The column that has fun with the smaller mistakes and missteps of Australia’s mainstream mediocre; that pays homage to those sweet little fishes that individually don’t amount to a full meal but collectively can cause a tummy upset over the overall state of the once great and noble craft of journalism in this country.

Wouldn’t it be incredible if TV news presenters stopped using the word ‘incredible’ where it is absolutely not wanted or warranted?

Let’s roll the tape from the Nine News Brisbane 6pm bulletin early last week when newsreader Melissa Downes was touting an upcoming story: “Talk about a craving. The incredible lengths this thief went to to steal donuts!”

And here’s her voiceover for when the story finally aired. “The temptation was too much for this man seen stealing an entire tray of donuts from a Melbourne store. He waited until a staff member stacking chairs walked away before he snatched the tray and fled.”

What! A thief waited until backs were turned before shoplifting something. INCREDIBLE! Well, not really. Not in any way, shape or form. Totally believable, actually, especially when we all saw it happen!

Let’s come forward to just last night’s (Saturdays) 6pm Nine News Brisbane bulletin where newsreader Mia Glover touted this upcoming item: “See the incredible moment two birds battle it out for their dinner!”

The segment lasted barely seconds and one could argue that it was incredible that someone thought it was a worthy news item in the first place.

Let’s run the definition of incredible one more time …..

….. before we make this simple plea to Nine News and all other networks, if the truth be known: if you want to be respected as a sober, serious, professional news media platform, stop touting stories with the over-the-top, totally unwarranted, totally inaccurate “incredible” tag! Leave that description for those writing promos for the various stations’ reality TV shows. MAFS, etc, etc. You know: the clearly fake, made-up stuff; the exact opposite of what news is supposed to be.

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