The goat news story that just won't die

Goats tend to get scant coverage in the mainstream media. However, one unfortunate creature has bucked the trend, garnering lasting infamy in cyberspace in the process.

In February 2006, BBC News Online's "trusted" Sudanese stringer filed a story with the following headline: "Sudan man forced to 'marry' goat". It told how the goat's owner, a Mr Alifi, from Hai Malakal in Upper Nile State, was woken one night by "a loud noise" and raced outside - only to discover a man entangled with his goat. The goat-lover in question, Mr Tombe, was hauled before a council of elders who ordered him to pay "a dowry" of 15,000 Sudanese dinars [about £37] to Mr Alifi, as he had "used [the goat] as his wife".

Displaying a notable flair for one-liners, Mr Alifi said: "We have given him the goat, and as far as we know they are still together."

A staggering 14 months later, the tale still regularly tops the site's list of most popular stories, refusing to slip quietly into the archive section. Indeed, only last week it beat reports on flammable toilets and "how chocolate is better than kissing" to the top spot.

Some News Online hacks wondered whether there was an organised campaign to keep the story in pole position. A thought that world editor Adam Curtis admits also crossed his mind. "It had not been re-published or revised, so how is it that upwards of 100,000 people a day were passing it on to their friends?" he wondered on his blog. "We put our senior software engineer Gareth Owen on the case. His verdict is unequivocal. The demand was genuine". A BBC spokesperson adds that a follow-up is now being considered.

All of which raises an unpalat-able issue for hacks. When readers can "vote" with a mouse click, editors now know precisely how many people read every article they publish. One popular American gossip site offers staffers bonuses based on the amount of traffic their stories get. If only such a scheme had been in place at the BBC, one Sudanese stringer would be a very rich man indeed, while the goat would probably be advised to approach Max Clifford for representation.