Our Media Glass House researchers remain puzzled by a couple of very short news items published at the weekend in News Crap Australia’s Sydney turdbloid The Sunday Telegraph.
For starters the news brief (main picture, above) told readers that Medicare data shows that the number of vasectomies performed on young men aged 15 to 24 has doubled in four years.
Let’s back up and repeat that – the number of vasectomies performed on young men aged 15 to 24 has doubled in four years.
As a 15-year-old might say: “WTF!”
The brief goes some way to explaining what’s behind the data by referencing a desire for easier contraception and also quoting a doctor saying that many young men thought vasectomies could be easily reversed, but that wasn’t always the case.
Our MGH teams think the Tele probably missed a story that deserves further exploration.
As far as they know, and none is legally qualified – although one has seen and can recite the plot of every episode of A Country Practice – Australian law generally allows people aged 16 or more to consent to their own medical treatment.
As always there are exceptions and there have been many court cases over the years on this very subject which is why our MGH researchers believe the Tele might have invested a bit more time and effort in exploring that particular segment of the issue.
***
The Sunday Telegraph also carried this very short story (below) about a woman reportedly experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) arising from workplace bullying.
The woman concerned was named as Kathie Melocco but other key details were missing from the seven-sentence story.
One of those sentences told readers that PTSD was not affecting only frontline first responders such as soldiers or police officers.
Another said doctors were reporting a rise in PTSD cases and the remaining five sentences gave some information about Ms Melocco’s own circumstances.
But there it ended. No further information was provided, no pointer to a large feature story somewhere else in the paper, no contact details for support groups available to those suffering PTSD. Nothing. So what was the point?
Our MGH teams were very disappointed that such a serious and apparently widespread problem was given such abbreviated coverage that really didn’t advance public discussion one iota.
But they admit they are probably not as disappointed as Ms Melocco and whoever helped arrange the story to gain exposure of the problem.
***
The Sunday Tele also includes the travel magazine published in News Crap Australia’s stable of Sunday turdbloids.
Its latest edition carried a feature story canvassing the cruise ship companies offering side tours that bring passengers face to face with marine life.
It carried a big double-page photo (below) of a family enjoying their own close-up look at some underwater creatures and plant life.
It’s actually an artist’s rendering but nevertheless some of our MGH researchers feel that just months after the Titan deep-sea joyride disaster, perhaps a better pic may have been sourced. Just saying.
Want to be alerted immediately a new blog hits Australia’s longest running and most offensive satire site? Simply click on the Follow sign or the link below to be emailed new yarns the moment they are uploaded! The very second we go far too far – and trust us we will – you can then quickly unfollow via the three dots!
The Bug Online 