Australian satirical blog “The Spin Starts Here” has been driven offline tonight, seemingly nobbled by the Management of singer Delta Goodrem following attacks launched in the Australian media against the site after starting a petition calling for the singer’s crucifixion in a piece titled ‘Make Delta Cross This Easter.’
“Delta Goodrem has made a bomb by allowing her management to exploit her brush with cancer,” said the petition. “She’s also profited greatly from the bad press surrounding her former beau, Mark Philippoussis, and allegations he cheated on her – despite the fact she took up with singer Brian McFadden some time before the break-up.
As any readers of the blog would know, its a satirical site that literally “takes the piss” out of anyone and everything. Whilst the site is not every one’s cup of tea, the attack led by the Murdoch Press (News Ltd) here, here and here, and also syndicated to offline papers such as the West Australian (pg 3) sets a new precedent in Australia for attacking online speech. It seems that not only has the Australian press woken up to blogs, but like their “old media” American counterparts, a number of journalists neither like them nor understand humour.
