How We See It! - Saturday Snapshot

With Bryan Littlely and Shaun Hollis

Bryan Littlely

Journalist

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Cartoon by Shaun Hollis.

Newsflash… Editor makes a typo

“Never read the comments” …. It was the advice readily handed out to journalists when news media entered the digital era - aka the birth of the keyboard warrior.

I was Chief of Staff at The Advertiser in 2008 when it became News Corp’s global proving ground for digital news when it launched the Adelaide Now platform.

Interesting times they were as readers and critics (insert “wannabe journalists”) were provided with more opportunity than ever before to interact with media outlets.

In a small way, I still despise the fact that digital media largely took away the cut and pasted newsprint articles complete with fluro highlights and capital letter-written scoldings, even death threats at times, I used to get dropped in my pigeon hole (maybe even from fellow journos I’d scooped).

Every news patch has its share of proof reading members of the public. It’s good to see ours were on the ball at 9am on New Year’s Day when my fat fingers and bleary eyes meant I hit the “L” instead of the adjacent “K” as I made a social media post on my phone.

Unlike me, who went back to sleep for a well needed kip, there was no rest for our Saint of a story checker who, most appreciatively given we have a pretty slimline editorial team at the best of times, chimed in on Ol’ mate Crispin’s column too.

Another saying that emerged quickly in those formative days of digital news: “You’re not wrong for long”.

Keep those comments, and critiques, coming. Love them… as there are some journalists “in this day and age” who have, quite simply, heard it all before.

 

Slinky has survival instinct

The story of Slinky the sausage dog surviving the wilds of Julatten for 13 days is something remarkable.

While my Animal Welfare League rescued 10-year-old kelpie is pretty durable on our farm, he likes his creature comforts too much for me to consider that he'd last long out of his known environment.

There are some wonderful stories of pets returning home after epic journeys or against the odds.

Around a decade ago I covered a story on a cat which had been found by animal rescue having been missing for more than three years. We wanted to capture the reunion of family and fur child at the shelter and the photographer was working to get the perfect shot… a nice clean background pic of the owner cuddling the cat.

I don’t believe the cat was ever seen again after it freaked out, scratched the owner and bolted across the uncaged petting area of the facility, over a wall and off into the suburbs.

I’m a survivor

 

Captain’s pick for best of the year

In the last few days of 2024 through Newsport Daily Online, and in our first print edition of 2025, we captured the Year That Was 2024 with some wonderful stories of the trials and tribulations, challenges and celebrations across Douglas Shire.

It was a team effort to pick those stories which made the cut for each month, striking a balance of good news and the harsh reality that 2024 was one of the toughest in recent memory for the region.

Personally, picking a top story just from my four to five months of Newsport involvement is a tough task.

A giant croc cruising Four Mile beach appeals given my former NT links. Losing our much loved Mossman locos, as devastating as it is, was one of those stories that will stick with me and the Douglas dingo debate is a contentious issue with plenty of what is the essence of news…. Conflict.

But there is one issue and storyline I think rises above them, has proven popular with our diverse audience and is a story that has kept on giving.

The Great Debate of what makes someone local is my pick for the best story. Afterall, it is all about all of you, and that’s what we strive to do… tell your stories, share your news and keep you, our valued readers, informed and entertained.

Best local news story of the year

 

You name it, we’ve got it

Scrolling through social media and local Buy, Swap and Sell pages this week I was quite taken by a Craiglie sale item… a bunch of body parts!

OK, so they were old school fashion house mannequins but, used in a creatively creepish way, I reckon you could create some of that “fake news journalists of this day and age proof read for’’!

It got me thinking about some of the thrift shop, garage sale and even kerbside hard waste gold I’ve picked up over the years.

I’ve got a church pew I picked up off the side of the road a decade ago which is used with our hand built dining table; a bookies betting board; and around $2000 worth of vintage Lesney Matchbox cars I picked up for $50 when buying a biscuit tin full of toy cars 16 years ago for my unborn daughter who I was convinced was going to be a boy… she’s an F1 fan and footy player now so I figure that was a good buy for more reasons than the unknown vintage value.

But the likely most odd thing I’ve scored - and one of the biggest talking points - is an airstrip lantern from the nuclear testing grounds of Maralinga.

While covering a Remembrance Day service at Maralinga and researching for stories on a class action over the impacts of nuclear contamination across South Australia, I stumbled across a stack of them one dark night. I’ve had it for 15 years and still haven’t had to change the battery or the globe!

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