The BBC rather proudly reports today that a BBC news story about the global population hitting seven billion topped Facebook’s list of the most popular news stories in 2011.

Coming in second on the Facebook list of the most popular news stories, selected by counting the number of clicks on its site for articles posted from the country’s top media outlets which had appeared as wall posts, likes or shared items, was a London Sun item about a woman who allegedly had a scatalogically-themed tattoo inked on her back by a lover in revenge for her unfaithfulness. Rather snootily the BBC report on the Facebook awards claims other journalists have since cast doubt on the Sun’sclaim.

The top 20 from Facebook:

 

1. BBC: The world at seven billion

2. The Sun: Tatt-poo for cheating

3. The Guardian: The shocking truth about the crackdown on Occupy

4. BBC: Amy Winehouse: Tributes paid to dead singer

5. BBC: Austrian driver allowed ‘pastafarian’ headgear photo

6. The Guardian: Charlie Sheen v Muammar Gaddafi: whose line is it anyway?

7. The Guardian: The meaning of 9/11’s most controversial photo

8. Daily Mail: Amy Winehouse, 27, found dead at her London flat after suspected ‘drug overdose’

9. BBC: Drunk Swedish elk found in apple tree near Gothenburg

10. BBC: ‘Brinicle’ ice finger of death filmed in Antarctic

11. Daily Mail: Robber who broke into hair salon is beaten by its black-belt owner and kept as a sex slave for three days… fed only Viagra

12. The Sun: Frankie Cocozza kicked off X Factor

13. BBC: Japan earthquake: Footage of moment tsunami hit

14. BBC: Osama Bin Laden, al-Qaeda leader, dead – Barack Obama

15. The Guardian: Osama bin Laden corpse photo is fake

16. BBC: Japan earthquake: Tsunami hits north-east

17. BBC: Speed-of-light results under scrutiny at Cern

18. BBC: Arrest over video of ‘racist rant’ on Croydon to Wimbledon tram

19. Daily Mail: Loyal to the end: Heart-breaking photo shows Navy SEAL’s devoted dog guarding his coffin

20. BBC: LIVE: Osama Bin Laden dead