Don't Panic, Mr Mainwaring!

[caddyman]

One of the "joys" of living in London is the profusion of newspapers, particularly the free ones that have sprung into existence over the past three or four years (or is it longer..?).

These all mean that when taken together with the billboards for such as the Evening Standard, which they actually expect you to shell out silver sploners for, there is often a headline somewhere that just stands out. The British tabloids have got a well-deserved reputation for being complete drivel, but at least some of them are completely drivel for free.

I digress - I was getting horribly close to grumbling about the standards of popular journalism, but let's not waste all the good grumbles in a single bout of insomnia, shall we?

A couple of years ago - I can't remember precisely when - we had an awful lot of rain, even by the standards of this country and I posted up a photograph of an Evening Standard sandwich board which had the headline, "Thames Floods: Prepare to Flee" (27 July 2007 if the file date is anything to go by).



Well, yesterday on the way home from work, I noticed that the London Lite had got in on the act:



Let's report responsibly, shall we, folks?

Comments

[budgie-uk.livejournal.com]

You're forgetting the mantra of the tabloid: "Never let the facts interfere with a good headline."

[ladkyis.livejournal.com]

Well excuse me but Torfaen borough council have had meetings on this very subject. where to dig them and who will dig them and if they have enough machines.
I find it hard to believe that they don't already have contingency plans for this sort of thing - what sort of thing? oh a flu epidemic. I mean flu is flu yes? and swine flu is just a variation and that's why they are not bringing out the vaccine until the autumn when the annual flu vaccine is produced. This had to be ordered by doctors in January so the next thing will be headlines telling us of a shortage of vaccine.
~sigh~
It makes me shout at the tele does this...

[keith-london.livejournal.com]

Ugh.. we've all heard of "pig flu mass vaccinations plan", which surely should avert the need for mass graves! Is something wrong with the vaccine??!

[fen-wolfchile.livejournal.com]

It's all propaganda dreamt up by General Secretary Brown to disguise the fact that he has no idea at all about how to do his job.

[captainweasel.livejournal.com]

If I were in power I'd make it law for all tabloids to have "KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON" as the front cover