Thursday, January 11, 2007

Media Watching

I used to dismiss those who said you can't believe what you read in newspapers.
To be sure, there are plenty of paranoid conspiracy theorists who form crackpot ideas to counter what they read in the newspapers. But sometimes it's bleedingly obvious that reporters are doing a woeful job.

Thus I began to realise, of the many hideously frustrating things in this world, crap newspapers are up there amongst bamboo torture and novelty mobile phone ringtones.

I speak of course about The Courier Mail and the Cairns Post.

The Cairns Post is too easy a target (which I will no doubt attack in a later post), but The Courier Mail somehow commands respect here in Cairns.

Here's why it shouldn't.

Taken from The Courier Mail 10/1/07:
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21035290-3122,00.html

Sports retailer hits the spot

Justine Turner

January 08, 2007 11:00pm

Article from: AAP

TARGETED advertising in the lead-up to Christmas helped Rebel Sport lift sales by almost 15 per cent in the first half of 2006-07.



And then, taken from The Australian 10/1/07:

Rebel run slows as retailers hit hurdle

Blair Speedy

January 10, 2007

RETAIL group Rebel Sport reported slower sales growth in the last three months of 2006, as the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that department store sales had declined for a fifth straight month.


Seems the Courier Mail article was rather poorly researched then. Nice one.

I suppose it is worth the time to read more than one newspaper, so that we may realise that what some people take as truth is often far from it.

And to all people out there thinking of becoming a journalist, don't worry if you're a moron. The Courier Mail (and AAP by extension) has plenty of space for you.