Local press - jeezus!

[Kooky]

Not sure if you non-Ozzies have read about the 18 year-old Sydney girl that spent ten hours yesterday with what was thought to be a bomb strapped round her neck? Turned out to be a very good fake but still, what an ordeal for her and her folks (with whom she was not allowed to communicate the whole time). Investigations still going on but the family is wealthy, probably a ransom demand.

I don't know why I'm surprised - I guess I'm not, just disappointed. From reading the local online press today we know where they live, all about the kids, where they all go to school, that they are very wealthy, where Dad works, where he has worked, and now I've just read that they've gone to their holiday home in xyz.

And they seem disappointed that the school is staying quiet on it all.

Vultures. Irresponsible ones at that. They're probably upset she's still in one piece.

[Snaffled]

Calling those ghoulish idiots "Press" of any sort is an insult to proper journalists.

[slinky]

Calling those ghoulish idiots "Press" of any sort is an insult to proper journalists.

You said it, Snaff. What have we - society in general - become that this is what has become 'normal' reporting??

[Kooky]

And when quoting schoolmates' facebook posts is part of that?

[Snaffled]

The whole reporting from Social Media is daft. I turn on a news program to see professional reasoned disinterested journalism, not what Lovelance237 has to say about it on Twitter.

[Kooky]

Sadly accurate.

I've just clicked onto the front page of the SMH to see Video News: The Mosman Bomb Hoax Mansion - with a picture of the inside of the house and what I can only guess is a realtor's virtual tour of it (only guess because I'm not about to click on it).

[Morrolan]

bread and games... sadly, the masses lap this stuff up.

[Burbage]

The press in Australia seems to be only interested in extracting the biggest emotional response it can. All we needed on this, if anything, was that it happened and everyone ended up all right. What the press wants is people breaking down on camera and as much misery as they can extract.

I don't even bother, if anything of any major note happens in Australia, it'll be in the Torygraph.

[Mr Oz]

Gawd did you see Shane Warne has lost all that weight and OMFG he's using face cream!!!

[Kooky]

No, I've got my Shane Warne and Miranda Kerr blocker installed, Oz.

[daffodil]

A suspect has been arrested....in the US! Curious to say the least

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/au ... il-address

[Kooky]

Very weird. Let's hope he's their man.

A lesson to us all - if you're going to go to an internet cafe or library to do Bad Deeds, make sure there's no CCTV.

(And if you're going to lose the plot on the internet "anonymously" mask your company's IP address http://mumbrella.com.au/solaris-scum-at ... gner-54795
Oi love, that's my mate you're slagging off. He's grateful for the extra publicity. )

[Tas]

oh and perhaps not use your credit card to buy your tools....

[Fat Bob]

Hmmm...missed this first time around as was in Komodo - not much internet access there, and I am a person which, when on leave, can actually leave it all behind!

Re the press: the population are the people that accept the press. Either we purchase their papers, watch their TV coverage or read thier online pages (which they get advertising for). The population is to blame, just as much as we are when it comes to paparzi, gossip columns and all that crap.

Yes, it is over-sensatialised, but hey, we keep on buying intot hat stuff, so we are the issue, not the people making money from it. If we stopped buying it then the media would have to make money in other ways.