Hang on a mo, didn’t Pantani ride for Team Carrera?

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Yes, The Hun has seen fit to publish something about folks who ride bicycles, although the sub-editor has obviously got a tad flustered and somewhat confused when composing the headline. Like for starters, what slim relationship has this headline have to actual content?

Fig. A: On your bikes, say rebels

Cycling is booming as commuters get on their bikes to avoid road congestion and the public transport crush. New VicRoads figures show the number of cyclists using off-road paths during the morning peak has increased by almost 20 per cent in a year. The biggest increases have been in Footscray, Carlton North and Northcote.

‘Tis pleasing to know Beer Can Hill and the surrounding delta regions are overflowing with cyclists, but the HS are having a sloppy each way bet with allowing yet another minion to fiddle with the title. Thus far there’s been two further revisions:

Fig. B: “On your bikes, say rebel commuters” (Print edition)

Fig. C: “Rebel commuters: on your bikes” (Morning online edition)

Fig. D: “On your bikes, say rebels” (Later online edition)

Fig. E: “Red Light Running Dingo Cyclist Took My Baby” (ACA)

Although this mix n’ match headline editing is hardly a serious attempt to sabotage a non-threatening cycling article by conjuring up the Machiavellian Black Arts of Spin. But it does smack of a stale and clueless approach that the HS feels the urge to repeatively trot out when ‘reporting’ cycling issues in this city. It’s painfully obvious this style of reportage is way past any expiry date and is further evidence of attrition of so-called journalistic standards, let alone to anyone who gives a flying proverbial about how local issues are covered in the meedya. There’s plenty of alternative examples here in Australia and overseas, refer to the Wheels of Justice for more inspired examples. Hey what wrong with spruiking the other website anyway, it ends this blog entry on a positive note and you might just learn something.