Aussie Bali victim dies,
gets better, dies again

Australia's best newspaper, The Courier-Mail, reminded us on Tuesday (August 5) in a little think-piece by Madonna King of the 88 Australians who died tragically in the Bali bombing on October 12 last year.
The following day, the broadsheet winner of the prestigious PANPA Newspaper of the Year award reminded us, in a news story on the Jakarta bombing, of the 89 Australians who died tragically in the Bali bombing on October 12 last year.
A day later, Australia's best read, when reporting on the closing stages of the trial of Amrozi, reminded us of the 88 Australians who died tragically in the Bali bombing last year.
Then to finish off the week, Australia's premier paper, reporting on Friday (August 8) on the death penalty handed down to Amrozi, reminded us of the 89 Australians who died tragically in the Bali bombing last year.
So let's get that right: 88, 89, 88, 89 and on consecutive days.
The Bug would hate to think of the standards of factual reporting in papers that didn't make the PANPA semi-finals!

From top left: The Courier Mail of August 5, Augsut 6, August 7 and August 8

New frontrunner for Bug beat-up award!

Competition for this year's annual Bug Beat-up of the Year award for very average journalism is hotting up!
For many years now, reporters and sub-editors across the land have vied for the Beat-Up Award, considered by many senior members of the fourth estate as being more prestigious that the annual Wankleys.
While no prizemoney exists, each winner gets an eggbeater dipped in silver paint and mounted professionally on a base of some endangered Queensland hardwood.
A new frontrunner has emerged in the shape of the recent Sunday Mail splash (below) which breathlessly wrote about a leak from Premier Peter "The Sieve" Beattie's office.
The story disclosed that the Premier was furious and embarrassed that someone in his office had leaked a memo he had written to some party hacks before he could.
The story broke the news that the Premier would have to hold an election when it was due, and that he'd really like a long campaign because the Opposition had no policies whatsover.
With the advertising rates the Sunday Mail charges, The Bug reckons the Premier couldn't have afforded such a free kick even if he threw his annual wage at the paper.
The panel of judges for The Bug's Annual Beat-Up Award say the Sunday Mail effort combines all the features expected in the ultimate winner of the award.
They particularly commended the entry for its tongue-in-cheek heading, "RED-FACED!" which of course could equally apply to the reporter who wrote the piece, the sub-editor who subbed it and the newspaper editor who, considering the Premier's reputation, thought it was a story in the first place, let alone the splash.

o Entries for this year's award close on November 1. The judges wish to remind journalists nationwide that the award is also open to broadsheet papers.

Sunday Mail front page "exclusive" from July 20, 2003