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The new generation of internet communicators quickly learnt an important lesson: don't deceive your readers or they won't come back.
The newspaper generation still hasn't grasped this. Not only do the old-timers indulge in clickbait headline writing that fails to deliver, they continue the sleight of hand in print.
In a few minutes those whose skies are not as grey as those over SubScribe Towers will be out there with their cardboard specs and pinhole cameras. The Telegraph, however, seems to have got ahead of the game - for there on its front page is a picture of people watching the eclipse. Only trouble is, the people are in Australia and that particular eclipse was 13 years ago.
The newspaper generation still hasn't grasped this. Not only do the old-timers indulge in clickbait headline writing that fails to deliver, they continue the sleight of hand in print.
In a few minutes those whose skies are not as grey as those over SubScribe Towers will be out there with their cardboard specs and pinhole cameras. The Telegraph, however, seems to have got ahead of the game - for there on its front page is a picture of people watching the eclipse. Only trouble is, the people are in Australia and that particular eclipse was 13 years ago.
The Mirror, too, is pretending to be ahead of the game with its "Clarkson shown the door" splash. The BBC will announce the results of its inquiry into the cold meat fracas next week; the Mirror's heading suggests that it has inside information on the verdict. But the door Clarkson was shown was that of the producer at the receiving end of the alleged punch. Apparently Clarkson went to his house to apologise, but was denied entry. A good story, an accurate heading - but not quite what the reader expects.
As it happens, the Mirror changed up from that to an account of a charity auction in which the Top Gear presenter sold a passenger-seat ride in his "last ever lap" for £100,000. That in the process of so doing he is reported to have called BBC chiefs f****** bastards seems par for the course and probably what his audience expected to hear.
The original splash now appears on an inside spread with a much better main heading and context for the strapline - although by all accounts to call the producer a "victim" is laying it on a bit thick.
Victims are murdered or raped. They also have the phones hacked or are mis-sold PPI policies. We need to find a new word to differentiate between levels of suffering.
As it happens, the Mirror changed up from that to an account of a charity auction in which the Top Gear presenter sold a passenger-seat ride in his "last ever lap" for £100,000. That in the process of so doing he is reported to have called BBC chiefs f****** bastards seems par for the course and probably what his audience expected to hear.
The original splash now appears on an inside spread with a much better main heading and context for the strapline - although by all accounts to call the producer a "victim" is laying it on a bit thick.
Victims are murdered or raped. They also have the phones hacked or are mis-sold PPI policies. We need to find a new word to differentiate between levels of suffering.
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