Lord Copper, newspaper magnate and proprietor of the <i>Daily Beast</i>, has always prided himself on his intuitive flair for spotting ace reporters. That is not to say he has not made the odd blunder, however, and may in a moment of weakness make another. Acting on a dinner-party tip from Mrs Algernon Stitch, he feels convinced that he has hit on just the chap to cover a promising little war in the African Republic of Ishmaelia. One of Waugh's most exuberant comedies, <i>Scoop</i>is a brilliantly irreverent satire of Fleet Street and its hectic pursuit of hot news.