supply a name.

So it did. But here was the problem. Actually, here were two problems. The first was that publicly naming someone as an alleged serious criminal (and disseminating that information to millions) purely on the basis of gossip means risking the destruction of that person's career and personal life – as well as jeopardising the chances of any successful trial, should charges ever be brought. That would be totally unethical. Nor would it be mitigated by a claim that Mr X could issue a statement of denial and clear the air, because the second he did so, every media outlet in the world would then name him as the alleged villain and print his photo alongside his denial.

The second worry for the penguins, and the true cause of their restraint, was that they were terrified of being sued. A libellous accusation of rape against a celebrity would risk millions in costs and damages. That was the shark in the water. But for four days, the birds shuffled closer to the edge, revealing that the anonymous Mr X had been accused by other women, and that a police interview was imminent (at the time of my writing, a week later, no such interview has taken place), but giving no name.

The bird that went in first was Channel 5's tabloid gossip columnist turned presenter Matthew Wright. If naming Mr X was, as Wright claimed, a slip of the tongue, it was one of the most extraordinary pieces of broadcasting incompetence in recent memory. After all, there was only one rule Wright had to remember to avoid risking his channel's money and reputation, and that was: name no names.

But, for whatever reason, Wright went splash. No blood surfaced, and in went the London Evening Standard straight after him. Since then, the red-tops have fished to their hearts' content. On Sunday, the Sunday Mirror, the News of the World and The People placed the latest accusations against Mr X for sexual violence and cocaine-sniffing well ahead of their reporting of the end of the Moscow theatre siege. By yesterday, 29 women were said to be complaining about the sex beast; Darren Day (remember him?) was claiming that Mr X had raped his girlfriend; and Mr X himself was off work and not expected (according to courageous anonymous sources at his employer's) ever to return. Except, possibly, as a memoirist. Mr X has seen his life destroyed in a week, and still no formal charge has been brought against him.

He may deserve it, but that is for the authorities. All we have is gossip. In the meantime, the rest of us (who probably didn't know who Mr X was even after he had been named in some quarters) may ponder a few things. The first is, how, if we believe the tabloids, a rampant sex monster was allowed to rampage through the showbiz world for the best part of a decade without any journalists ever getting hold of the story. The second is, whether – given Mr X's alleged notoriety – the celebrities named as inviting him to their parties, along with potential victims, are guilty of a shocking neglect, or else themselves now have strong cases in the libel courts (the same, incidentally, goes for his employer).

And finally, that Mirror pledge of a return to seriousness. Didn't last long, did it?

david.aaronovitch@btinternet.com