PRACTICE MAKES PERFUCT (SUCK)

Probably the funniest mistakes newspapers make is when they try to correct an earlier error and fuck it up even worse second time around.
Well, we think we've discovered an even better variation of the theme ... come to think of it, it might be a whole new genre! It's when a paper gets on its high horse about something and makes a total fool of itself in the process.
We refer to The Queensland Independent, the newspaper of the University of Queensland school of journalism.
At this point we must point out that the The Queensland Independent is not connected in any way to The Independent, a stablemate of The Bug and part of the mighty media empire owned and operated by the Brisbane Independent Newspaper Group.
Now, back to the story....
Some law firm wrote to the paper, having a go at them over an earlier story involving one of the firm's clients, and boy oh boy, did the students' rag put those legal eagles in their place - freely inserting the note "sic" after what the newspaper obviously thought were mistakes in the letter.
But, as you can see, it's the newspaper that needs to practise (unsic) its editing skills before tackling a high-powered law practice (unsic).
Seeing the letter was written by the paper's editor, it's good to see his or her Walkley-award wannabees are in such professional hands.

It's a sing of the times

We all want to be remembered when it's our time to go, right? Let's just hope it's not by Australia's newspaper of the year.
The Courier-Mail recently ran the obit at right,lauding the life of fine Queenslander Bill Finger who, according to the heading, not only wrote songs but sang them as well.
You've probably already fingered .. we mean figured ... it out that Bill wasn't actually a singwriter, or a songwriter, but a SIGNWRITER.
It was mentioned under his name at the start of the tribute, and just a glance at the accompanying photograph would make anyone realise that Bill was working on, and surrounded by SIGNS. Not a songsheet in sight!
Okay, so now we're being a tiny bit smartarsey. We all know that the poor old sub meant to type signwriter.
But we at the mistake-riddled Bug - where not a single check or balance takes place - still find it amazing that in all the checking processes that take place at Australia's best read - sub, check sub, a third sub reading the page proof again - these sort of fuckups still get through to you, the raeder.

Death of accuracy

You might remember that a few Bugs back we had an almighty dig at Australia's best newspaper for its inability to settle on a figure for the Australian death toll in last year's terrorist bombing in Bali.
The Courier-Mail ran four consecutive editions on the Bali bombing and on each day put the Aussie death toll at 88, 89, 88 and then at 89 again.
So what was the actual figure? For much of last week, The Courier-Mail settled at 89, only to drop back to 88 by week's end as the anniversary of the bombing drew near.
The ABC steadfastly has used 88, so who should we trust for accuracy, considering the Courier will probably drift back to 89 this week?
We're putting our money on the national broadcaster.

And finally, our splash of the month...