Australian tabloid decides to fight trolls … with trolls

Australian tabloid newspaper The Daily Telegraph has started a campaign to Stop the trolls.

The campaign’s roots lie in recent incidents that saw a reality television hostess’ Twitter account subjected to ridicule and a Rugby League footballer’s account receive vile comments about his recently-deceased mother.

The footballer struck back, threatening to rip the balls off the troll, followed by a call to Australia’s Prime Minister to do something about trolls. That call saw the Premier of the State of New South Wales weigh in, agreeing that trolls must be stopped.

Things then snowballed as reports emerged the Prime Minister had granted the footballer an audience to discuss the troll menace, an odd gesture but one that makes sense given current debate in Australia about links between online bullying and youth suicide.

All of which explains why the Telegraph gave over its front page, depicted aboveand helpfully parsed by Twitter user HyperBrendan, to its new Stop the Trolls campaign — via redwolf.newsvine.com