Worst headline of the year

What happens when the desire to be clever overturns news judgement and good taste.

I couldn’t let this pass. This is big news in Brisbane — a story about a man who allegedly left his dog in a parked ute, went on a night out, went home and then reported his vehicle stolen.

The unattended dog died, and many people — including police and others who spent days searching for the vehicle and dog— are outraged.

The “punny” headline and subheadings used by The Courier-Mail in telling this story today are insensitive and entirely inappropriate.

Is it a consequence of a juvenile desire to make every headline “clever” or a shortage of level-headed senior staff where it counts? Or both?

Disclosure: I used to write for The Courier-Mail a long time ago.

©2025 Brett Debritz. If I’ve inadvertently used copyrighted material, failed to give credit where it’s due, written or said something you disagree with, or otherwise upset or unexpectedly delighted you, please leave a comment, email me or connect with me at @debritz on X and Mastodon, @brettdebritz on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and BlueSky, and @radiobert on YouTube. Links provided as a courtesy; I take no responsibility for their contents or give any warranty of their veracity. Image: Courier-Mail