[LINK] Fwd: MR 113/07: Australians have a voracious appetite for telecommunications [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

[Stilgherrian]

On 24/9/07 11:38 AM, "Ivan Trundle" <ivan at itrundle.com> wrote:
> My interpretation of the article is that the *rate* of take-up is of
> most interest, not that Australians are taking up technology/telcoms/
> whatever.
> 
> Perhaps 'voracious' is value-laden, but if one word describes a state
> or condition more succinctly than a sentence, then I'm all for it.
> 
> How else would one describe that the rate of take-up was increasing
> at a greater rate than before?

Oh, say, by giving the number itself? "Australians increase comms take-up by
X%."

Or, if we want to avoid the actual fact of the numbers and keep using fuzzy,
emotive terms, "Australians take up comms faster than ever before." Now
THERE is news!


> I'd avoid deconstructing headlines at the best of times - they are
> designed to grab attention, to fit the space allocated, and to give
> the reader some idea of what follows (in that order).

Agreed. A shame that a govt department seems attention-seeking as more
important that delivering facts -- though, yes, I know that the poor
over-worked newspaper journalists won't cut and paste some text and add
their byline if it isn't presented to them on a plate.

:)

Stil


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