The Media desperation that is the silly season of August

The Guardian pointed out something to me on the train today which I had forgotten. As traditional as Christmas in media circles is the August silly season. Everyone is on holiday politicians, celebrities and anything else that usually makes the news. So the media desperately scratch around for some headline grabbers and comes up with the usual cliched slow new day stories.

The Guardian, every helpful gives us a few suggestions and comments on the stories to watch out for this August.

August 8th - Radio 4 recruits listeners for new national study involving Bill Oddie.

August 16th - Students celebrate A-level success.

"A strikingly attractive 18 year old girl has done fairly well in her A-levels, according to a report in every local paper in the United Kingdom. The 18 year old's photo dominates the front page of the paper... A picture spread in the Daily Mail reveals that there was jubilation, also, for a set of triplets from the home counties, who each got 14 A-grades and will all be heading to Oxbridge... and a life ultimately devoid of meaning.
But there was disappointment for other students, because they are ugly and thick."

-The Guardian, G2 Thursday 02.08.07

I have paraphrased a bit but that whole section is inspired. So true as well, I am guessing they will find an emo kid this year to parade as a failure forgetting that taste in music has nothing to do with educational success.

August 18 - New website is latest online sensation.

Something like a new facebook or myspaz. Thousands of people will use this new web 2.0 starlet but it will have its detractors.

August 20 - Country dwellers demonstrate in London

August 23 - Gatwick terror panic

This one goes a bit random telling a tale of banning airline passengers from wearing green hats but permitting rocket propelled grenade launchers.

However it does expose a typical media ploy of the on the spot interview:

"A defiant group of Britons interviewed by ITN News also refused to be cowed by the threat of terrorism. They said it was crucial for the survival of liberal democracy that they press ahead with plans to spend the weekend getting life threateningly drunk in the lap dancing clubs of Talinn."

-The Guardian, G2 Thursday 02.08.07

August 24 Bank Holiday travel chaos misery

Usually reported live on a bridge over the M5 where they tell you how many cars are entering Devon and Cornwall.

August 30 Animal spotted in surprising place

As the Guardian says 'insert own animal' here such as shark, whale, tiger,or monkey, shown in the UK being watched by gawpers, sorry I mean onlookers.

I personally like the stories when the vulture escapes and they have to leave out dead cows to try and recapture it again.

"The surprisingly located animal becomes an unlikely hero and was given a cute nickname as the whole country watched the drama unfold on Sky News. But eventually specialists concluded that they had not option but to put it down."

-The Guardian, G2 Thursday 02.08.07

If you were feeling really energetic you could organise a sweep stake with friends. Pick 3 out of the six events named above, pick a date and either location / animal or other subject. Then you get a point for each one you get right, three points per prediction making nine points in total.

So creating an example from the guardian they might go for:

August 8 - Radio 4 survey - pebblewatch
August 16 - A level success - Daily mail triplets going to Oxbridge
August 30 - Strange animal - whale seen in thames

My ideas are:

August 15 - Strange animal - Vulture spotted on Dartmoor / Exmoor
August 16 - A level success - famous person's son / daughter gets A's and heads to Oxbridge
August 24 - Bank Holiday travel chaos - main rail line closed for bank holiday weekend