Lord Copper newspaper magnate & proprietor of the Daily Beast" 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 & may in a moment of weakness make another. Acting on a dinner-party tip from Mrs Algernon Smith 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 " Scoop" is a brilliantly irreverent satire of " Fleet Street" & its hectic pursuit of hot news."